Playbill reports:
Paul Harvey, an 80-year-old former music teacher and composer living with dementia, has captured the heart of England after a video of Harvey improvising a sweeping, romantic piece of music at the piano posted by son Nick went viral.
Following a radio broadcast of the tune—titled “Four Notes”—on BBC Radio 4, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra’s Daniel Whibley gave it a full orchestral arrangement, which was ultimately recorded by the full orchestra remotely.
The BBC ultimately surprised Harvey with the recording and a special message from his favorite composer, Stephen Sondheim, in which the theatre luminary thanks Harvey for the “wonderful” tune he invented “which I can’t wait to steal.”
Ow, my heart.