Perth Voice Interactive

DAVID HELFGOTT has visited Mt Lawley Senior High School to open a new $2 million music practise room named in his honour.

It was a slightly nostalgic trip for the pianist, who’d briefly attended the school in year 11 in 1963. “He told me what mark he got for woodwork,” laughs principal Milton Butcher. “So there are peculiar details he can still remember about his time here.”

At the opening, student Mei Lyn played Chopin and a string quartet (Annalise, Stephanie, Lorraine and Stephanie) played Schubert.

“Playing before David was daunting—I was a bit nervous, but he was so generous in telling me that I had played so well,” Mei says. Helfgott then thrilled students, performing Rachmaninov’s 18th Variation on a Theme by Paganini and Sabre Dance by Khachaturian.

“David was particularly pleased to be presented with his very own leaver’s jacket,” says Butcher

“He wore this whilst he continued to entertain the audience during afternoon tea by playing some Beethoven.

“Several music students were amazed that he interrupted his playing to remove the jacket as it was a warm day and resumed on exactly the next note.”

Helfgott was immortalised by Geoffrey Rush in the Oscar-winning movie Shine.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK