Scratch Pad 71

Scratch Pad 71 October 2009 A fanzine based on the non-mailing comments sections of material that first appeared ion the October 2009 mailing of ANZAPA (Australian and New Zealand Amateur Publishing Association). Written and published by Bruce Gillespie, 5 Howard St, Greensborough VIC 3088. Phone: (03) 9435 7786. Email: [email protected]. Member fwa.

See the funny man. He is smiling. He is very pleased with himself. He and his co-editor Jan Stinson have just won the first Chronos Award for Best Fan Production for Steam Engine Time.

Do you notice something else about this man? He is 62 years old. He is about 40 kg overweight. For many years he has been too fond of the Good Things of Life. He should not be smiling.

A few weeks after this photo was taken (by Helena Binns on the first night of Continuum 5, August 2009), he will stop smiling. See his story inside: Contents

2 No more cakes and ice cream: The mourning after, by Bruce Gillespie 4 ABC Classic FM Top 100 symphonies: Bruce Gillespie’s comments, plus the list 13 Letters by Jennifer Bryce, Robert Elordieta, Robert Lichtman, John Litchen, Steve Jeffery, Lloyd Penney, Cy Chauvin, Doug Barbour and WAHF 23 Ursula Le Guin and Australia, by Bruce Gillespie

No more cakes and ice cream or, The mourning after

It all started even before Enid Spry died. You remember her from the Why not visit the doctor and describe all the small health matters that tribute I wrote in *brg* 58. She was the 89-year-old lady from next door, were worrying me? That was my main motivation when asking the doctor who died recently. for the whole battery of blood tests. She also made contact with a sleep laboratory, but the earliest appointment I’ve been able to get is in March On 27 July, I went to visit my doctor. I had been complaining all year to 2010. Elaine , indeed for some years, about feeling too tired. When editing some of the textbooks for which I am paid, sometimes I could work on The last time I had the battery of tests was three years ago. My doctor screen for only half an hour at a time before nodding off over the told me that my blood sugar level was a bit high, but not to worry. My keyboard. On some days I would have to take three naps a day: my low Vitamin B12 level was more worrying, but she did not say why it was usual nap after lunch, and two shorter ones. This made it very difficult worrying, or what I should do about it. Three years ago, I was officially to complete a day’s work, although I always finished a job within the in good health. deadline set by the publisher. This time, the B12 level was still low, so the doctor prescribed injections. Elaine also tells me that I snore too loudly. This time, she could hardly ignore the fasting blood sugar level of 9.8,

2 well outside the normal range. She sent me to take a fasting glucose Paul, who left the practice early this year. After a session of advanced tolerance test. torture as Ray tried to tenderise my leg muscles, Colin tried again to get my leg working properly. Between them, they seemed to cause more All that process took some weeks. Meanwhile, Enid had died on 3 August, pain than before. and we had attended her funeral in Greensborough. Her daughters had been visiting her constantly while she was in hospital. Now they began None of this would have mattered quite so much if I had been able to sit to go through the house, keeping some things, but placing others on the quietly at home and rest the leg. However, on 7 September, I had had nature strip for the hard rubbish collection. Yvonne and her husband were to walk down to the doctor’s and back again (about a mile each away) over from Western Australia and staying in the house. They were taking to sit for the glucose tolerance test. I fasted overnight. I had a blood test care of Puss, the fluffy black cat that was Enid’s companion during her when I arrived, then drank a bottle of undiluted glucose. The nurse then last four years. tested my blood after one hour, and after two hours. I staggered away, to await the results. One day they put out on the lawn an old exercise bike. We asked if we could have it. Various local SF fans, especially Kirstyn McDermott, have On 15 September, I visited the doctor, and received the bad news. A claimed that riding an exercise bike is an effective way of partaking in blood test level of 8.9 under such conditions meant that I have contracted daily exercise without leaving the house. Kirstyn said she watches Buffy diabetes type 2. I had to Do Something. episodes on DVD while doing her three-quarters of an hour on a bike. I’m not sure why I thought I would remain free of this condition. Why I tried pedalling a few minutes at a time on the bike. The bike seat was should I could escape this diabetes type 2, when most people in fandom very uncomfortable. Elaine tried doing the same, and put out her back who are my age and body shape has contracted it in recent years? A for a week or so. Elaine’s friend Noel, from the local Australian Plants couple of unlucky friends who are fit and thin have also found themselves Society, said that he could find me a more suitable bike. He said that to be diabetic: the condition was ‘in the family’, although nobody had exercise bikes, some of them not even assembled, are put out on ever told them. Nobody in my family has had diabetes, but then, none suburban nature strips more often than any objects other than gym of my aunts or uncles was tubby. They were all children of the Depression, machines. He sold us one for $7. I did a few stints on it, but the seat was had limited diets when they were young, and ate home-cooked meals even more uncomfortable than on the one we had inherited from Enid. for the rest of their lives. So do we, because Elaine is a superb cook, but The leg stretch seemed appropriate for me, however. I have a great hunger for sweet things between meals. I had relied on the operation of a miracle to save me from being struck down. I had finished only a few stints on this second bike when it became obvious that I had done something unfortunate to either my knee, my Several other tests were needed, each involving a mile-long trudge on foot or my leg muscles. The pain became worse, so I visited my a leg that remained painful. My doctor left for four weeks’ holiday chiropractor on 14 September. In the past, my chiropractor and masseur, overseas. My masseur was on three weeks’ holiday. I felt bereft, although in combination, have been able to solve any problem of the muscles or Rosemary, the specialist diabetic nurse, offered much useful information. spine. Colin found that my knee was working incorrectly, and clicked it However, she could not give me one of the finger-pricking machines that back into place. He also put back in place my left hip and my foot. I I’m supposed to use to test my blood sugar regularly. I had to take a thought all had been solved. long trip to the top of Elizabeth Street (to Diabetes Australia) for that. However, I still could not buy the little strips that actually reveal one’s Not so. The pain continued. The muscles were not meshing in my left blood sugar, because my doctor had not signed the appropriate form leg, so any movement became painful right along the leg. Next week I before she went away. visited him again. I also consulted Ray, the masseur who has replaced

3 What to do now? When at last I saw my masseur, he told me that is ‘not Suddenly I feel just a little bit old. I have to take a few tablets daily allowed to diagnose’, but he suspects I have a torn meniscis, which he (Omega-3 and astatin anti- cholesterol). Soon I will have to become a suspects is untreatable without surgery. A week later, Justin told me pin cushion, after I sort out that the problem of the blood glucose about his own sports medicine GP. I rang him, but he is also away. machine.

As always, Elaine is more help than anybody else. She has loaded up the So far my body has not shown any the dire symptoms of diabetes 2, such kitchen table with fruit. I’ve quickly become accustomed to substituting as impaired vision of loss of feeling in the extremities. Because I’m a an apple, pear or banana for a cake or piece of bread-and-honey. We coffee addict, I’ve always visited the loo far more often than most people, can no longer go out to Urban Grooves at the weekend for cakes and but I’ve been doing that for forty years. coffee. Dropping this routine hurts. So did a recent birthday gathering that was all very pleasant until I had to refuse a bit of the birthday cake: But the combination of sore leg and the sudden change in lifestyle is the a magnificent chocolate cake. At that moment I did go into mourning! I first real change in my self-perception for many years. One has to take already use Splenda in my coffee, but I can no longer drink Coke or care. I’ve always taken care ... to too great a degree ... but my reward orange drinks when I don’t feel like drinking coffee. for existence — those special delights that relieve the general boredom of ordinary life — have disappeared suddenly. Until a few weeks ago, I still felt a spring in my step. When out walking, I still felt much the same person as I had been for the last forty years. What now? Maybe I will be able to tackle new jobs with renewed energy. My tiredness was merely a result of the boredom of working on the Could I give up the struggle, and try to live on the small amount of money computer, wasn’t it? I have? But I can’t afford to retire, so I still have to accept paying work.

Wrong. I still like my afternoon nap, but almost immediately after I began I realise my problems (a) are shared by quite a few people in this apa, the new diet I felt much less tired during the day. I suspect I still need and throughout fandom; and (b) are mere annoyances compared with one of those sleep-apnoea machines, but on the other hand I might lose severe health problems being endured by many ANZAPA members and enough weight to stop snoring. I can’t say the kilos are dropping off me other people I know. But still ... I feel that the dark has encroached into yet; perhaps they would if my leg were not sore, and I could take long my life. Duck for cover! walks every day. — Bruce Gillespie, 10 October 2009

4 ABC Classic FM Top 100 symphonies Bruce Gillespie listens to the countdown ...

Not many series of events in my life have a music track. I don’t listen to breathless with suspense for a week awaiting the eventual winners, while music while writing or working. However, the week of the woes described our real favourites were eliminated, one after another, as the countdown in the previous two pages has such a music track. Every time I hobbled proceeded. out of the house to visit the doctor or go down to the Greensborough Plaza to shop, I was listening to a symphony being played on ABC Classic From the beginning it was obvious that most of my real favourites would FM. If it were a Mahler or Shostakovich symphony, the same symphony be in the bottom half of the list. It opened with No 100, Haydn’s might still be playing when I returned. During the third week of Septem- Symphony No 100, in a sparkling performance by Nicolas Harnoncourt ber 2009, the announcers of ABC Classic FM, which is an Australiawide and the Concertgebouw. No dispute there, except I did hope for some FM network, were counting down Australia’s favourite symphonies, as more Haydn symphonies much further up the list. voted by the network’s listeners, from 100 to 1. Most normal programming was suspended. I missed most of the first day of programming. It was Saturday, after all, so I could hardly miss my usual programs on 3RRR (‘Off the Record’ On the last Saturday of the countdown, the announcers played Numbers at 9 a.m. and ‘Film Buffs’ Forecast’ at midday). I rejoined the list with 11 to 6 during the day. At night, the Top 5 were played in order by the the two Nielsens: Daussgard’s piss-weak travesty of the 5th, one of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, with announcers Emma Ayres and Mairi great works of the twentieth century, and then Jarvi’s very exciting 4th Nicholson being the MCs. No, this was not a concert of epic length. (‘The Inextinguishable’), played with the energy and precision that the Movements of numbers 5 to 2 were played, not the complete sympho- 5th also demands. That eliminated Nielsen for the rest of the week. nies. After interval, the orchestra played the whole of Dvorák’s Symphony No 9 (‘From the New World’). The following morning ABC FM From the beginning I sensed a prejudice against recorded versions by played the favoured recordings of Nos 5 to 2, but not a favoured recording Herbert von Karajan. It was only much later that I realised that there of No 1. was a prejudice against having more than one or two versions by most of the great conductors: Boult, Barbirolli, Bohm, Jochum, etc. But if you The week’s countdown was the ABC’s Event of the Year. Pairs of ABC leave out Karajan and virtually everything by the other truly great announcers, unused to entertaining listeners rather than merely provid- conductors of recorded music, you leave the room vacant for some boring ing information, twinkled away. They interviewed famous Australian duds. Whoever Christoph Spering is, he didn’t have much grasp on music personalities and played ‘sorbet’ short pieces between the sym- Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 2 (‘Hymn of Praise’). In Karajan’s hands, phonies. Listeners rang in from all over Australia, or Twittered or emailed it’s one of the great choral symphonies. In the Spering version, the choral or whatever else listeners do these days. We were supposed to remain bits sounded like a singalong.

5 Why tepid versions of Prokofiev’s 5th, when there are fabulous Russian versions as well as the stirring Karajan? Why a very uninspired version of Walton’s Symphony No 1, another of the great works of the twentieth century, when Walton’s own recording of it is still available on CD?

I missed hearing the countdown’s recording of Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No 7 (‘Symphony Antartica’). A pity. It was one of the three I voted for on the voting form I sent to the ABC. (My other two were Beethoven’s 3rd, because of the inexhaustible wealth of interpretations I’ve heard; and Brahms’ 2nd, for sentimental reasons.) I’ve never thought much of Bryden Thomson’s versions of other Vaughan Williams symphonies, so I’m not upset at missing this one. But it is such a very great and emotionally compelling piece that it should have been honoured with the Previn version, with Ralph Richardson speaking the inter-movement poems, or Boult’s, with Gielgud.

The countdown led to as many great discoveries as disappointments. I missed the beginning of one symphony. I knew it was Russian; I knew it wasn’t Tchaikowsky. But Rachmaninov! I had no ideas he wrote music half as good as this. The version was by Mariss Janssons with the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. (A few years before, Janssons, with the Oslo Symphony Orchesttra, had transformed Tchaikowsky’s dreariest symphonies, Nos 4, 5 and 6, giving them a life unsuspected in dead horses. None of the Janssons Tchaikowsky versions was played during the Top 100 Countdown.)

Toscanini’s version of Tchaikowsky’s unnumbered ‘Manfred’ symphony was one of the very few pre-1950s recordings played during the week. I can’t say I like the symphony much, but Toscanini and his NBC Fortunately, the ABC’s programmer Phil Carrick had no prejudice against Symphony Orchestra in the 1940s played it as well as possible. Colin Davis’s versions of Berlioz’s works. Both Berlioz’ Harold in Italy (more a viola concerto than a symphony) and, near the top of the chart, Bruno Walter’s version of Bruckner’s 9th is one of the great versions, but his Symphonie Fantastique, are Davis’s definitive versions. at least one of the Karajan’s, from the early seventies, is much better. Lots of competition here, so all I can do is recommend listening to the However, the countdown kept leaving out the very best versions of great many different versions. works. Bruno Walter’s 1952 version of Mahler’s Song of the Earth is unsurpassable: its half-hour last movement sung by Kathleen Ferrier is Only two Australian symphonies made it to the Top 100. Philip Bracanin, just about the finest half-hour in all recorded music. The ABC chose a a Brisbane composer, must have had his own cheer squad who voted quite sterling version (Wunderlich and Ludwig, conducted by Klemperer) early and voted often, for his Symphony No 2 (No 81) had me reaching that was satisfying, but not The One. to turn the dial to 3MBS. Ross Edward’s Symphony No 1 (‘Da Pacem

6 Domine’) has been a favourite of mine since it first appeared on CD (this And the No 9: I know two Bernstein versions that seem unbeatable, and version, by Procelijn and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra). Karajan’s early 1980s version was not picked although it was voted by Unfortunately, once one has heard one Edwards major piece, one has Gramophone as the classical recording of the decade! (because of its heard them all. searing last movement, which nearly destroyed the amp and speakers I had in the 1980s). I have no idea why the ABC chose a Haitink version, not even available commercially, of Bruckner’s 7th. There’s a version by Karajan that beats I would have thought only three Sibelius symphonies — the 1, 2 and 7 everybody else’s by a long way. Again, I detect a prejudice against — were popular, but I’m dead wrong. The Barbirolli version of Symphony Karajan. So nobody much liked him as a person. So what? When he No 2 was pretty good, but nowhere near as effective as others I’ve heard, became excited by a piece of music, he made the Berlin Philharmonic or such as the 1949 Beecham that I played on CD a couple of days later. I the Vienna Philharmonic perform miracles, year after year. Witness the missed nearly all of the Stokowski version of the Symphony No 1. best recording in the whole list: Karajan’s 1962 version of Beethoven’s Symphony 9 (‘Choral’), unaccountably No 2 on the list instead of No 1. Shostakovich? I had always assumed that only a Russian orchestra can do justice to his symphonies. I missed hearing the No 5 (yes, a Russian There were plenty of heartstopping half-hours and hours and even some orchestra, with Gergiev; it should have been great) and the No 4. But hours-and-a-half as we rose relentlessly up the ladder throughout the Bernstein’s version of the 7th (‘Leningrad’), with the Chicago Symphony, week. I have Bruno Walter’s version of Dvorak’s 8th on CD, but I would was as fine as any I’ve heard. The Janssons version of the 11th, with the have sworn that my CD did not yield half the level of excitement of the Philadelphia, also served Shostakovich well. record played during the countdown. Maybe it’s been digitally re- mastered. How did Beethoven fare? He remains the best symphonic composer because of the unique combination of beauty, daring and logicality in his You’ve probably already noticed the composers who dominate the chart: works. He builds cliffs above abysses, steps off those cliffs, then makes Tchaikowsky (inexplicably), Beethoven (triumphantly), Sibelius and a perfect swan dive into the abyss. By the Symphony No 9, the cliff Shostakovich (surprisingly) and Mahler (overwhelmingly). reaches heaven, and the abyss has been left behind. Karajan’s 1962 version of the Symphony No 9 goes beyond perfection — his orchestra Obviously people did not quite know which symphony by their favourite and singers fly straight into the stratosphere in the last movement. composer to choose. To me, only an artificially split vote could explain Mahler’s Symphony 2 (‘Resurrection’) sinking as low as No 14. Mahler I don’t like many versions of the 6th, and Solti’s did not excite me. A fans are not only faced with a choice between the popular favourites, transcendent, very Mozartian Ashkenazy version from the 1980s seems such as the 1, 4, 5 and 9, but are also very keen on the immensely long forgotten these days. Kleiber’s 7th is very exciting, but I deny that ‘craggy’ symphonies, such as the 6, 3, 7, 8. None of the versions chosen Kleiber’s 5th is the greatest ever, as many have said. Karajan’s 1962 matched my own favourites, but I was gratified to find that Solti’s version version beats it by a long way because of its combination of grandeur of Mahler 3, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, is the equal of my and precision. Symphony No 3 (‘Eroica’), Beethoven’s most subversive, favourite, Abravanel with the Utah Symphony Orchestra. By contrast, revolutionary symphony — the piece that throws open the symphonic the Challender/Sydney Symphony Orchestra version of Mahler 2 sounds door to the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first century — deserves recessive, badly recorded, a mere shadow of the piece. (I would have only the greatest treatment. Savall’s version was pitiful. chosen the Bruno Walter/Columbia Symphony Orchestra version; it might have been recorded in the early sixties, but it is more revelatory You will have observed that there are plenty of symphonists I don’t like than any of the burnished later versions.) The first movement of the much among the winners of this poll: Schubert, Mozart, Tchaikovsky. Chailly version of Mahler 5 has a magnificent horn solo at the beginning. The worst of it is that I own the version of Schubert’s 9th that the ABC

7 played. Charles Mackerras does his best with this music, but to me it’s No 52. one hour of repetitive uninteresting tunes. In chamber music, of course, Schubert is The Master, equal to Beethoven. Mozart is also equal to Even the version of Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No 3 (‘Organ Symphony’), Beethoven, but I just don’t like most Mozart symphonies. On the other an unexpected No 5, received a rousing performance from Charles Munch hand, Haydn invented the form as we know it. His symphonies always and the Boston Symphony. No symphony is more frequently murdered sound fresh and full of spritzig, so he should have had more success on in concert halls than this one. this list. Why was this countdown more exciting than any of the previous ABC I keep remembering the magic moments of that week. FM’s annual polls? Because of the inexhaustibility of the symphony itself. The great symphonies are like the great novels, full of vast forces, mighty Fortunately, Phil Carrick did pick the greatest versions, by Sir Thomas emotions, but also delicate details and intimate beauty. The short, Beecham, of the two rogue symphonies, Bizet’s and César Franck’s. intense symphonies, such as Sibelius’s 7th and Prokofiev’s 1st, have the power of great novellas. Musical landscapes, epic stories and deep Dick Jenssen had alerted me to Messiaen’s Turangalila Symphony. I even personal perceptions are all here. Thanks, ABC FM, for a remarkable week own a copy — not Nagano’s — but have never sat down for 73 minutes of broadcasting. to listen to it. Really a massive piano concerto rather than a symphony, it made a great impression on me when it was played during the Bruce Gillespie, 10 October 2009 countdown. Dick also mentioned Bruckner’s 8th, but it only came in at

The Top 100 countdown

1 Dvorák: Symphony No 9 ‘From the New World’ DG 447 400-2 38’36 2 Beethoven: Symphony No 9 in D minor, Op. 125 ‘Choral’ 6 Beethoven: Symphony No 5 in C minor, Op. 67 Gundula Janowitz, s; Hilde Rössel-Majdan, c; Waldemar Kmentt, t; Vienna Phil Orch/Carlos Kleiber Walter Berry, br; Wiener Singverein; Berlin Phil Orch/Herbert von DG 447 400-2 33’32 Karajan 7 Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 6 in B minor, Op. 74, ‘Pathétique’ DG 477 7568 67’03 Russian National Orch/Mikhail Pletnev 3 Beethoven: Symphony No 6 in F, Op. 68, ‘Pastoral’ Virgin 0777 75966121 44’34 Chicago Sym Orch/Sir Georg Solti 8 Beethoven: Symphony No 3 in E flat, Op. 55, ‘Eroica’ London 430 792-2 44’56 Le Concert des Nations/Jordi Savall 4 Saint-Saëns: Symphony No 3 in C minor, Op. 78 ‘Organ Symphony’ Auvidis ES 8557 44’37 Berj Zamkochian, o; Boston Sym Orch/Charles Munch 9 Sibelius: Symphony No 2 in D, Op. 43 RCA 09026 61500 2 34’30 Royal Phil Orch/Sir John Barbirolli 5 Beethoven: Symphony No 7 in A, Op. 92 Chesky CG903 44’22 Vienna Phil Orch/Carlos Kleiber 10 Schubert: Symphony No 9 in C, D944, ‘The Great’

8 Orch of the Age of Enlightenment/Sir Charles Mackerras Virgin VC 7 90708-2 59’30 11 Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 5 in E minor, Op. 64 Vienna Phil Orch/Valery Gergiev Philips 462 905-2 46’19 12 Mozart: Symphony No 41 in C, K551 ‘Jupiter’ Cleveland Orch/George Szell Sony SBK 46333 26’33 13 Mozart: Symphony No 40 in G minor, K550 Chamber Orch 0f Europe/Nikolaus Harnoncourt Teldec 9031-74858-2 35’00 14 Mahler: Symphony No 2 in C minor, ‘Resurrection’ Rosamund Illing, s; Elizabeth Campbell, ms; Sydney Philharmonia Choir; Sydney Sym Orch/Stuart Challender ABC 434 778-2 84’25 15 Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 London Sym Orch/Sir Colin Davis Philips 442 290-2 55’30 16 Rachmaninov: Symphony No 2 in E minor, Op. 27 London Sym Orch/André Previn EMI 5669822 59’24 17 Górecki: Symphony No 3 ‘Symphony of Sorrowful Songs’, Op. 36 Zofia Kilanowicz, s; Polish National Radio Sym Orch of Katowice/ Antoni Wit Naxos 8.550822 55’59 18 Mahler: Symphony No 5 in C sharp minor Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest (Royal Concertgebouw Orch)/ EMI CDM 7696512 44’13 Riccardo Chailly 23 Mendelssohn: Symphony No 4 in A, Op. 90, ‘Italian’ Decca 458 860-2 71’05 London Classical Players/Roger Norrington 19 Schubert: Symphony No 8 in B minor, D759, ‘Unfinished’ Virgin 5617352 26’51 Vienna Phil Orch/Josef Krips 24 Mendelssohn: Symphony No 3 in A minor, Op. 56, ‘Scottish’ Decca 476 1551 26’57 Cleveland Orch/Christoph von Dohnanyi 20 Brahms: Symphony No 4 in E minor, Op. 98 Telarc CD-80184 34’13 Vienna Phil Orch/Carlos Kleiber 25 Sibelius: Symphony No 5 in E flat, Op. 82 DG 477 5324 39’46 London Sym Orch/Alexander Gibson 21 Mahler: Symphony No 1 in D, ‘Titan’ Decca 468 488-2 30’28 London Sym Orch/Sir Georg Solti 26 Shostakovich: Symphony No 5 in D minor, Op. 47 Decca 458 622-2 54’01 Kirov Orch, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg/Valery Gergiev 22 Brahms: Symphony No 1 in C minor, Op. 68 Philips 475 065-2 48’02 Philharmonia Orch/Otto Klemperer 27 Prokofiev: Symphony No 1 in D, Op. 25 ‘Classical’

9 London Sym Orch/André Previn Children’s Chorus; Chicago Sym Orch/Sir Georg Solti HMV 7676292 14’09 Decca 430 804-2 92’54 28 Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 4 in F minor, Op. 36 40 Schubert: Symphony No 5 in B flat, D485 Tchaikovsky Sym Orch of Moscow Radio/Vladimir Fedoseyev Orch of the 18th Century/Frans Brüggen Relief CR 991046 43’39 Philips 475 7955 26’58 29 Brahms: Symphony No 3 in F, Op 90 41 Mahler: Symphony No 9 in D Berlin Phil Orch/Nikolaus Harnoncourt Concertgebouw Orch/Bernard Haitink Teldec 0630-13136-2 37’13 Philips 464 714-2 80’45 30 Elgar: Symphony No 1 in A flat, Op. 55 42 Franck: Symphony in D minor Hallé Orch/Sir John Barbirolli French National Radio Orch/Sir Thomas Beecham Dutton CDSJB 1017 52’37 EMI 5 629482 38’51 31 Shostakovich: Symphony No 7 in C, Op. 60, ‘Leningrad’ 43 Sibelius: Symphony No 3 in C, Op. 52 Chicago Sym Orch/Leonard Bernstein Helsinki Phil Orch/Paavo Berglund DG 477 7587 84’54 EMI CDC 7491752 28’47 32 Dvorák: Symphony No 8 in G, Op. 88 44 Vaughan Williams: Symphony No 5 in D Columbia Sym Orch/Bruno Walter London Sym Orch/Richard Hickox CBS MK 42038 35’40 Chandos CHAN 9666 39’31 33 Mahler: Symphony No 4 in G 45 Haydn: Symphony No 94 in G, ‘Surprise’ Rafael Druian, v; Judith Raskin, s; Cleveland Orch/George Szell Concertgebouw Orch/Sir Colin Davis Sony MK 42416 58’02 Philips 464 707-2 23’36 34 Bizet: Symphony in C 46 Bruckner: Symphony No 4 in E flat, ‘Romantic’ French National Radio Orch/Sir Thomas Beecham Chicago Sym Orch/Daniel Barenboim EMI CDC 7477942 28’24 DG 453 100-2 63’44 35 Brahms: Symphony No 2 in D, Op. 73 47 Shostakovich: Symphony No 10 in E minor, Op. 93 Berlin Phil Orch/Herbert von Karajan USSR Ministry of Culture Sym Orch/ Gennadi Rozhdestvensky DG 477 7159 41’12 Zyx MEL 46004-2 51’18 36 Mahler: Symphony No 8 in E flat, ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ 48 Sibelius: Symphony No 1 in E minor, Op. 39 Heather Harper, s; Lucia Popp, s; Arleen Auger, s; Yvonne Minton, National Sym Orch/Leopold Stokowski c; Helen Watts, c; René Kollo, t; John Shirley- Quirk, br, Martti Sony SB2K 63260 37’28 Talvela, b; Vienna State Opera Chorus; Vienna Singverein; Vienna 49 R. Strauss: An Alpine Symphony, Op. 64 Boys’ Choir; Chicago Sym Orch/Sir Georg Solti Los Angeles Phil Orch/Zubin Mehta Decca 475 7521 79’48 Decca 480 0408 48’07 37 Beethoven: Symphony No 8 in F, Op. 93 50 Shostakovich: Symphony No 11 in G minor, Op. 103, ‘The Year 1905’ London Classical Players/Roger Norrington Philadelphia Orch/Mariss Jansons EMI CDC 7 476982 25’29 EMI 3 653172 63’37 38 Mozart: Symphony No 39 in E flat, K543 51 Mozart: Symphony No 38 in D, K504 ‘Prague’ Scottish Chamber Orch/Sir Charles Mackerras Royal Phil Orch/Sir Thomas Beecham Linn CKD 308 30’03 BBCL 4027-2 24’54 39 Mahler: Symphony No 3 in D minor 52 Bruckner: Symphony No 8 in C minor Helga Dernesch, c; Women of the Chicago Sym Chorus; Glen Ellyn Vienna Phil Orch/Pierre Boulez

10 DG 459 678-2 76’14 London Sym Orch/Richard Hickox 53 Sibelius: Symphony No 7 in C, Op. 105 Chandos CHAN 9902 61’19 Helsinki Phil Orch/Paavo Berglund 66 Bruckner: Symphony No 7 in E EMI CDC 7474432 21’24 Royal Concertgebouw Orch/Bernard Haitink 54 Mahler: Symphony No 6 in A minor, ‘Tragic’ Radio Nederlands recording (not available commercially) 62’14 Vienna Phil Orch/Leonard Bernstein 67 Ross Edwards Symphony No 1 ‘Da Pacem Domine’ DG 427 697-2 86’54 Sydney Sym Orch/David Porcelijn 55 Mozart: Symphony No 29 in A, K201 ABC 438 610-2 29’04 Concertgebouw Orch/Nikolaus Harnoncourt 68 Mozart: Symphony No 25 in G minor, K183 Teldec 8.43107ZK 29’26 Prague Chamber Orch/Sir Charles Mackerras 56 Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony Telarc CD-80165 26’27 Pierre-Laurent Aimard, p; Dominique Kim, ondes martenot; Berlin 69 Bruckner: Symphony No 9 in D minor Phil Orch/Kent Nagano Columbia Sym Orch/Bruno Walter Teldec 8573-82043-2 73’01 Sony SMK 64 483 58’45 57 Elgar: Symphony No 2 in E flat, Op. 63 70 Mozart: Symphony No 35 in D, K385, ‘Haffner’ Hallé Orch/Sir John Barbirolli Concertgebouw Orch, Amsterdam/Nikolaus Harnoncourt EMI CDM 7647242 55’53 Teldec 8.42703ZK 22’47 58 Haydn: Symphony No 101 in D, ‘The Clock’ 71 Borodin: Symphony No 2 in B minor: London Sym Orch/Jean Philharmonia Hungarica/Antál Dorati Martinon Decca 425 935-2 29’29 Decca 475 7209 25’04 59 Vaughan Williams: Symphony No 3 ‘Pastoral’ 72 Mozart: Symphony No 36 in C, K425, ‘Linz’ Margaret Price, s; New Philharmonia Orch/Sir Adrian Boult Australian Brandenburg Orch/Paul Dyer, fp EMI CDM 7640182 33’48 ABC Classic FM recording 25’52 60 Beethoven: Symphony No 4 in B flat, Op. 60 73 Schumann: Symphony No 3 in E flat, Op. 97, ‘Rhenish’ Columbia Sym Orch/Bruno Walter London Classical Players/Sir Roger Norrington CBS MK 42011 31’53 Virgin Veritas 5617342 30’07 61 Dvorák: Symphony No 7 in D minor, Op. 70 74 Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 1 in G minor, Op. 13, ‘Winter Dreams’ Concertgebouw Orch, Amsterdam/Sir Colin Davis Royal Concertgebouw Orch/Riccardo Chailly Philips 420 890-2 36’33 (Rec Concertgebouw, 12/1/1985 Radio Nederlands recording, not 62 Vaughan Williams Symphony No 1, ‘A Sea Symphony’ available commercially) 44’17 Heather Harper, s; John Shirley-Quirk, br; London Sym Orch & 75 Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony, Op. 58 Chorus/André Previn NBC Sym Orch/Arturo Toscanini RCA RD89689 66’03 RCA GD60298 48’27 63 Beethoven: Symphony No 2 in D, Op. 36 76 Vaughan Williams: Symphony No 7 ‘Sinfonia Antartica’ London Classical Players/Roger Norrington Catherine Bott, s; Roderick Elms, o; London Sym Orch & EMI CDC 7476982 33’09 Chorus/Bryden Thomson 64 Rachmaninov: Symphony No 3, Op 44 Chandos CHAN 8796 41’30 London Sym Orch/André Previn 77 Walton: Symphony No 1 in B flat minor EMI CDM 7695642 41’17 Sydney Sym Orch/Hugh Wolff 65 Vaughan Williams: Symphony No 2 in G, ‘London’ ABC Classic FM recording 44’28

11 78 Mendelssohn: Symphony No 5 in D, Op. 107, ‘Reformation’ Cologne; Das Neue Orch/Christoph Spering Orch of the 18th Century/Frans Brüggen Opus 111 OPS 30-98 64’48 Philips 456 267-2 28’47 90 Nielsen: Symphony No 4, Op. 29 ‘The Inextinguishable’ 79 Haydn: Symphony No 104 in D, ‘London’ Gothenburg Sym Orch/Neeme Järvi La Petite Bande/Sigiswald Kuijken DG 437 507-2 33’55 Deutsche Harmonia Mundi DHM 05472 773622 27’34 91 Nielsen: Symphony No 5, Op. 50 80 Sibelius: Symphony No 4 in A minor, Op. 63 Melbourne Sym Orch/Thomas Dausgaard Philharmonia Orch/Vladimir Ashkenazy ABC Classic FM recording 35’04 Decca 400 056-2 33’05 92 Shostakovich: Symphony No 4 in C minor, Op. 43 81 Philip Bracanin: Symphony No 2, ‘Choral’ London Phil Orch/Bernard Haitink Margaret Schindler, s; Brisbane Chorale; Queensland Sym London 444 430-2 67’44 Orch/Werner Andreas Albert 93 Sibelius: Symphony No 6 in D minor, Op. 104 ABC Classics 465 433-2 39’11 Boston Sym Orch/Sir Colin Davis 82 Rachmaninov: Symphony No 1 Philips 446 160-2 24’48 St Petersburg Phil Orch/Mariss Jansons 94 Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms EMI 5755102 46’34 Atlanta Sym Orch & Chorus/Robert Shaw 83 Sean O’Boyle: River Symphony Telarc CD-80643 21’29 Jane Sheldon, s; Anna Fraser, s; Willoughby Sym Choir; South 95 Rachmaninov: Choral Symphony Op 35, ‘The Bells’ Brisbane Federal Band; Queensland Orch/Sean O’Boyle Marina Mescheriakova, s; Sergei Larin, t; Vladimir Chernov, br; ABC Classics 476 6288 23’53 Moscow State Chamber Choir; Russian National Orch/Mikhail 84 Mahler: The Song of the Earth Pletnev Christa Ludwig, ms; Fritz Wunderlich, t; Philharmonia Orch; New DG 471 029-2 37’18 Philharmonia Orch/Otto Klemperer 96 Dvorák: Symphony No 6 in D, Op 60 EMI 5668922 64’07 Czech Phil Orch/Václav Neumann 85 Haydn: Symphony No 45 in F sharp minor, ‘Farewell’ Denon 38C37-7242 43’23 Orch of the Age of Enlightenment/Frans Brüggen 97 Schumann: Symphony No 1 in B flat, Op 38 ‘Spring’ Philips 462 117-2 24’36 Orch des Champs Élysées/Philippe Herreweghe 86 Prokofiev: Symphony No 5 in B flat, Op. 100 Harmonia Mundi HMC 901972 32’31 London Sym Orch/Valery Gergiev 98 Dvoøák: Symphony No 5 in F, Op 76 Philips 475 7655 41’46 London Sym Orch/István Kertész 87 Berlioz: Harold in Italy, Op. 14 Decca 430 046-2 37’11 Yehudi Menuhin, va; Philharmonia Orch/Sir Colin Davis 99 Glass: Symphony No 4, ‘Heroes’ EMI 3724662 44’22 American Composers Orch/Dennis Russell Davies 88 Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 2 in C minor, Op. 17 ‘Little Russian’ Philips 475 075-2 44’14 Russian National Orch/Mikhail Pletnev 100 Haydn: Symphony No 100 in G, ‘Military’ DG 449 967- 2 33’04 Royal Concertgebouw Orch, Amsterdam/Nikolaus Harnoncourt 89 Mendelssohn: Symphony No 2, Op 52 ‘Hymn of Praise’ Teldec 9031-74859-2 25’03 Soile Isokoski, s; Mechthild Bach, s; Frieder Lang, t; Chorus Musicus

12 Letters? letters! letters

JENNIFER BRYCE My condolences to you Bruce, for losing your friends. It was nice what PO Box 1215, Elwood, VIC 3184 you had to say in Endings. I got some insight in what your friends were like. It was very exciting to receive *brg* 58 (and to discover that I am ‘a photographer’ — never thought I’d be able to add that to my CV!) — but I’ve finished reading 1942: Australia’s Greatest Peril by Bob Wurth. The seriously, you’ve done a great job of putting everything together — as Japanese Navy really did want to invade Australia. Luckily that didn’t always. happen in the end.

Terribly sad that so many people have died. All but one, far too young. Since then I have been given more books to read by friends. Some are non-fiction and some are fiction. I’m currently reading Valiant Occasions I look forward to the time when we will — ultimately — catch up. by J. E. MacDonnell (1952), about the acti- vities of the Royal Navy and 28 August 2009 the Royal Australian Navy in the Second World War.

ROBERT ELORDIETA Other books read recently include Home is the Sailor by John Whelan Unit 4, 15 High Street, Traralgon VIC 3844 (coa) (1957), which is John’s life in the Royal Navy; Lords of the Golden Horn: The Sultans, their Harems and the Fall of the Ottoman Empire by Noel I enjoyed reading Jennifer Bryce’s ‘Adventures in Bogota’ article. She Barber (1973); and Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind (1994). sure has travelled around a lot. I remember her articles about going to Botswana and also New York. So, since then she has been to Berlin and I’ve also finished reading Warhammer 40,000: Inquistor by Ian Watson various Australian cities. Berlin would be interesting to see, especially (1990), and Warhammer: Warblade by David Ferring (1993). Neither now that it is not divided any more with the fall of the Berlin Wall. book was anything to rave about. The heroes of each book were always able to get out of tight situations, as in the TV show Batman (1960s) It was fair enough that Jennifer was cautious in Colombia because of the which starred Adam West and Burt Ward, where Batman and Robin were crime. able to get out of any tight situation in every episode. After reading Robin Hobb and Raymond Feist books, these two Warhammer books were It was nice that she was able to visit Monserrate. Good on her for climbing disappointing. the mountain. 28 August 2009

John Litchen’s article ‘Underwater Swimming the Hard Way’ was good. ROBERT LICHTMAN It was interesting to see how Brian and John started out scuba diving, 11037 Broadway Terrace, the equipment they used, how they learned how to do it all, the Oakland, CA 94611-1948, USA experiences and adventures they had. Your envelope with *brg* #58 and #59 came today, and also included

13 a half dozen issues of ANZAPA’s OBO. One would get the impression tai-kwan-do. I did karate for almost three years, starting when I was 47. you’re trying to recruit me, but that couldn’t possibly be the case. Could That came about because my son Brian started karate classes at a nearby it? They’re interesting, and scanning the membership list there’s a fairly dojo and I used to take him there, sit around and watch. I had damaged high percentage of people I’m in touch with otherwise (and balancing my back at work and the physio suggested I take up some gentle exercise them, a bunch I’ve never heard of) — but I’m pretty stretched keeping to work on strengthening the back muscles. When Brian started to take up with FAPA, SAPS, L’Apassemblance (the successor apa resulting from karate classes at other locations I decided I would also join in for the the merger in January 2007 of Lilapa and Apassembly) and SNAPS (the exercise. All the kicking, stretching and so on would have to be good for electronic apa out of Vegas). Oh, and of course the lists. my back. Well it was, and my back has been terrific ever since.

*brg* You wanted everything I publish, Robert. I write quite What I came to dislike about karate was that the style I was studying a bit of extra material for ANZAPA in the OOs, and I also was orientated towards competition, and although I enjoyed the sparring thought you would be interested in photos of Australian to a degree, I didn’t like the concept of fighting as a sport or competition. fans.* Besides, most of the people in the tournaments we attended were aged somewhere between 17 and 25, and here was I going on for 48 being asked to mix it up with them. I preferred to study kata, or set forms In addition, I’m veering in the direction of having another Trap Door within which are buried traditional teachings, but the association frowned out by October. Artwork by Steffan, Stiles and Smith, articles by Wm. on that and wanted champions in the sparring. I got as far as provisional Breiding, Gordon Eklund, Gary Hubbard, Dave Langford, column by black belt and decided karate wasn’t for me. Carol, and a sort-of-article by Ron Bennett (put together from old correspondence by a fan who wishes not to take credit). Letters, of When Brian and Monica and I went overseas (1989), we finished up in course, which are currently being edited. Santiago in Chile, where we stayed for a bit over three months. While Monica visited her friends and family, Brian and I started to study aikido. I noticed I hadn’t sent you any of my apazines in a while, so tomorrow I loved it. There was no competition, no winners, no losers, everyone I’m mailing King Biscuit Time 54 and Door Knob 104. That just teetered gained benefits from whatever efforts they put into the training, and the over an ounce, so I’m also enclosing the only print copy besides my own whole idea of harmonising and blending with someone else’s movement of Vegas By The Bay 31, my zine for SNAPS. in order to redirect and control them was very different in concept compared to the confrontational aspects of karate, with its blocking and Hope all’s well on your end, and that paying work is happening. It’s counter-attacking. Aikido tries to do away with violence, whereas karate happening here, too: I’m doing the second issue of a periodic newsletter tends to promote it — as does most of the other competitively based for an ethnic arts group, for which I get paid handsomely. I do the design, martial arts. layout, see to the printing, and do the mailing. And I get around $40/hour to do it. This helps pay for my paper-only fanzine ... I’m still doing aikido, and will continue to do it into the foreseeable future. 29 August 2009 This year makes 20 years since I started aikido (in Santiago), and I’m still training and teaching as I come up to my seventieth birthday in April JOHN LITCHEN 2010. The textbook I wrote four years ago about basic and intermediate PO Box 3503, Robina Town Centre, QLD 4230 studies in aikido is still selling in the USA, and I’m quite happy with that, since it competes in a crowded market where there are more than 400 You know I had actually forgotten what I wrote in that article. In terms books on the same subject, of which the more famous practitioners’ of the sequence of events in my life that would have occurred before I books sell quite well. Last time I looked I was listed as #28 on the list of went to Darwin. I must say you gave me a nice plug in the intro to ‘My the top 50 selling aikido books on Amazon. Of course I don’t get much Life and Science Fiction’, but I must correct one inaccuracy. I never did

14 milestone of which I am quite proud.

I guess there comes a time when you look back over your life and think it’s time to write something about it as a way for future members of the family to know something about you. I remember my father started to do this in his late eighties, and he gave me the few notebooks he had filled, and really there wasn’t a lot in them. There were many questions I wanted to ask, but unfortunately before I could do that he died, so all we had left was what he had put into those notebooks and what we collectively as a family could remember from what he told us over the years. In 1995, using that material, I wrote a book for the family and had it printed as a limited edition for distribution amongst family members. A couple of years ago I lent a copy of this book after a conversation at a writers’ meeting to a Greek friend and he wanted to translate it because he felt quite moved by it. This translation we entered into the Agelidis Foundation contest for an unpublished manuscript in Greek, and it won the first prize.

As you know, I wrote a series of memoirs and short pieces, which were published in Tirra Lirra from about 1995 through to 2000, recalling some of my early childhood. Subsequent to that I’ve been working on this material and anything else I can remember from more than half a century ago as a way of leaving more of a record than what Mum and Dad did, because once you are gone, whatever you did is also gone, and after a while no one even remembers you. This material is really only for future family members so they will know more about my generation than we do about our parents’ generation.

I may send you some bits and pieces from time to time in case you are interested.

I had a revised edition of my father’s biography printed to coincide with a printed version in Greek so here is a copy for you. I hope you enjoy it. John Litchen, 2009. You know, you should do something like that about your parents, because money out of that; it’s usually around $1.47 in royalties per copy. I also from the bits I have read of what you wrote about them over the years have the book reprinted in Australia via Digital Print Australia, and when their lives were quite interesting. I’m sure a lot of people would like to I attend local seminars I always manage to sell one or two copies, from read about them, and if nothing else, a copy of a book about them in the which I get a much more reasonable return. If nothing else, I consider National Library can only add to the collective history of life in Australia having written and compiled that book, with its 1200 photos, etc. a during the early part of the last century. History is not just big events;

15 it is the collective lives of everyone who ever lived and the more we know Breaking things like boards, blocks of ice, stacks of tiles , bricks etc. using about that as a whole the better we will all be in the future. some part of your body is called tamashiwara in Japanese. It might look 28 August 2009 spectacular at a demo, and make everyone think how tough you are, but it is totally useless because you can not equate an inanimate object with *brg* Thanks very much, John, for your letter of comment a living person. A living person can absorb and deflect an attack, reverse to *brg* 58 ... And thanks also for your book, which I’ve it, redirect it and so on. A living person is moving and shifting, not started dipping into already. I had always thought you standing there waiting to be smashed. It was stuff like that that put me looked somewhat Spanish, but I never guessed that your off the striking arts like karate and tae kwan do. And you are right: aikido was relatively unknown when I was at school. It was only introduced to father had changed his surname from a Greek name. Sorry Australia in 1965 when Sugano Sensei came here to promote it. He for mixing up tai-kwon-do and aikido, but I still don’t know stayed for 12 years or so, and taught a small select group of students the differences between them. Karate is not something I who are currently passing it on through Aiki Kai Australia. It didn’t gain would ever be attracted to, even if I were looking at taking a wider audience until the mid 1980s. up that kind of activity. Elaine tried one class of karate at high school and broke her collar bone. I don’t think *brg* I thought you might be heading up toward 70, movement sports of that kind had been heard of when I especially as other old MSFC members we know (I should was a high school.* say ‘foundation members’) are all in their seventies: Merv is 75 this year; Lee is 72; Dick Jenssen 72; Race Mathews Tae kwan do is similar to karate, except a lot more emphasis is placed 73; Bill Wright 72. Meeting with them is the one way on kicking rather than punching. It was not something I was ever Elaine and I can still feel like spring chickens. However, I interested in. I remember recently watching a demo at the Robina Community Centre of a tae kwan do school using kids of various ages to suspect you would make the lot of us feel ancient, demonstrate their skill at smashing boards with their fists or their feet. especially as all the mentioned except Lee have continuing It was upsetting to see how distressed some of these kids got when the health problems of one kind or another. If ever you get to board didn’t break and all they did was hurt themselves ... and there was Melbourne, it would be great to have you out to one of our the instructor abusing them and yelling at them without any concern Oldies Gatherings at the Rosstown Hotel in Carnegie — about whether the kid had a broken finger or toe or at the very least a cheap, good food (because the hotel caters for older sprain because he hit the board incorrectly. customers) and a way of catching up with what people have been doing.* It also reminded me of a demo I participated in when I was doing karate back in 1988 at Hoppers Crossing. I did some kata (prearranged training This year hasn’t been so great. I twisted my knee while digging a forms), while at the end of the demo our instructor decided to break a drainage ditch to replace a storm water drain and it bothered me for stack of roof tiles first with his fist, which he did, but when he didn’t get some time. When I went to the doctor he had me get X-rays, RMI and the amount of applause he thought he needed he upped the ante by ultrasound to discover that I had a torn meniscus, and this needed an adding more tiles (11 this time) and proceeded to break them by using operation. I waited eight months going through various examinations a downwards side kick. It didn’t work properly, and he only broke half of until the operation, which removes through keyhole surgery (arthro- them, while the bottom ones stayed intact. He limped off trying to look scopy) the damaged tissue because it won’t actually heal itself. That’s like a winner and sat down out of sight to discover he had fractured some been done a month ago, and I have been limping and putting up with bones in his foot and sprained his ankle. some pain, which is gradually diminishing. I should be fine with that in a couple of months from now, but it was a long wait to get to surgery,

16 during which I couldn’t do much training other than watching (mitori first photos taken by both sides of the family, in the 1920s. geiko). I still can ‘t do anything much until I have healed from the surgery, What I don’t have is any record of what they told about but other than that I am pretty healthy. Hopefully when my turn comes their lives, either before getting together or after marriage. to ‘kick the bucket’ it will be sudden, as with Dad, who died of a heart Scraps only; no relatives left (except cousins) to confirm or attack at 91 or so within a very short time, like 5 or 10 minutes. deny anything.*

*brg* I’ve now been told my knee injury is probably also a Mum was not one to take photos, so there are very few of us when we torn meniscus, so I also face arthroscopy. I hope it doesn’t were kids or even teen-agers. It was me who took photos when we were take eight months before an operation.* older. It would have been great to have early photos, as they help jog memories, but I make do with what comes to mind. I’ve been using the I have no idea what happened to Tirra Lirra or Eva Windisch. All efforts stuff I wrote for Tirra Lirra as a basis to remembering other things from to contact her have come to nothing. I guess she must have lost her job, my childhood, and have amassed a decent-sized MS so far. I don’t know and therefore had no cash to keep the magazine going. But something what to do with this yet, but it will probably turn into something like a else must have happened too, as she had always got the magazine book for the family, with this time photos from our late teenage and early through hard times in the past. twenties period. If I don’t write them down, no one else will, and one day they’ll be gone forever. *brg* I spent my whole childhood obsessed by the sheer 8 September 2009 boredom of our family, and living such a circumscribed suburban life, so I have little desire to resurrect that STEVE JEFFERY existence in fictional form, or even in essays. However, 44 White Way, Kidlington, aspects of that life have left permanent scars, especially Oxon OX5 2XA, England the effort to escape from a very narrow religious Skimming through John Litchen’s piece on skindiving in *brg* 58, the background; and the fact that I loathed sport while phrase ‘homemade spear gun’ stood out. Homemade diving suits I can everybody around me worshipped it. (Football: Melbourne’s deal with, but a homemade spear gun speaks of a whole different order religion of choice.) Teenagehood was better than childhood, in putting trust in your own ingenuity, especially when diving with a but I felt that life didn’t really start for me until I friend. Later in the article it appears it did prove a lifesaver, albeit more discovered fandom, and that remains my other family.* in the form of an improvised grappling hook than a weapon. Fascinating article, and I share John’s dismay at the disappearance of so many exotic I don’t think we ever had a boring moment as kids. We lived in marine fauna and flora forty years on. Williamstown, and always went down to the beach or the yacht clubs or watched boats coming and leaving the port of Melbourne. We went There’s some discussion of anthologies in the letters page, in especially swimming, and later skindiving, but none of us was ever interested in Doug Barbour’s letter. I’ve not read Dreaming Again, but have good sports like football or cricket. We had dancing (my sisters) and music (all memories of the first anthology Dreaming Down Under, and elsewhere of us) — all kinds of stuff like that — so there wasn’t time to get bored. I have Strahan’s and Byrne’s Year’s Best Australian Science Fiction and Maybe we were lucky, as I often see that many people had uninteresting Fantasy, Vol. 1 (1997, HarperCollins) and Hartwell’s and Broderick’s childhoods or terrible childhoods, which would be much worse. Centaurus: The Best of Australian Science Fiction (1999, Tor). Those made me start to look out for stories by Terry Dowling, who wrote one *brg* My mother did save all the family photos, as we asked of the most understated and genuinely scary stories in Ellen Datlow’s her to, and they are a remarkable record, going back to the anthology The Dark (2003, Tor) in ‘One Thing About the Night’.

17 You and Doug also discuss the merits of waiting for the whole of a trilogy Eno and Daniel Lanois’ Apollo to my CD collection (and a CD copy of Miles or quartet to be published before reading it. I haven’t got the self- Davis’ Kind of Blue, which I already have on vinyl because, to be honest, restraint or patience to follow such a policy, and in at least two cases there’s no such thing as too many copies of this 50-year-old classic. (Crowley’s Aegypt and George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice), I (Unless perhaps you get the point of having more than one per room.) would have started to wonder if I would ever get to read the complete work. I had thought Aegypt now complete, although it took some twenty This morning, an abortive search for a copy of Tallis’s gloriously ambitious years to get there, but I’ve hear a rumour of another book. As for Martin’s Spem in Alium. I have no idea why I don’t already have a copy of this. series, given his self-confessed tendency to creatus interuptus (and quite It’s obviously a major oversight. I’m fairly sure I saw a CD with it on in aggressive tone in his blog to readers who express impatience at the one of the charity shops last week, but they’ve turned over their entire increasing gaps between volumes), I am not holding out too much any stock in the intervening period and it’s no longer there. I never learn that hope. if I’m in two minds whether to pick something up or not, I should do it anyway, just in case. Especially when we’re only talking about a quid. I have too many books still waiting to be read. Not that this stopped me picking up Iain Banks’s new novel Transition, even while copies are still Luckily there a link to a performance on Wikipedia to tide me over till I being unpacked from boxes in Borders (the half-price sticker promptly can hit HMV again for the CD of the Magnificat, which appears to be one slapped on it was also a helpful incentive) even though I have still to of the best and most inspired recordings of the piece judging by the read either The Algebraist or Matter. And I’ve lost count of how many reviews. At least I do already have Allegri’s Miserere and Arvo Part’s volumes of Al Reynolds’ ‘Inhibitor’ series I am behind. Fratres and the haunting Cantus in Requiem of Benjamin Britten. 5 September 2009 Truth is, I am reading less and less SF as time goes on. I don’t know why. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it when I get the urge or opportunity. *brg* Lots of favourites here, especially among the classical Partly it’s time. My job is starting more and more to spill into evenings recordings. I will look out for a copy of Spem in Alium in and weekends, even holidays, and I really ought to admit to my boss Melbourne shops. I buy any new Arvo Part recording that I that I have taken on more than I can deal with rather than trying to keep see, except that he has been so prolific in the last twenty up outside working hours. years that I’m never quite sure that I haven’t bought it Since I can’t break my weekly library habit, it also means that books that already.* I pick up there often take precedence, since there’s a (nominal) deadline Good to hear to you have at last a paying gig, something I believe you involved — though often as not most of those can stretch to one or two mentioned in *brg*, even if is a Vast — and presumably time-consuming renewals and can sit around at home for a month or more, while I justify — Project that detracts from fanac. that books I own will always be there for when I get around to reading them. It’s admittedly an odd system of selection, but it sort of works. The Tallis Spem in Alium that so struck me recently was on a Classic FM broadcast last Saturday (29 August) titled ‘The Full Works’, on the theme I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve become a devotee of of complexity and simplicity, along with the Cantus by Arvo Part, Satie’s Stuart Maconie’s BBC 6 (digital radio) show The Freak Zone, where you Gymnopedies, Striggio’s ecce beatam lucem (another 40-part motet, can hear anything from cheesy French film music to folk to UK and Euro possibly inspired by the Tallis), Webern’s Passacaglia and Nancarrow’s prog rock like Gong or PFM, and just about anything in between, all Studies for Player Piano No 6. interspersed with disarming jingles from old BBC Radiophonic workshop recordings. Also expensive on the wallet — or would be had I not still a Normally I don’t tune into Classic FM, which tends towards the unadven- half-used HMV gift card from my birthday. This has recently added Brian turous easy-listening end of the repertoire compared with BBC Radio 3,

18 but this looked interesting enough to stand out. also very funny.*

I had also just been reading To Boulez and Beyond: 20th Century Music LLOYD PENNEY Since The Rite of Spring, a book I picked up ages ago from remainder 1706-24 Eva Rd., Etobicoke, stockist Bibliophile Books (www.bibliophilebooks.com). Given what I’d Ontario M9C 2B2, Canada just read about Webern, and Boulez’ near-apostolic devotion to his serial methodology, the Passacaglia came as something of a surprise, and I’ve got here Scratch Pad 70 on my monitor, and *brg* 58 on paper, and actually quite tuneful. seeing how nearly identical they are, I will comment on both at the same time. Had I put to together a similar themed broadcast I would undoubtedly have included some of the minimalists, such as Reich or Glass, and Jennifer Bryce’s trip to Bogota: I think LAN Airlines flies out of Toronto, perhaps ‘Brutal Ardours’ or ‘Fullness of Wind’ from Eno’s Ambient Music, but to be completely honest, South America seems so dangerous, I don’t where he rescores parts of Pachabel’s Canon in D for a small chamber think I’d want to go. Rio de Janeiro just got the 2016 Olympics, so I get ensemble, but with each part slowing at a different tempo depending on the feeling the whole continent is going to have to clean up its act so that their pitch. (Inspired, I think, by Gavin Byars’ similar treatment of the tourists can go there with some level of confidence. I’d rather go to hymn ‘Abide with Me’ in The Sinking of the Titanic.) Europe and Australia, if I could ever leave the continent I’m on. For some reason, Asia and the Middle East hold no appeal for me at all. I must admit, it’s taken me half a century to learn enough to discriminate between different recordings of the same piece, and I still only have a Same for scuba diving. When I was about 45 years younger, my father handful of recordings of the same piece by different performers. The decided to teach me to swim. He tried to do it by simply throwing me Miserere is one, because it’s still hard to beat the King’s College Choir into a lake. I nearly drowned that day, and one of his friends had to version, and that high floating treble line doesn’t sound the same from rescue me. Since then, I have a healthy fear of the water, and I do not a soprano, as in the version by The Sixteen. It’s still pretty gorgeous, swim. With that in mind, sadly, scuba diving holds no appeal at all. I can though. see a theme here

Interesting you should mention Kaaron Warren, as her new (vampire?) Greetings to Leigh Edmonds. I enjoy small conventions because you get horror novel Slights is just out over here, although unforunately not — to see everyone, but I also like large conventions because there’s such as far as I’ve been able to find — The Grinding House. However, perhaps a variety of things to do. I guess I’m spoiled. Looks like Conflux had the you can answer this one for me. Both Borders and Amazon mention best of both. I find there are lots of conventions that make the mistake another Kaaron Warren title, Woman of Glass, as a story collection. Is of not programming for fans at all, but program as if everyone attending this a retitled edition of The Grinding House? Circumstantial evidence is an author in training. Surprisingly, there’s many conventions who know leads me to suspect it may well be, although nether the book details of very little about fandom as a whole. either retailer, and Warren’s own website does not actually say one way or another. Your tributes to friends past simply remind me of what I used to see in 6 September 2009 File 770 and see regularly, unfortunately, in Ansible: long lists of people in the field, sometimes friends, who have passed away. It’s a faint *brg* I think Woman of Glass is The Grinding House with reminder that we’re all getting older, sometimes at a speed of faster than some extra stories. I’ve just finished, and enjoyed greatly, one second per second. At least, it sure feels that way. Ansible’s list gets Kaaron Warren’s Slights. Hard to put a label on it: it’s a longer each issue, it seems. sort of horror novel without supernatural elements. It’s

19 I wish I could go to Aussiecon 4, but we have our supporting memberships reached the summit. I wondered if I should stop and turn around; there at least, and we’ll be able to vote for the Hugos. I’m sure there’s been wasn’t any funicular (or even a bus), and I’d have to walk entirely back. at least one progress report out. Take care, and see you the next time But I drank my water and continued. The view from the top was wonderful you produce a zine. I’m looking forward to it. — you could see all of Montreal, including the St Lawrence Seaway and 3 October 2009 the Buckminister Fuller geodesic dome on the island in the river where Expo 67 was. But I wonder if the exhilaration of the view doesn’t have CY CHAUVIN something to do with the exertion of the crime! (I was amazed when I 14248 Wilfred, Detroit MI 48213, USA got back to my hotel that I was gone only two and a half hours.)

