So, Stop AIDS Newcastle – the student-run political organization, which includes some of my own music students, and a lot of medical students among others – had a jazz concert tonight, on a night when a bit of snow completely stopped the buses and made a fair mess of the town.
Joe, one of the organizers, had asked me to come speak – after various messages and promises back and forth, I resisted until the last minute, thinking: no, I'd rather sit here with my hot chocolate, which has some sharp-edged Hungarian liqueur in it (one of those that sounds innocent when you describe it, but can take the paint off a fender). But I finally felt guilty enough to go out to the bus stop – clearly a vain hope; but after ten minutes or so a taxi buzzed by and stopped when I stuck my hand out.
At the club, there were about a hundred of the kids, mine and others; pleasant, good music – really lively in fact... at a pause I got up and talked about what it had been like back at the beginning (for me, 1983), with an irregular/scattered overview of the past thirty years. It was perhaps a bit strange to do so: I've done more organized speeches that I've written down, or just talked about particular topics – but it seemed appropriate to just tell a few fragmentary stories, to give them an idea of all the time that has passed, and perhaps speak of a few of all the many people who are now gone.
And it worked. Another jazz group took the stage afterwards – actually quite a good one, consisting of nearly half the audience. Joe gave me a bottle of wine in thanks, which I passed on to another student who came up to talk to me; and when I finally went home, though it took a few minutes to get a taxi, I was glad I'd come out into the night....
Such kindness, and such feeling, from these kids.
It is good that they are here....
Paul, public testimony is one of my favorite things to do. It's good to see it mirrored across the pond. I enjoy reading your blog posts. Cheers!
Posted by: Gene Bivins | December 05, 2012 at 11:07 PM