Following my period at RAF Hawinge, mentioned elsewhere, I volunteered to serve overseas, expecting to end up in the Western desert. Instead I found myself in what was Southern Rhodesia, looking after aircraft used for the training of pilots. My camp was right out in the bush or 'bundu' as we called it with no facilities for entertainment of any kind. Somehow & I can't remember how, I managed to make contact with an elderly lady who lived in Salisbury & was able to supply me with gramophone records fron the S. Rhodesian Broadcasting Co.. I than placed a notice for everyone to read, commandeered a spare room, 'acquired' a radiogram from the officers quarters ( left a friendly note indicating they would of course be amongst my most appreciative supporters ! ) & orderd a selection of what I thought would be suitable music. I had a few books on music, composers etc. which I always took with me, so was able to quote from them when necessary.
It was actually & to my surprise, quite successful. Mind you I had a captive audience, so to speak, about 20 people altogether. I cannot remember the make-up of the first programme but most appeared to listen very attentively. I remember telling them about the storm in the 'Pastoral' but, believe it or not, someone actually told me he never heard it, Bruno Walter recording too !! I also suffered some embarrassment during a performance of Tchaikowski's 6th. symphony, a work I was unfamiliar with. Sitting on the a chair on the stage alongside the speaker the volume went down & down & down, I thought something was amiss & eventually had my ear almost inside the machine - nothing prepared me for the sudden entry of the full orchestra playing what in musical terms must have been at least fffff - if there is such a definition in musical terms! Another embarrassing occurence worth mentioning was the fact that our hut, made of hessian, had beds for about 6 people down each side. We would spend any free time lying on our beds reading or talking. Should an officer enter & we only saw very junior officers coming to inspect the premises, we were all expected to leap off our beds & stand to attention. Nothing prepared them or me for the sight one day of the CO, a Group Captain, nonchanantly wandering into the billet & down between the beds until, seeing me, gives a big smile & with a "may I ?" sits down on the end of my bed & asks about next weeks programme. ( nothing like having friends in high places !
You can all blame salymap for me rambling on - she started it !
It was actually & to my surprise, quite successful. Mind you I had a captive audience, so to speak, about 20 people altogether. I cannot remember the make-up of the first programme but most appeared to listen very attentively. I remember telling them about the storm in the 'Pastoral' but, believe it or not, someone actually told me he never heard it, Bruno Walter recording too !! I also suffered some embarrassment during a performance of Tchaikowski's 6th. symphony, a work I was unfamiliar with. Sitting on the a chair on the stage alongside the speaker the volume went down & down & down, I thought something was amiss & eventually had my ear almost inside the machine - nothing prepared me for the sudden entry of the full orchestra playing what in musical terms must have been at least fffff - if there is such a definition in musical terms! Another embarrassing occurence worth mentioning was the fact that our hut, made of hessian, had beds for about 6 people down each side. We would spend any free time lying on our beds reading or talking. Should an officer enter & we only saw very junior officers coming to inspect the premises, we were all expected to leap off our beds & stand to attention. Nothing prepared them or me for the sight one day of the CO, a Group Captain, nonchanantly wandering into the billet & down between the beds until, seeing me, gives a big smile & with a "may I ?" sits down on the end of my bed & asks about next weeks programme. ( nothing like having friends in high places !
You can all blame salymap for me rambling on - she started it !
I love the 'Alec Guiness helping' story and you have practically a new audience Gamba.
Comment