22.6.69
Dear Mum, I’m still wending my happy way thru all your
birthday presents and probably won’t have any teeth left by the time I’m
finished! Didn’t I tell you that I did usher in St Paul’s? Actually I didn’t
really usher, I just stood at the door and collected tickets and told people
where to go. The concerts themselves were a little disappointing. Because St
Paul’s is little more than one great echo chamber, only the people right at the
front could get a satisfactory effect; although apparently it recorded very
well. I stood at the back on both nights and consequently heard much of it as a
not very remarkable blur. The most thrilling moment was, as it had been at home
in Christchurch, when the ten tympani
players different groups of brass players (scattered all over St Pauls) all
played at once in that massive Dies Irae section
in the Requiem. St Paul’s, for all
that it stood up to the bombing of the last war, was actually trembling! Not the
most pleasant of effects ˗ with the feeling that rather a large number of tons
of masonry might be about to descend on your head at any moment!
How are all the invalids? Give my love to them all ˗ a bit
belatedly, I’m afraid. I’ve been wracking my brains to try and remember if you actually said what was wrong with Mary and I don’t know if you did. I seem to
remember something about it’s being similar to your operation ˗ but am I right
or not?
I have the Verdi Requiem
playing rather loudly in my ear at the moment (the other was the Berlioz) ˗
it never ceases to amaze me just how beautiful it is. I did some coaching with
a mezzo on it earlier this year, and like it all the more each time I hear it.
I’ve been writing some more music, recently. I find it gets
something out of my system, and though it would be nice to have some of it
performed eventually, that particular aspect of it doesn’t greatly bother me.
The other evening David, Hazel and I walked down to Victoria
thru St James Park to see a film, and on the way back (after we’d played on the
by-then-deserted swings and see-saws in the Park!) we were strolling along
frightening each other when 2 guys who were coming towards us suddenly stopped
in front of us, and poked 2 white, long objects at us! After the initial shock I
realised they were only rolled-up newspapers (!) but it was worrying for a
moment. Anyway they were trying to find someone who had belted one of them on
the head, for heaven’s sake! They went off muttering, as we were obviously very harmless. There seemed to be a lot
of bodies wandering around the Park (and this was about 11.30) and I certainly would
never go in there alone at that time of night.
We’ve had Scottish TV down over the last week filming round
the place and generally being a nuisance. I’m in two scenes, one of which they should use, with me seated at a piano
waiting for a rehearsal to start, and also in the Italian lesson, which they’ll probably cut. Also, I forgot to tell you I was interviewed recently for the
overseas transmission which should turn up at home eventually! If they don’t
cut what I said right down. I felt surprisingly calm about it all, mainly
because I got so little warning, I think! I’m also playing in the background of
another rehearsal they recorded, so you never know ˗ I might be heard yet, love
Mike.
