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| Community Spirit |
Christmas time…
Christmas is almost upon us; a time to cherish those
close to us, a time to reflect and count our blessings.
It is also a time when our community spirit is raised as
we realise how lucky we are compared to others who may find Christmas a
particularly difficult time.
Some musicians go into the community and play to those whose
circumstances have led them to spend their lives in an institutional home.
It is very important to fully appreciate that it is their
home and that you are a visitor. It is a completely different relationship to that
between a performer and a paying audience.
Sometimes the hosts may wish to offer their guests polite
hospitality:-
A violinist friend of mine recently found himself in such
a situation.
Deep in concentration and halfway through a technically
demanding piece, he was asked if he would prefer tea or coffee. He wished that
he had been asked a closed question to which he could respond with a nod or
shake of the head.
His rude unresponsiveness was met with “Well would you
prefer a mince pie or a sandwich?”
Through the panic of a divided mind, he managed to keep
up with his flautist duet partner with only a few dropped notes. However, he
again failed to politely respond to his host who then haughtily advised him
that she would bring him a tray so that he could choose.
Sometimes, although you are a visitor, you may not be a
particularly welcome one:-
A couple of years ago we played for a group of about fifteen
people. We played our most exciting and festive pieces with flair and gusto.
The residents seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the performance and were swaying
from side to side.
After we had finished, I asked one of the hosts if he had
enjoyed our concert.
“Not really” he replied “It was too loud and you were in
the way of the telly. Our favourite programme was on.”
I apologised and explained that we hadn’t realised.
“That’s ok” he said “It’s repeated tomorrow. Do you want
a mince pie?”
“Yes please, I’d love one.” I replied.
He brought me a mince pie and we sat down together and
talked for a while before he politely excused himself to mingle.
“The fact is, society is made more hospitable by every
individual who acts as if ‘do unto others’ really was a rule.” ~Gary Hamel~
This is a pointedly apt article.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fact that while many charitable deeds at this time of year are wholeheartedly welcomed by those on the receiving end, there are also those on the receiving end of enforced do-goodedness (yes I know it isn't in the OED, but it fits). I feel sorry for the latter because they often have little choice but to sit and listen or watch something they would not choose to. Please do not misunderstand me, personally I would love a group of players to turn up and play for me, I might even stretch to giving them a cup of tea, though mince pies might be an act of friendship too far on grounds of cost, and what if they expected cream on it? And do you give them Aldi pies or Pound shop ones (you might say why not the 99p shop, but to be truthful I am too snobbish to shop there)? It's all so difficult isn't it.
Perhaps institutions requiring not to be do-gooded (again, not in the OED) could pin a note to their doors clearly stating that they do not want to be cheered up by catawailing carol singers and violin scratchers at Christmas time.
Ultimately though, I'm of the opinion that however po faced the audience, if there is just one person in there who gets something from it, then turn up, play your heart out and ignore everything else.
Hurray! I knew you would not let down your readers. I was waiting for the latest missive and feeling the same sense of excited anticipation that I experienced as a boy, waiting for the Christmas edition of The Beano:)
ReplyDeleteNice blog post! My grandfather used to take me around to residential homes when I was young to play the piano for them, I never got any mince pies, but lots of unexpected hugs and kisses from the residents. Good memories :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a good point, we used to have a day where we would go round 2 or 3 residential homes at Christmas time. We got tea and mince pie or biscuits at every one. One notable year we played outside, my fingers were so cold, I was playing more out of tune than normal, goodness knows what the audience thought. We need to think about this again for next year, it was good fun, if not a little "hectic".
ReplyDeleteGreat read - and I am sure many will resonate with it. Merry Christmas to you and yours and here's to a fantastic 2014 for us all. Pat x
ReplyDelete