I'm listening to the Australian tenor Peter Dawson. Its a "memory lane" event as I remember sitting, as a child, listening to those hard scratchy shellak records pour out their songs and lyrics.          We had time to listen in those days, we had the desire to listen, we felt we were in the presence of something special something we didn't possess but had been gifted the opportunity to listen to someone    

                                           who had.

This was pre television, each home reflected something unique and individual. The tone was set by the interests of the parent, particularly the father as head of the household. We followed his lead, largely without question. His interests became the bench mark,and we found no conflict or desire to kick against this bubble. Sitting and being educated through taste, be it of music or news print, books or political opinion, we were happily led!! This shared event, this shared desire to absorb something of quality had a cement like effect.

Those were the days when the generations were defined not by their differences but by there common tastes. It bound us in a way that is now missing and can never be rekindled. A pooling of emotions, a sympathetic sharing of a deeply founded commonality that had links through the nation.
Intelligent, sensitive men and women, regardless of class could find common cause in a timeless episode of appreciation which touched deep human feelings.
Episodic events today are derived from the TV and of a far coarser a nature!

The Proms still seem to buck the trend. Its a shared community, an audience that is both reverential as well as a substantial part of the event. Enthusiastically gay,impatient in their desire to show their appreciation, and impress on the conductor their understanding and love for the music.   In so many concerts the process is very formal, the gods hand down their offering in a style that emphasises master and servant. Not in the Proms, an invention of joy not a benign pleasure but an outpouring of fun and appreciation.         

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