Paul Harvey
Born (1940-01-29) 29 January 1940
Stoke-on-Trent, England
Occupation(s)
Instrument(s)Piano

Paul Ragle Harvey OBE (born 29 January 1940) is a British composer and former concert pianist. After being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2019, he rose to prominence in September 2020 following a viral video of him playing the piano. The video led to Harvey performing with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and recording a number-one single.

Early life and education

Harvey was born on 29 January 1940[1] in Stoke-on-Trent.[2][3][4] He played piano from an early age, completing his first-grade exam at the age of four. At 15, he completed his Grade 8 exam, achieving one of the best results in the United Kingdom.[5] When he was 18, Harvey moved to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music.[5][3] It was during this time that he met Sue, who later gave birth to Nick, Harvey's eldest son.[6]

Career

After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music, Harvey began work as a composer and pianist. One of his compositions, Rumba Toccata, is used regularly on the Grade 6 piano syllabus.[4] He was featured in the BBC Home Service's Variety Playhouse in 1964 when he played a piece by Mozart.[2][3][6]

Harvey first improvised in his "four notes" style at a summer course organised by Cleo Laine (left) and John Dankworth (right)

Around the time of his son Nick's birth, Harvey became a teacher at Imberhorne School in East Grinstead.[5] He taught there for 20 years[2] and became head of music.[7] Other experiences teaching included working at a summer school organised by musicians Cleo Laine and John Dankworth. It was at that course that he first improvised in his signature four notes style.[8]

Later life

Harvey was moved into sheltered housing in 2015 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2019.[3][5] To help fight the onset of the disease he plays the piano, sometimes through the persuasion of his son Nick. One such occasion was on 17 September 2020,[9][6] when Nick asked his father to improvise a song using only four notes: F, A, D and B.[10] The two-minute long[11] performance was recorded and uploaded to Nick's Twitter account. The clip went viral and gained over 2 million views.[10][12] It was aired on BBC Radio 4[13] on 21 September for World Alzheimer's Day.[14]

Harvey was invited onto Good Morning Britain as a guest following the viral video. On the program, he was requested by Susanna Reid to create another four-note improvisation using the notes C, D, G and B.[8][15]

Paddy O'Connell arranged for Harvey to make a recording of "Four Notes - Paul's Tune" with the BBC Philharmonic

After radio listeners requested an orchestral version of the song, Paddy O'Connell arranged for Harvey to record the piece as a charity single with the BBC Philharmonic.[16] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this took place remotely, with all orchestra members recording and submitting their parts from home.[13][17] The piece was arranged for the orchestra by Daniel Whibley.[13][17] The finished version was entitled "Four Notes – Paul's Tune".[18][3] It was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 3 October.[17] The single was released to purchase as a digital download on 22 October.[9]

Harvey's playing inspired the Scottish billionaire Sir Tom Hunter to donate £1 million to charity. Hunter and his wife found the performance while watching BBC Breakfast. The donation was split between Music for Dementia and the Alzheimer's Society.[19][16] Music for Dementia used the money to set up the Paul & Nick Harvey fund. The fund distributed money to charities that support people with dementia through music.[20][12] Over 170 charities applied for funding, with 27 achieving grants of £5,000–50,000.[21][12][22]

Stephen Sondheim, lyricist of West Side Story, contacted Harvey after seeing the video. In a video message to Harvey given through the BBC, he called the piece "very special"[3] and said that he "can't wait to steal" it.[13] Sondheim was Harvey's favourite composer.[13]

For his charity work, Harvey was honoured with an Outstanding Achievement Award at the virtually hosted Dementia Hero Awards in 2021. He was one of three finalists.[23] Harvey was surprised with the honour, stating that he "was really quite shocked to win".[5]

Music for Dementia later arranged for Harvey to perform with the BBC Philharmonic to mark the first anniversary of the original video.[2] The performance consisted of Harvey playing "Four Notes" on the piano as well as conducting arrangements of "Four Notes" and "Where's the Sunshine", a song he wrote for a musical at Imberhorne School.[17][4] His son Nick played the piano.[24] The performance was broadcast on BBC Breakfast.[25][2] Harvey was moved by the experience, calling it "magical" and "very, very special".[24]

In December 2021, Harvey and Nick collaborated with singer Aled Jones to create a Christmas charity single. The end result was titled "Christmas Isn't Just Another Day". The single was made for Music for Dementia's m4d radio station.[26][27]

Harvey was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to charity and people living with Alzheimer's and dementia.[28]

