"Story-telling happened in abundance on the family farm when I was growing up but especially during the winter nights when power cuts were common place. We would huddle round the fireplace in the small living room using torches (a luxury!) and candles to light the face of the person telling the story so that I could lip-read. The stories were either read from a book or were anecdotes from years gone by, usually of "the good old days" from my parents.  Through these stories we often saw a side of our parents that never came to the fore during the events of everyday life."

Dame Evelyn is deaf, and an award winning solo percussionist who gives more than 100 performances every year. She is an international speaker on a range of subjects and after more than 20 years in the music industry focuses some of her time teaching privately. During her career she has won more than 80 awards, including two Grammys. In recognition of her services to music, Evelyn was given an OBE in 1993 and this was later extended to a Dame Commander in 2007.