Christine Newland

I met Jackie in 1967. I was 17 and she was 22. She was performing in Toronto and my cello teacher arranged for us to meet. I took the day off school and went to see her at the Park Plaza Hotel. She was hiding behind the door and jumped out to scare me. She gave me a start and then we both laughed. We had a fun afternoon and she let me play her Davidov Stradivari cello now owned by Yo-Yo Ma.

We wrote to each other. Once I had a dream, one of many psychic dreams I've had, and in the dream I saw her backstage looking unchacteristically sad. I was upset and asked her why she was so sad. She said, "I'm sick and tired and I can't play the cello anymore." I insisted she would be ok and that if she wanted, I would go onstage with her. I awoke in tears! I wrote to her and she assured me she was ok but was going through a troublesome time. Years later I read about her having MS and was devastated. When Jackie was a little girl she told her sister, "Don't tell Mummy, but when I grow up I won't be able to walk or talk. She too was highly intuitive! Four years after the dream I actually did go onstage with her and her husband Daniel Barenboim turning pages for a concert here in London.

I admire her spirit, and creativity and I miss her so much!
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If you have a personal recollection of a concert or a meeting with Jacqueline, please let me know. Thank you.