A cellist has launched a Go Fund Me page in the hope of repairing his “incredibly precious” cello that may have saved the life of a British broadcaster.
Tim Smedley, 42, is the head of chamber music at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and regularly plays around the country.
Mr Smedley of Greystones, a cellist since the age of 8, said: “I feel like I have lost that sound that has become my musical identity.”
The musician was playing at the Buxton International Festival last summer and it was on the final afternoon of July 23 when the incident occurred.
Author and broadcaster Iain Dale, 60, was leaving the opera house stage after giving a talk to about 400 people and fell 10-12 feet into the pit and onto the instrument.
Mr Dale said: “The fact that I fell on this cello case broke the fall of it. It could have been a lot worse; I could have been paralysed or even killed.”
The broadcaster badly injured his knees and has still not fully recovered. He said he did not realise how valuable the cello was until later and is “keen to support the crowdfunder.”
Mr Smedley has tried playing on other cellos since the incident, but none have compared to his beloved 18th century cello.
He said: “It’s just really sad that a piece of history like that could be wiped out in the blink of an eye. It’s a tragedy.”
It seems like others agree, with the donations now reaching above £6,000 out of his £25,000 goal.
Mr Smedley said any extra funds raised will go to the UK charity Help Musicians, as they helped his friends when they could not perform due to injuries, as well as helping out musicians when the industry was closing down during Lockdown.
When he bought it, the cello was in “bad shape” and Mr Smedley had to pay an initial £8,000 towards repairs to have a high-quality instrument at a lower price.
He said: “It feels like it’s my sound and my cello and is probably still the best chance I have of playing on a high-quality instrument.”
