Tonight I was in a big gig, which went very well. They loved us! Marion was there, though I didn’t have time to have a proper chat with her. The ggggggorgeous girl from the country was there (Catherine). I had trouble recognising her in her new hair, as usual, but she was still ggggggorgeous, somehow fitting her ummmm... fulsome bosom into a tiny red t-shirt (there we go Kim, I noticed ;-) ). Otherwise I’ve been really busy and should be going to bed to sleep and not doing this. But this is much more fun...

Anyway, Lia asked me:

1. When was the moment you realised you had a passion for music?

I don’t remember any particular time, which is a bit dull. I remember discovering I had abilities and doing things which in hindsight were stupidly prodigious, but I don’t remember much passion. I did really enjoy playing Schubert’s Serenade (thanks to the owner of that page) in the John Thompson Piano Course Volume 2, although I don’t imagine I played it very well, and gave up piano for flute a little later. For the technically minded, I really enjoyed the augmented fifth chords, as I still do. I don’t remember the first time I really appreciated Beethoven’s 9th, Mahler’s 2nd, anything by Bach, or of course, Josquin des Prez.

2. Who was your first kiss?

I haven’t told many people this, but I was a young man of one and twenty (such may be the case if you’re a shy Christian-raised boy) at a cast party for a Gilbert and Sullivan show I was in. During the production somehow one of the women had caught my eye, or the other way round. Matilda was somewhere between thirty and forty-five, and when I had got drunk (something I’d only begun doing the year before) she ended up on my knee, seducing for all she was worth. She would have been disappointed that night, as I was too uptight to manage anything more than a kiss and a (heavily encouraged) feel. Even when drunk. Can’t say I really enjoyed the kiss.

My first proper kiss was way too much later with a flame-haired vixen who had the same name as my mother, which gave the extended family something to chuckle about.

3. When was the last time you got angry?

A certain gas company put a blot on my credit record, 100% through their inability to fix problems they had made. They overestimated my bill by five times, couldn’t send me a proper bill with the proper reading, and couldn’t tell their deadhead debt collectors to leave me alone. I’m getting angry again now. On the phone to them I was absolutely livid with fury, which I hated because I really dislike being angry.

Otherwise, last year I yelled at a band member while we were touring overseas, the first time in my adult life I’ve yelled at anyone. I can only plead extreme provocation. He’s not in the band any more.

LJ asks:

1. If you could only own 1 piece of music - what would it be?

Though I don’t know it as well as (as I said) Beethoven’s 9th, Mahler’s 2nd, or even his own Mass in B minor I think I could spend the rest of my life getting to know Bach’s Art of Fugue if there were no other alternative. I’d miss my Josquin and Beethoven though.

2. Who would you most like to meet and converse with?

The obvious answer would be Jesus, because he would have been an amazingly wise and charismatic person, and I could find out what he really thought. Otherwise it would be tremendous fun to try and get Jane Austin out of her shell with a few glasses of wine after dinner.

3. In an ideal world - what would your occupation (if any) be?

I would be a singer and composer, hopefully giving people pleasure and maybe some joy occasionally. Unlike now when I have to go to work for the rent. I’d also do a morning or two a week as a barista in a tiny café with lots of friendly regulars.

Definitely time for bed! A bientôt.

Here’s an interesting entry I’ve been reading by .

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