Festival settles score from musical history
Key figure in composer’s life
A free event in Holy Trinity Church, Stirling, later this month pays tribute to a local heroine.
Jane Stirling (1804-1859) of Kippendavie was a pupil and major benefactor of Frederic Chopin, regarded as one of the world’s greatest composers.
But her role was only fully recognised more recently.
Last year her contribution to music and his legacy was recognised at an event in the city centre church.
It was sparked after Sue Stirling Aird, a member of the church Vestry and whose husband Patrick is a great nephew several times over of Jane Stirling’s, was contacted by Polish wellwishers.
They, along with a group of academics from Cracow, rediscovered the story of how Jane helped Chopin in the last years of his life and he dedicated several nocturnes to her.
She escorted him on a tour of Scotland to help him make money, as he had become ill and impoverished, and paid for him to have a decent burial in Paris.
The special connection is continuing this year with Holy Trinity, which was built thanks to money donated by Jane’s and other local families, playing its part in the Jane Stirling Festival, which also features events in Perthshire and Edinburgh.
Four young Polish artists will be paying tribute to Jane on Saturday, April 22, at 6.30pm.
Pianists Aleksandra Moliszewska and Radoslaw Gozdzikowski will play Chopin’s music and Anna Lach and Aleksandra Misiura will reading poetry by Sir Walter Scott.
Sue said: “Jane Stirling’s involvement in helping her teacher and friend did not end with the death of the composer.
“It continued after 1849, clearly demonstrating how genuine and sincere her loyalty and commitment to Frederic Chopin had been.
“After all, it was Jane Stirling who helped to organise and finance the famous transportation of Chopin’s heart from Paris to Warsaw.
Jane Stirling’s involvement did not end with his death