A former Addenbrooke’s patient who had all her fingers amputated when she was four-years-old yesterday won the Channel 4 show The Piano hosted by Claudia Winkleman.
Grace Matthews, 19, who also lost her lower legs after meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia, was given a standing ovation during the final at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall.
Judge and pop singer Mika told the crowd:
The only responsibility as a performer is to take the collective consciousness of thousands of strangers and just throw it – and suspend it in mid-air - just through music. One person did that tonight and that person is…”
Pop singer Mika
On hearing her name called Grace said:
I’m shaking. I don’t know what to say. That’s insane. I did not think that would be the outcome at all, but thank you all, all, so much for coming and watching and thank you to the best contestants and partners I could ask for!
Grace Matthews
Grace was short-listed for the final from scores of talented pianists who were filmed over several weeks playing in front of travellers using Birmingham’s New Street Station.
Her application for the hit show was endorsed by her former Addenbrooke’s music therapist Dawn Loombe, and she first appeared on TV in June playing the contemporary classical piece "Experience", by the renowned Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi.
It was back in January 2011, when Grace fell ill with a temperature and was rushed to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and transferred to Addenbrooke’s. Despite nine days in intensive care, her condition deteriorated with tests confirming meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia. She came close to death, and clinicians decided surgery was her only option.
She improved and over the next few difficult weeks, Dawn and the hospital play specialists became the highlight of her day. Despite her bandages, she took a shine to a set of eight octave ‘rainbow bells’, bravely accompanying Dawn, who played the accordion or guitar.
Once home with Vicky, dad Brian, and brother Tom, she progressed from a little electric keyboard to a full-sized electric piano, bought as a combined 14th birthday and Christmas present.
Today the teenager, who has prosthetic legs, delights her family with anything from Pink, Adele, Queen and Bruce Springsteen hitting the notes with uncanny accuracy using her palm, half a thumb and the stub of a little finger. She also arranges all the music herself.
Over the years the family kept in touch with Dawn, culminating in 2023 with a reunion at Anglia Ruskin University’s (ARU) music therapy centre in Cambridge, where the children’s outpatient music therapy sessions currently take place.
Dawn, who retired after a long career at Addenbrooke’s but now works part-time for Suffolk Music Therapy Services, said:
From the first time I met Grace, it was obvious that she was incredibly resilient and musically gifted.
She loved all the instruments, particularly the accordion, guitar, piano keyboard and the rainbow bells. She wanted to play everything and could copy melodies in no time. Musically, she was interested in everything.
It’s great to see her still enjoying her music so much, 15 years later!
Dawn Loombe
For more information on music therapy, visit the department’s web page.