Music that Changed Me
Floella Benjamin
Floella Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham, was born in Trinidad and emigrated to Britain as a child. Having begun her career as an actress in West End musicals, from 1976 she became a presenter of children’s TV programmes including Play School and Play Away. A major campaigner for the protection of children and improvement of education, from 2006-16 she was chancellor of the University of Exeter. In 2010, she was appointed a Liberal Democrat life peer.
Igrew up in Trinidad surrounded by music – my father was a jazz saxophonist, and with my mother and five siblings we sang and danced at every occasion, including loudly at church. Every day at school we sang ‘God Save the Queen’ and ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ before class, and I felt great pride in being an important part of this world. Sadly, when I came to England at ten I found not a land of hope and glory but hostility and a feeling that we weren’t wanted. But that song made me stand up straight and feel like somebody; hearing Vera Lynn sing it, even now, you know there is hope.
My father introduced me to the music of saxophonist STAN GETZ and I’ve chosen his song ‘Once’ because it is inextricably linked to my husband and soulmate of 50 years, Keith. It’s our love song. We met when I was acting and he was stage managing, and since then we have worked together every day, making films, running our production company and the many exciting projects we’ve been involved in. Keith has been there for me throughout my Play School years, my years as chancellor of Exeter University and now as Baroness Benjamin in the House of Lords. He is truly my superhero. Getz’s ‘Once’ has the most beautiful melody, and only recently did I discover that it’s based on Fauré’s Pavane, which just shows how brilliantly jazz and classical music segue together.
I’ve always enjoyed narrating stories with a musical background, and my favourite classical piece is PROKOFIEV’S Peter and the Wolf. I remember performing it at the Royal Albert Hall in a pink tutu dress and a little Japanese girl in the front row asked me, ‘Are you a princess?’ It’s one of the best pieces to introduce children to music because they can hear the character in each instrument. I don’t read music but I do know that music and voice have to go together like a romance, so I listen hard to the beat and count like mad.
Every parent and every teacher should play GEORGE BENSON’S song ‘Greatest Love of All’ and listen to the words. Children need to be loved and cherished – it gives them the confidence and resilience to stand up for themselves. I was blessed to have a mother who gave us all her unconditional love and support. She helped us get through the difficult times at school when we were teased and bullied for our skin colour. When I presented
Play School I tried to make every child feel loved. People often come up to me now and say, ‘I was a Play School baby and I loved the way you said “Hello!”; I felt you were talking to me.’
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to get the authorities to consider the needs of children more carefully. I campaigned for 20 years to get a Minister for Children and finally Tony Blair created the post in 2003. Since I’ve been in the House of Lords I have made many changes that will benefit children. At the moment I’m struggling to get a bill through calling for age verification for online pornography so that young children can’t easily access harmful material. It almost passed in 2019 but then the government changed. I will keep fighting for it.
Lastly I’ve chosen ‘Amazing Grace’ for my mother. She had a terrible voice but she used to sing ‘Amazing Grace’ passionately, with all her heart and soul. She was an amazing woman and inspirational in living her life for children. I introduced her once to Diana, Princess of Wales, and after talking to her, Diana stroked her arm and said, ‘I wish you were my mother’. When I got my OBE a reporter said to my mum, ‘You must be very proud of your daughter’ and she shot back, ‘I’m very proud of all my six children!’ That was my mother!