Comments on: They lived and laughed and loved and left

By: John Halliwell

John Halliwell — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 19:56:53 +0000

You must get fed up with me saying it, but these Sunday posts are absolute gems.

Twenty four days to write a masterpiece; it takes me 24 days to compose a letter of thanks to old Aunt Lily for the birthday socks (Well you have to weigh every word when they get to that age). Just think how good it would have been if H had spent 30 days on it. And there you go again, MM, inciting me to spend money; I have to buy the Maconchy Nocturne: so moving. I had no idea that Elizabeth had been described as the greatest English composer for strings; it’s a heck of a claim when you consider the competition. Who was the claimant, her mother?

Dame Myra was clearly a very special talent. How wonderful it is to have an eighty year old recording. I wonder what Dutton Laboratories could do with that hiss?

By: Brit

Brit — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 18:59:08 +0000

Thanks once again Mahlerman. I’ve had a couple of Naxos CDs of Benjamin Frith playing Field’s nocturnes and sonatas since I was at university and they’ve provided solace on many a winter’s night. I enjoy Field just as much as I do Chopin, come to think of it.

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 15:51:03 +0000

I enjoyed listening to the Moeran and Maconchy, Mahlerman – neither of whom I knew of before reading your post.

I had a great aunt who was taught by Dame Myra Hess (definitely not in the same league though!)