Ramblings

When we switched channels a few moments ago it was to catch the tail end of a programme about the music of the sixties. Dave, Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick, and Tich, singing Hold tight. Ah what a trip down memory lane. And the Sonny and Cher were on singing I Got you Babe.

It made me think about how music has changed and just what we respond to. I wonder if it is the sentiment behind the words of the song, or is it the beat perhaps. Sometimes I think the words can be so simple that it has to be the beat. I love Cecelia by Simon and Garfunkel. And in this particular one it is definitely the rhythm of the music rather than the lyrics.

So what you may ask….go on ask away... what is my favourite piece of music?

These days it would be a classical piece, but when I was a pupil at Petone Central School it defiantly was ‘Sailor’, sung in German of course. That was because my mostest favourite teacher in the world was the lovely Mrs Rose. The year 1960, I think, and the whole class was involved in a project to build a little trampoline for or vaulting horse. Instead of springs we cut tyre inner tubes. We raised money to buy some pipes then we all traipsed around to the workshop to watch somebody’s dad bent the pipes into shape to make the frame.

Then there was the class Christmas party. Everyone volunteered to bring in goodies to eat. I lived with my Mum and Dad above the café/dairy that my parents ran and so t ws easy to put my hand up and say I‘ll bring the Ice cream.

Another teacher at Petone Central was  Mrs McGarry. She wanted us to all take read the parts in a play. Not to perform in it but I think it must have been reading aloud exercise. I was fairly shy and had th misfortune to be given the part with the very first lines to read out. The play was about a group of children who were returning home after fairground visit.

My first line was  “I’m sorry that’s all over” Now I ask you would a child of 10 or 11 actually say those words?  Probably not. Well Mrs Mcgarry wasn’t happy with the way I said it, not enough sadness or enthusiasm or regret that it was over… Well if I read that line once i must have read it a dozen times. And never with enough emotion behind it to satisfy the teacher. I was never very fond of her after that.