Dame Myra Hess: The Show Must Go On

Myra Hess was a world-renowned pianist when the the war started, having traveled internationally to share her talents in the previous decades. When the London blitz forced a blackout across England, Hess formulated an idea. She saw her city emptied of its light, and the National Gallery eviscerated of its artworks. The glum aura of the city was a reflection of the well being and morale of its citizens. Music, Hess believed, was a source of happiness in peacetime; at the very least, it could be a distraction from the harsh reality of wartime.

In coordination with the director of the National Gallery, Kenneth Clark, who couldn’t bare the emptiness of a place intended to overflow with beauty, Hess designed lunchtime concerts to be hosted at the gallery, located on Trafalgar Square. From 1940 to 1946, more than 1,500 concerts drew hundreds of thousands of Londoners seeking momentary respite from the constant stresses of daily life in wartime.  Hess’ concerts were featured in the innovative British propaganda film, Listen to Britain, released in 1942. Hess was made Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1941, as a token of appreciation from King George VI for her role in boosting morale.

 Dame Myra Hess plays Beethoven’s Appassionata at a National Gallery concert, 1945

This post by curator Meg Roussel