Dear Friends,

We have not written since Jacob’s funeral and wanted to write just once more to thank you all so much for your kind sympathy and support. As you can guess the devastation we feel has not abated in the slightest. If anything, the pain is worse as the house feels ever more silent and empty, and the constant video that goes through our heads of Jake’s last two dreadful years runs relentlessly on. We are so glad we have recordings of his playing; it brings him momentarily into the present where we miss him so much.

Already several piano performances, one by Karim Said another by Slava Antipov and concerts in Crundale, Blean, London and Canterbury have been dedicated to him with several more to come.  His Facebook wall regularly receives warm messages and videos and Kent Music school and Music works are both kindly setting up annual awards in his name.

The Royal Academy has been very sensitive and generous in supporting his friends as well as perpetuating his name and contribution to music. We feel humbled by the massive evidence of Jake’s positive influence on so many people and hope that his friends at the Academy and beyond continue to feel it. We want to continue to follow their progress and would love to come to London to support their developing careers.

The Jacob Barnes Scholarship for pianists is to be awarded in October and Cherry and I will be on the selection panel along with Joanna McGregor and other Academy staff.

Many of you have asked for copies of recordings of Jake’s playing, particularly of the Bach played at the funeral. These recordings, mostly done illicitly by Cherry (who is not known for her technological skills) in various concerts, ever since Jake was 14 have been kindly edited by Sam Bailey and Jack Ryder. The best of them have been put together in 3 albums, and are of the quality one would expect from a mother’s knee and include the odd sneeze and fire engine.

If you would like us to copy any of them for you please send your name and address. There’s no need to send a payment, but if you would like to send a contribution to Jake’s scholarship fund at the Royal Academy via us (15 South Canterbury Rd Canterbury CT1 3LH), that would be great as we are just short of the projected amount to keep it going.  We have attached the poster from the Academy about the scholarship and gift aid form.

With love from Cherry and Jonathan

JAKE’S CDS

CD 1

Bach Partita in B flat         BWV 825

Schumann Fantasiestucke with Max Welford

Goldberg variations Aria, 1,2,3,9,13

Brahms Clarinet trio with Max Welford and Hermione Jones

Bach D major Prelude and fugue BWV 874

CD 2

Chopin nocturne op 27 no 2

Faure nocturne op 36 no 4

Chopin Scherzo n op 31

Grieg piano concerto with JRAM orchestra

Chopin revolutionary study

CD 3

Bach English suite no 3 G minor Allemande

Beethoven Sonata op 78

Liszt Jeu d’Eaux a la Villa D’Este

Gershwin Prelude1

Bach Keyboard Concerto