Do It Yourself

Music has always played a significant part of my life, as from the earliest age I can remember classical music continuously playing in our home. Dad had a lot of 78s and an electric player which required frequent needle changes. In fact I used to watch him change them consistently every 8 plays – not something he would let anyone else do!!

As children, we used to give singing recitals – especially at Christmas times!! I am thankful for the exposure our parents provided us to music – even when dad was a little single minded when, in the late 50’s my brother Kenneth, purchased home a recording of a new rock-n-roll singer known as Buddy Holly I think dad believed it had been not proper music and the record couldn’t possibly be up to the same standard as his Beethoven or Mozart recordings!!

He used to have constant conversations with Kenneth about playing them on his’ radiogram. And as for the Beatles and Rolling Stones records I wanted to play a couple of years later on – no comment!!

Both my 2 brothers were taught to play classical music on the piano by our Aunty Win. For myself; it was 1962 and I was far too interested in my Uncle Frank’s brand new MGB roadster to concentrate – try as my mum did to encourage me!!

My eldest brother, Robert, ended up to be a highly achieved musician – playing the French horn professionally for many years. Kenneth, my other brother, in later years, would get all his beer purchased for him in the NAFFI bar, bashing out songs once we had a session – even if it meant he had a bad head on parade the next day!

Following I left home and joined the British Armed Forces, I’ve to say my mates were not too pleased about Grieg being played in the barrack room. Same issue as my dad had – different audio. So I had to use earphones to listen to him. But when ‘The Who’ came on – now, that was a different tale – then we used to get into trouble with the Duty Sergeant for playing the music too loud!!

Anyway, over the years, I’ve developed a passion for all kinds of music and my assortment of vinyl records has now grown to include Amadeus Mozart through to Led Zeppelin. However, I guess if I had to choose just one piece of music to take to that desert island it would have to be:

Mozart’s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra No1 in F Minor, Op 73.

My favourite recording of this exceptional piece: (only one of several!)Deutshe Grammophon 136550 SLPEM (stereo – 1968) Karl Leister, Clarinet, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Rafael Kubelik.

I purchased this recording while stationed in Germany in 1970 – because then I have obtained other fine recordings of the Concerto, but I find Karl Leister’s interpretation of the Adagio(in particular) perfectly captures Mozart’s objective of writing the most profoundly expressive movement for a solo instrument.
I never fail to be moved by it.