So now it is out there. For good or ill, Far and Forgot has been released into the wild. I'm suffering a kind of post-natal reaction I think. I've lived with this project, day and night for such a long time that now it is finished, I am quite tearful and anxious. Oh Well, such is is.
Some people out there may be wondering who on Earth is Sir Giles Holybrook, and you would be right to wonder. His REAL name is Holybrook Wynch, illegitimate son of Fishkin Wynch the composer and a lady tobacconist who kept shop in some small Berkshire town. One day, the good lady was busy in her shop and her horror can be imagined when, with an apocalyptic crash, the floor gave way and she was plunged into the abyss below. It wasn't solid ground that broke her fall, but the waters of the Holybrook that flowed beneath her shop, for you see, the shop was artfully constructed upon a bridge over the Holybrook. Fortune smiled that day. She fell upright and her full length Indian cheesecloth tie-dyed earth mother skirt (remember those?) opened out to keep her afloat as she was swept into the darkness beneath the bridge.To her credit, she maintained her poise and was carried out into the open stream, where she was quickly rescued. She was unharmed, but rather shocked, as well she might be for she was pregnant at the time. In due course the baby was born and the lady tobacconist decided that Holybrook would be a suitable name. That Sir Giles appreciated the name is doubtful.
Holybrook Wynch went on to pursue a largely unsuccessful career as a composer. Following the trend set by his estranged father, he composed music entirely for bassoons. Only one of his many compositions saw the light of day. "Monotone for 30 basoons" was performed once in Kazakhstan, to be hailed by a critic as "Bewilderingly dull". He wrote any number of bassoon concertos and one opera, based on the life of Simon Wilkinson, the assistant manager at his local PriceRite supermarket. I came across Sir Giles busking in an Inverness subway whilst I was on a visit to Mr Willie Gilmour. I remarked that a contra-bassoon was an unusual busking instument. He suggested I f***k off and the rest is history.
There are various methods by which one may achieve ignominy and shame.Murdering a large and respected family in cold blood and afterwards depositing their bodies in the local water company's reservoirs will gain you much unpopularity in the neighbourhood of your crime, but if you desire to drain to the dregs the fullest cup of scorn that a fellow human creature can pour out for you, let an atheist hear you say that you have faith in some sort of higher power. One's best plan in the circumstances is to smile and nod and slowly, yet deliberately, back away. Whatever you do, don't try to enter into any sort of discussion. Atheists know everything and your naivety and lack of intelligence will only leave you floundering beneath the mighty force of their arguments.
So I do hope you enjoy Far and Forgot, even if you are and Atheist. Oh, and as a final word to those elevated ones, I don't believe in the god that you don't believe in either.
Lots of Love
F xxx
As an atheist I must point out that I pour scorn on no-one's beliefs since I have no idea what circumstances may have drawn him to such beliefs. I have personally seen intelligent minds turned to mush and families torn apart by religion and in the wider world far far worse so for all the benefits of faith, for me the price is way too high. If anyone would choose to view my skepticism as scornful then that does indeed sadden me since that is never the intention. I aspire to logic and reason and invite all to that territory where the footing is firm and predictable. No-one should feel the need to back away.
ReplyDeleteAtheists clearly do not know everything and it is the very awareness of this that fuels the questions that uncover real truths.
Not a single member of my family would even be alive today if it were not for the truths exposed by the questioning minds of skeptical scientists and so I claim the right to at least point out that doubt and scepticism are the real virtues and that faith is the masked imposter. That is just how I see it. I do not sing it from the roof tops and even less force it upon anyone but I do claim the right to say it.
If you feel you must place faith in some invisible higher power then that is fine with me and I defend and respect your right to do that no matter how absurd it may seem but faith is not for me. I still believe in love and hope, but faith? I am very happy without it!
Brian
I have no problem with anything you say. Live and let live. What I object to is the rather conceited and unpleasant slogans that appear on the web attacking anyone who, by whatever means, has arrived at a position of faith. I often wonder whether those who so vehemently naysay faith have even read the Upanishads, Lao Tzu, The Gospels or Zoroaster but to name a few. Also they are rather peremptorily dismissing some of the greatest thinkers in history as naive cranks. I cannot be certain about anything, I simply don't know. I am far from stupid, frightened or naive and my many life experiences have led me to a position of faith, just as yours have led you to a position of atheism. Fair enough, you could be right, I simply don't know. Whichever way one turns, if one is open minded, one comes face to face with mystery. I choose to believe and that is my fundamental human right. The word Believe, by the way, as so many seem to think does not mean to hold to be true, it means to hold dear, so when these rather arrigant and often downright nasty slogans appear, they are not challenging my thinking, which would be good, they are attacking my heart.
DeleteSorry, I miss-spelled arrogant
DeleteFrancis, pray tell me the name of Holybrook Wynch's opera that I might acquire a copy. The subject matter sounds fascinating :))
ReplyDeleteReceived my copy of 'Far and Forgot' a few days-ago and have manage to listen to it uninterrupted and in its entirety thrice - A WHOLE THREE TIMES. With each listen it is sounding more and remarkable. I can't believe how phenomenally detailed and layered the orchestrations are - a true labour of love and the perfect sequel to To Wake The King. In an ideal world it would storm up the 'hit parade',obliterating Andre Rieu; crippling Il Devo; and decapitating those bloody military wives in its wake. (was that politically incorrect of me to say bad things about those bloody military wives? It's hard to keep up with the law these days. It could be hanging offense...)
Best wishes
Mr Fingers
P.S. Maybe the third installment of your trilogy will be better than 'Intrigue in Cairo'...or at least as good. You'll have had a lot of practice by then :)
P.P.S. I notice the album is presented in your name and not as 'Secret Green'? Is Secret Green no more?
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ReplyDeleteThe Opera is called Das Frottergeist and is slightly over 36 hours long. It is quite difficult to get hold of these days, but I might have a copy of the score and an early recording in the attic if you are interested.
ReplyDeleteI still aspire to the heights of Intrigue in Cairo, but alas, I fear such altitudes are beyond my contrapuntal wings.
Secret Green is and wasn't, if you can pardon the enigma. Mostly it is, or would be if we played lives, and isn't but sort of is for recording purposes. In future I shall be recording as either Bobby Blue and The Blue Tones or The Melody Swing Four.
I don't suppose you have a transcription of Das Frottergeist for euphonium and jew's harp.
ReplyDeleteI think I made sense your Secret Green clarification...
If I had to choose, I'd go for The Melody Swing Four but then again the name Bobby Blue and The Blue Tones would ensure that you all get to wear real sharp suits...even the ladies.
I've just noticed that, in my previous email, I typed: "With each listen it is sounding more and remarkable" I meant to say "more and more remarkable" but now I've grown quite fond of "sounding more and remarkable".
No. It was written for 30 bassoons and 15 exotic quadrupeds. There was one transcription for a herd of Dorset sheep and prepared omnibus, but this has sunk down beyond the horizon of oblivion. Probably better thus.
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