Antony Hopkins memorial concert

[makropulos]

I am pleased that you were able to go. I would have liked to have been there, but had another engagement.

His radio talks were an important part of my teenage years and filled in a lot of gaps in my musical knowledge. I had forgotten, until a friend recently reminded me, that he also visited my school and gave a talk when I was in the 6th Form. As I have said before, I was invited to his cottage in the depths of the Chilterns when I was teaching and we planned to stage one of his operas. His one-man performance of the opera for my producer colleague and myself was memorable - as was the hospitality offered by him and his wife. I pleased that I still have several of his books to dip into.

I was able to go too and thoroughly enjoyed the occasion - it was a very nice tribute including plenty of AH's own music. I was particularly struck by some of his voice and piano songs. A good turnout too.

(Parenthetically, I was surprised and delighted to find myself quoted in Beatrix Hopkins's narrations - she read from a tribute I wrote for the Dorothy L. Sayers Society Newsletter about the recording we made of AH's music for The Just Vengeance in which he performed).

[french frank]

I was able to go too and thoroughly enjoyed the occasion

I said to her afterwards that I had no idea if any other R3 listeners were there as I didn't know what they looked like! (Yes, I think I remember a ref to DLS but have forgotten what it was)