From small beginnings…
A former music teacher living with dementia has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours. Paul Harvey, 83, has raised more than £1.5 million for dementia services after a song he created shot to the top of the iTunes and Amazon music charts after it was released as a charity single in 2020.
Mr Harvey, from Buxted, East Sussex, composed the piece, Four Notes, after being given four random notes to play on the piano by his son, Nick Harvey.
After a clip of the moment went viral, the music was released as a single to benefit the Alzheimer’s Society and Music For Dementia. Paul Harvey released a single he recorded with the BBC Philharmonic orchestra, originally improvised from just four notes, in 2020 (Nick Harvey/PA)
“He still can’t quite believe what’s happened, but he’s deeply honoured.
“I’ve known for a few weeks that this was going to happen, and dad and I were sworn to secrecy, and a few family members knew, but it was all leading up to last night where there was a big reveal at 10.30pm, and then my phone started melting.”
Mr Harvey said that his father, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2020, understands that he has been made an OBE, but he said “he doesn’t feel like he’s a worthy recipient”.
“Over the past two weeks, I’ve been trying to persuade him that he absolutely deserves it,” he said.
“All the money that he helped to raise and also, bringing in awareness of the power of music for people living with dementia, bringing it to a wider audience, it’s so important.
“It couldn’t happen to a nicer man. It’s incredible what he’s achieved.”
Mr Harvey posted a clip to Twitter of his father improvising the four notes – F, A, D and B – on the piano.
