House of Music by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason review – memoir of an extraordinary family
Families in Britain comprise on average two children and no prodigies; few, if any, bear resemblance to the Kanneh-Masons. This exceptional household includes seven children, all of whom are prodigiously gifted in classical music, and whose virtuosity was on display last year in a recital of Monti’s Czárdás at the Royal Variety Performance. How their parents, Kadiatu and Stuart, raised such an awe-inspiring team of musicians is explored by Kadiatu in House of Music, a memoir that both candidly portrays and fiercely protects her brood.
The expense – financial and emotional – of realising each child’s dream of musicianship has been considerable. The fortitude and determination of the parents leap from every page: “Insisting on careful equality between the children dropped us into the chaos of escalating debt and unmanageable promises” – promises that they nonetheless kept.
As well as seven births Kadiatu has had to cope with the grief and trauma of four miscarriages. A former lecturer in literature, she balances breastfeeding with teaching scales, confronting racial prejudice and preparing sandwiches for school lunches, while also being on call at night for any child “worrying into her pillow”.
Perhaps because of the family’s modesty, the tone of House of Music is at times understated. But it entices you from the beginning, which pictures Sheku “carrying his cello like a talisman” on his way to winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year, 2016, and then flashes back five decades earlier to Kadiatu’s childhood in Sierra Leone.
Both parents played instruments as children, but neither took music further. In encouraging her offspring, Kadiatu was determined “never to remark on the lack of black people in classical music”. The book conveys the perils of auditions and competitions so that, even though we know the outcome (orchestras, prizes, record deals), there’s still doubt and suspense.
Kadiatu and Stuart become increasingly aware of the challenges to their children’s lives posed by intensifying media scrutiny. But the foundations are strong. As their children attended state schools, the parents worried that their financial constraints denied them the focused attention of a specialist music education. In the end what mattered most was that they were a family: “Their music would be nurtured at home.”
• House of Music by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason is published by Oneworld. To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
