Thanks to a stranger who left his instrument in his will, a young musician will perform for the first time with a symphony.
After passing away in April, Hucclecote resident Trevor Pleass left his 240-year-old violin to any Gloucestershire Academy of Music student in need of one.
Natasha, a 16-year-old violinist from Tewkesbury, is currently playing in grade 7.
When Natasha got the violin, she gushed about being "over the moon.".
Violin playing, she continued, was "her life.".
On June 17 at St. Barnabas Church, Natasha will make her debut with the Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra.
Natasha's father Glenn told the BBC, "She is ready and looking forward to it.".
Of course, I'm very proud of her. ".
Glenn declared that he thought Natasha deserved the violin because of her involvement at the academy.
He said, "She participates at the Gloucestershire Academy of Music, helping out every Saturday with the younger kids.
Sue Johnson and Jackie Rodgers, the daughters of Mr. Pleass, gave Natasha the violin.
Mr. Pleass played the 18th-century violin his father gave him, which has a recognizable lion's head scroll, until he was 93 years old.
Mr. Pleass, who spent more than 25 years playing with the symphony orchestra, passed away in April at the age of 96. "It was lovely to see Natasha with Dad's violin and to know that it will be used and enjoyed," Ms. Johnson said.
"Dad wanted it donated to GAM, and Natasha is the ideal candidate," Natasha said. Ms. Rodgers, her sister, continued, "Dad received the violin from his father, the conductor of the Llandaff Operatic Society in Cardiff. ".
When Natasha completes her A-levels, she plans to apply to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and keep playing the violin.
