Junior Guildhall student performs composition in honour of NHS

Apollo contacted St Bart’s hospital in 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, to tell them about his composition Pandemia, which he had written as a thank you to health workers. The piece, which has three movements - Survival, Hope and Fight, represents the different stages of the past 18 months that many around the world have been through.

Apollo has been studying with Junior Guildhall since the age of 5, where he currently studies the cello with William Bruce, trombone with Rob Burgess and composition with Jeffery Wilson.

Apollo says: "At the beginning of the pandemic I didn’t know what a pandemic was and I was confused and sad to see people around me suffering. I wanted to help and as I am a musician I thought the way I could help is with music. I wanted to help the heroes who were working so hard and victims who were suffering a lot, to have more energy to keep fighting and to be happier for a bit. I sent the quartet to more than hundred hospitals and medical staff replied that it gave their energy to keep going through their hard day. I also composed it because I needed to express what was happening around me and music is the best way to express it.

I feel very happy because there was the opportunity for all the heroes to receive their present in real life. The doctors’ string quartet played really well. I hope that it helped the heroes to feel better and happier. Music is a magical language that everybody can understand and we can all share the same feelings, I hope that Pandemia communicated the feelings of energy, hope and strength. It was the best day ever!"

Hear more from Apollo as he talks about his inspiration behind Pandemia, alongside his favourite food and hobbies for the Carya String Quartet.