
Just sitting here by the river in the beautiful evening sunshine and reflecting on the exciting news- that my music is back on Classic FM! I feel very blessed today. To be played by a radio station of such excellence and on a playlist alongside such giants as Bach and Mozart is truly inspiring, somewhat humbling..even a bit surreal!
I had a real obsession about Mozart when I was about ten and took up the clarinet after hearing his magical quintet with its gorgeous slow movement! I loved his naughty sense of humour which he shared with his sister Nanerle and thought they seemed like very fun people! We had a lot of fun with music at home and hearing my mother play the piano is one of my earliest memories. My twin sister Cathrine and I both played recorder and we used to play along with my mother by ear trying to pick up the tune! I’ve always loved the language of music and I remember it as something that would sometimes deeply affect me. It was almost as though the music was speaking to me in some way but without words.
My father was a writer, a deep thinking man and he would often play classical musIc; Bach, Brahms, Sibelius and Vaughn Williams being some of his favourites. I remember hearing Rachmaninov’s 2nd piano concerto resounding around the house after me and my siblings had gone to bed. I remember feeling the power of this music, finding it both exciting and yet very sad at the same time. It was almost too much of a roller coaster of emotion for a young child but ultimately looking back, I see it it was a positive experience and a memory that I now cherish. I feel very fortunate that music has always been so much a part of my life but I often meet people who were unfortunately denied the opportunities of being involved in this wonderful and nurturing aspect of life as children.
This is why I appreciate the ethos of Classic FM with their contagious enthusiasm and mission to make classical music available to everyone. It’s amazing to see how the programme has developed and grown into such a well loved institution.I’ve always felt passionate that music should be for everyone, not just a small minority and Classic FM have achieved just that. I remember the very first day they came on air and how I immediately loved the relaxed and informal style of the presenters. I felt it was a much needed massive breath of fresh air!