Welcome

Thanks to all you cousins who have had your hearts moved and your imaginations sparked by John Toone. I discovered John Toone largely because of my wife Daniele who is a convert to the church. Growing up LDS I had much of my genealogy handed to me, but wife is the only member in her family. The sweet experiences of being baptized for her father and grandfather--people she knew and loved dearly, really opened my eyes to the link that the living have with their progenitors. At the time I was just starting a degree in cello performance and remembered a little packet of information on John Toone I had seen in my father's records while visiting home. Little did I know that day how much my life would be impacted by John Toone. By a miraculous sequence of events his cello was between my legs by the end of that day.

Because of the generosity of the cello's owners, I have been able to perform inspiring music on his instrument for the past several years. There are very few things we do today as our ancestors did them 150 years, we don't travel, get medical care, work, play, or even communicate in the same way. John Toone probably never imagined that his cello could be heard anywhere in the world by clicking a link on a computer. Despite all the advancements of science and technology the world has seen since the 1850's, playing the cello is the same today as it was then, and if you close your eyes and listen there's a very, very thin veil between him and us.

I hope the whole family can enjoy the music, events, and histories shared here. Together we honor those who came before and pass along a wonderful legacy to those who will follow. Long after we are all gone, with any luck, the Toone cello will still play the beautiful music of the restoration and in a way we then all become part of his ongoing story.