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Editorial Musings with Basil Ramsey

Those captivating moments

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I hope by this title not to mislead readers whose taste buds are as sensitive as mine to the lure of chocolate. Such ambiguity is doubtless cruel, but my thoughts are firmly fixed on music and its propensity to provide such experiences when we least expect them.

As we race towards the end of another year, some changes are about to be applied to our magazine. The Daily Anniversary is relegated to second place whilst we invite any reader who can recall one -- or several -- occasions when something heard in performance sticks firmly in the memory to please write this down and send to us with your name.

This is also an exercise in brevity. Only a few words are necessary, as my two examples demonstrate.

  1. My first hearing of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No 4 played by the Busch Chamber Players on a 78rpm record was a day to remember from my early teens. It made me just a little wiser and yet more thrilled by the unexpected in music.

  2. Wagner's Die Meistersinger dealt a knockout blow to my senses on first experiencing the opera at Covent Garden in the fifties. Music thereafter took on a new dimension.

There will be some who question the purpose. We all treasure memories and probably keep most of them to ourselves. But why? It is so pleasurable to share things, and may encourage others to explore music they do not know. Likewise, we may also be guided to music outside our own experience.

All readers are invited to prepare for this new daily experience starting soon. It will take but a few minutes to type by completing our online form below. The purpose is not to surround simple facts with copious detail. Please keep your entry clear and concise, and do give your name so that we may acknowledge the source.

The only other words of advice I pass on are the likelihood that this exercise will provide recall of experiences years ago, and they are just as valid as recent memories. If an occasion has remained in your mind it usually indicates the intensity of an experience.

 

Copyright © 28 November 2000 Basil Ramsey, Eastwood, Essex, UK

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CAPTIVATING MOMENTS SUBMITTED BY M&V READERS

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SEND US YOUR CAPTIVATING MOMENTS

Complete the form below. Name and e-mail address are optional. If accepted, we will publish your name alongside your captivating moments, but not your e-mail address (which is only in case we need to contact you.)

Name:
E-mail:
Your 'moments'
(please keep
brief!) :
Send to M&V:

 

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M&V READERS' CAPTIVATING MOMENTS

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