Friday 27 June 2014

Potent music

I brought two iPads away with me, the new mini pad which I love dearly and also the original full sized one, now an ancient machine which still works well. Today, leaving the over worked mini to recharge I took the old one out into the big wide world outside. I looked to see what I had put on it and what was still relevant. I found various games long neglected , more photographs than I remembered and then I discovered gold.....

Long ago I had sorted through my music to make lists. There they were ,one for Rosalind, one for Adrian and one for me. I haven't played through them for years, until today.

If we wanted music in the last years David enjoyed Classic F M so that's what we listened to. I had forgotten that I had put together lists of the music I enjoyed with my children.

So yesterday I started playing them, Rosie's list first....full of flute music, she was a gifted flautist, Clannad, various folk bands, they are all there....

I have just listened to "Appalachian Spring" by Bernstein. The memories, oh Lord, the memories....

When she was a tiny baby I always played music as she lay in her cot. Once listening to this particular piece of music when she was about twelve she said suddenly,

"You used to play this when I was a baby" I had...this prompted some weird memories then, of playing some Beethoven whilst she was fast asleep and finding her later with her eyes full of tears.

I asked her what was making her cry. "It's the music," she said, "Its too beautiful" She was about two at the time.

Tomorrow I'll play through Adrian's list if I can cope with the Boom town rats but today has been a timely reminder that though they are not with me in body no one can take away their childhood, their play, laughter and joy. Whilst I play their music I am with them again, making me a softer old woman than ever but I'm so glad I discovered the lists again whilst I have time to listen on my own!

1 comment:

Andrew said...

I love the idea that your daughter found Beethoven to be, 'too beautiful' - how wonderful. Really made me smile... thank you for sharing.