“Composing The Well Gardened Mind”: An evening with Cheryl Frances-Hoad

Visiting Fellow in Music, Cheryl Frances Hoad will present the final event of her tenure of the Visiting Fellowship in Music at 8pm on Monday, 2 June in the Provost’s Lodgings.

In 2024, Cheryl Frances-Hoad was commissioned to write her Dance Suite for piano as a response to Dr Sue Stuart-Smith’s groundbreaking book, The Well Gardened Mind. Sue’s book explores the psychological and physiological healing effects of gardening. Cheryl’s work has been described as “a lively and witty take on Bach and Handel Baroque Suites”. It will be presented here by pianist Annie Yim in the company of music by J.S. Bach and Lili Boulanger and intertwined with spoken texts from The Well Gardened Mind read by the author herself to create a multi-sensory storytelling about the essence of our wellbeing. Cheryl will discuss how reading Sue’s book had an impact on her creative process and how music itself contributes to wellbeing.

Spaces at this event are limited, to book please contact Dr David Maw on david.maw@oriel.ox.ac.uk There will also be an option to join online, please also email David to receive the link to attend.