Musical works

  • "Four Notes – Paul's Tune" – originally an improvisation using only four notes: a charity single released in 2020. The song is a collaboration between Harvey, Daniel Whibley and the BBC Philharmonic. It reached number 32 on the UK singles chart and number 1 on the UK singles download chart.[29] The single raised over £1 million;[25] all proceeds were donated to Music for Dementia and the Alzheimer's Society.[5][29] It was featured on the Now That's What I Call Music! album.[6]
  • "Where's the Sunshine" – Harvey wrote this song in 1981 for a school show at Imberhorne School.[11] The lyrics to the song were written by Pete Talman, head of drama at the school.[7]
  • Christmas Isn't Just Another Day – a charity Christmas single created with Nick Harvey and Aled Jones. Lyrics to the song were provided by Pete Talman. The single was broadcast through Music for Dementia's m4d radio station.[26][27]

References

  1. ↑ Harvey, Nick (29 January 2021). "At 80, my dad Paul improvised a masterpiece, raised £1m+ for charity and got to no.1". Twitter.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Incredible moment pianist with dementia fulfils dream of conducting symphony orchestra". The Argus. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tapper, James (1 November 2020). "'I didn't expect a fuss': How a composer with dementia got to No 1". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Gibbons, Katie. "Pianist Paul Harvey defies dementia to conduct BBC orchestra". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "'It's the power of music' musician living with dementia wins prestigious award". The Argus. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Taylor, Interviews by Jeremy. "Dementia sufferer Paul Harvey on his surprise viral hit, Four Notes — Paul's Tune". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  7. 1 2 "79-year-old with dementia remembers song he wrote decades ago, plays it on piano for son". CBS News. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  8. 1 2 Deen, Sarah (21 September 2020). "Incredible moment man with dementia creates music live on air with four notes". Metro. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  9. 1 2 Lawrence, Morgan (3 March 2021). "My father's dementia led to a hit record and a million pounds for charity". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  10. 1 2 "WATCH: Former music teacher with dementia stuns with improvised composition using only four notes". HeraldScotland. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Dad with dementia's viral piano playing prompts million pound donation". Classic FM. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 Dunham, James (13 May 2021). "How this viral performance from a pianist with dementia is helping others". ITV News.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Culwell-Block, Logan (4 November 2020). "Stephen Sondheim Surprises 80-Year-Old Composer Living With Dementia After Improvised Piece Goes Viral". Playbill.
  14. ↑ "80-year-old former music teacher with dementia releases new single". Pianist. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  15. ↑ Needham, Lucy (21 September 2020). "Piers Morgan speechless as pensioner with dementia writes piano tune live on GMB". mirror. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  16. 1 2 Gallagher, Paul (2 November 2020). "Story of former music teacher Paul Harvey with dementia inspires £1m donation from billionaire". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "One year after Paul Harvey's Four Notes captured the nation's hearts, he fulfils a lifelong ambition by conducting the BBC Philharmonic playing his composition" (PDF). Music for Dementia.
  18. ↑ "Paul Harvey: Single gives 'new lease of life' to composer with dementia". BBC News. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  19. ↑ "Paul Harvey: Composer with dementia inspires £1m donation". BBC News. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  20. ↑ ahsw.org.uk, Arts & Health South West. "Paul & Nick Harvey Fund Now Open for Applications". Arts & Health South West. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  21. ↑ Elliott, Shona (13 May 2021). "Paul Harvey: Viral pianist with dementia helps Edinburgh charity secure £37,799 cash boost". Edinburgh Evening News.
  22. ↑ Horton, Tom (13 May 2021). "Four Notes viral pianist boosts dementia projects". Evening Standard. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  23. ↑ Hewitt, Phil (29 May 2021). "Sussex musician wins prestigious Dementia Hero Award". Sussex World.
  24. 1 2 McDonnell, Seamus (7 October 2021). "Inspirational pianist, 81, who lives with dementia fulfils orchestra dream". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  25. 1 2 Baddoo, Terry. "Music helps composer with dementia find new lease on life". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  26. 1 2 "Aled Jones teams up with pianist with dementia on Christmas charity tune". The Independent. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  27. 1 2 "Paul Harvey – who captured the nation's hearts with his Four Notes composition – collaborates with Aled Jones on new Christmas song" (PDF). Music for Dementia.
  28. ↑ "No. 64082". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2023. p. B13.
  29. 1 2 "Paul Harvey's dementia charity single reaches the Top 40". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
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