Thank you for *brg* 58; I wondered that the envelope seemed a little I wish I had kept some kind of diary during my trip, as had Jennifer. I thin, since I was thinking it might be another issue of Steam Engine Time. can remember all the incidents, but can’t put them into sequence. Just But a nice surprise, and interesting nonetheless. the most sketchy of outlines would be a wonderful help.

I always enjoy travelogs, and fan travelogs are more personal and casual Someone else mentioned about drugs planted in innocent tourists’ than those published elsewhere. I don’t think I would ever pick Bogota luggage. It’s not something that would ever have occurred to me. as a travel destination, but Jennifer’s description was interesting. I would have liked to have more description of the tropical flora mentioned in John Litchen’s article about his youthful skindiving was also interesting. passing. What isn’t explained (and seems more important) is the type of I note how he underplayed the incident with the current with his friend seminar or class that Jennifer Byrce was sent to Bogota to lead. Maybe Brian. (I can’t think that anything life-threatening like that happened in this is something that is already known to the members of the apa. It my early life.) I would dearly love to visit some ocean spot like the Crystal seems it must have been important for her to have been sent so far to Pool he mentions, or some tidal pool, to see the wildlife. There are miles conduct it. of wonderful beaches and sand dunes along Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes, but no tides or marine creatures of the variety of the oceans. *brg* As I understand Jenny’s job, she is a music educator One time my brother and I saw a number of large fish pass along the who is sent by the Australian Council of Education beach while we were standing on a high bluff overlooking Lake Michigan Research to provide guidance to countries developing their (it was high enough that we actually saw birds flying below us), an event education systems.* never repeated, although we have returned to that place often. In your lettercol, you mention the scarcity of milk bars. I’ve read of these Her description of climbing to the top of Monserrate reminds me of my before, but now wonder if I really know what these are. There are ice climb to the top of Mt Royal during my recent trip to Montreal. I made it cream shops in the USA offering various types of individual ice cream on impulse when the expedition I planned first fell through, and my dishes and cones, and you can sit down and eat at tables and chairs. knapsack was also much fuller than I needed. Actually, just the city Often, they are open only during the summer, and some have no seating streets leading up to the entrance of the park were quite steep, and I on the inside, just chairs or picnic tables outside. But they don’t typically am used to the flat landscape of Michigan. I didn’t fear from thieves while sell milk or ice cream to take home. walking up the trail in the park, unlike Jennifer, but preferred when I could walk through the woods alone. The steps were made of concrete and crumbling badly in the beginning, but changed to a newer wooden- *brg* The milk bar has traditionally been a suburban and-steel structure about halfway up, when it became nearly vertical! general store providing all those things you wanted one of, An university athletic team of some kind was using part of the stairs for fast, such as milk, bread, newspapers, magazines, sweets, an exercise workout, and I wondered how long it might be before I ice cream, soft drinks, milk shakes and basic groceries.

20 The institution is dying, because people would rather drive Your ‘Endings’ are moving; it’s sad to have missed out on the last few to a supermarket or shopping mall to pick up these items years with such close friends; but a fine thing to have such good than walk a few yards to buy locally. Greensborough, for memories of the best times. We will, many of us, find ourselves facing instance, is a suburb with no milk bars, just several more and more such moments and memories. supermarkets and the Shopping Plaza.* I’m wanting to, because I have thought about it sporadically as I listen, to talk a bit about what I’ve been listening to recently. I think that even Your obituary of Charles N. Brown was interesting; I didn’t know of with your general distaste for jazz, you’d enjoy the massive (7 CDs) this other side you mention, only of that certain grumpy public persona, collection of the complete Duke Ellington Variety, Vocalion, & Okeh Small so it was good of you to write about him. I also didn’t know that he died Group Sessions 1936–1940, some of the finest swing small group (and on the plane returning from Readercon — how very sudden. (I also feel happy) music ever made. It’s so much fun, under many different names a sudden sympathy as well for the people that had sat in the seats around of ‘leaders’ and the players just having a blast. him; what a tragedy to discover.) I’ve been tracking some music via others’ suggestions of things to watch It’s also interesting for you to write of your neighbour, Enid Spry. I’d had on YouTube (I don’t go there unless someone recommends something): the chance to become acquainted with an 87-year-old woman on my there’s an old David Wiffin song ‘Lost My Drivin’ Wheel’, first made block. She walked her little dog when the weather was good, and would famous by Tom Rush, and the brothers who lead Black Crowes did a stop to chat whenever I was outside in the garden. I was amazed when version on their live Brothers of a Feather CD, which is very fine (and it’s she told me her age. She still puts up her hair in curlers. Her husband just a stone brilliant song). had their house built in 1947, I believe. (He is still alive, but housebound.) It is pleasant that she stops, since I’m not by nature outgoing. And then ... I’ve discovered Mary Gauthier (‘Go-shay, y’all’), first because Sharon heard her song ‘I Drink’ on CKUA (which you can actually get on Thanks again for the good read. I hope maybe I can make up some the net; and it is a wonderfully different, independent, station). You can combo apazine from my Stipple-apa contributions to send you some also find her singing some of her work on YouTube, like ‘I Drink’ and time, if only to dispel all the (white) lies I suspect Jeanne Mealy may be ‘Mercy Now’, the latter the title of the CD I first heard). She sings raspily telling you! or talk-sings, with a kind of roots-country-blues backing, and her lyrics 10 October 2009 bite (her background seems to be a street kid, alcoholic, who then took a BA in philosophy, and started writing these songs). She has other CDs DOUG BARBOUR out, and they’re good too. 11655-72nd Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 0B9, Canada I also got hold of the recent Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood: Live from Madison Square Garden two-CD set, good stuff. My brother-in-law Jennifer Bryce, as you say, is an adventurous sort, and Bogota does introduced me to John Mayer’s Continuum (I had heard of him but not sound intriguing through her eyes; more so because she was there to really heard him; this is a good album (for me anyway) to start with); actually do something, not just tour. And then that crazy past of John interesting voice, lyrics, very good guitar. I have just gotten hold of two Litchen: I was 16 that year too, but had no such beaches at hand. I can’t others by him to check out. A friend has connected me to the new Allman remember exactly what I did that summer, but it probably involved some Brothers Band, especially their double CD live set, and it’s good. Duane nice beaches at Lake Winnipeg (very shallow; you had to walk out about Allman now looks the age his voice has always sounded. Susan Tedeschi’s half a kilometre before it was over your head) and great rocks to dive new one is really strong too. Of course, I still listen to a lot of other off at Lake of the Woods. Fun, but no dangers such as those John women singe–songwriters, but seem to be checking out some men lately. mentions in passing.

21 (David Gray can be interesting too; I like most of the songs on Life in but have gotten into some fine SF recently too. I’ve been catching up on Slow Motion.) Kage Baker’s Company novels; she writes well; the stories are full of social comedy, dark humour, and a kind of historical tragic-comic *brg* Lots of familiar names you’ve mentioned. :: I have perspective that carries a surprising weight of emotion. Much the same some good compilations of Duke Ellington’s music, but you can be said of C. J. Cherryh, not least in her Foreigner Universe novels, make that new collection enticing. :: Dave Clarke, my CD the third trilogy of which I read and enjoyed. Then there’s William pusher man at Readings in Carlton, alerted me to Mary Gibson’s Spook Country. Got to this late, which with Gibson these days can be weird, as he is writing about a deeply SF place, as Cory Doctorow Gauthier’s records. Wonderful. But I heard David Gray only says, the hidden recent past, in this case 2006. Softcore thriller plot that because one of his early songs was played on ABC Local turns out to be a rather vast practical joke on certain aspects of corporate Radio. Since then he seems to have conquered the known government, mostly Bush’s US government gone rogue. There’s another universe, or at least the British and Australian bits of it. :: new art to cover, ‘Locative Art’, and Hollis, an ex-rocker trying to become Haven’t spotted the Duane Allman set, but of course I had a journalist, there are some spooks, there is Tito who belongs to a Cuban to buy the CD and the DVD sets of the Clapton–Winwood ‘family’ that has learned deep undercover work, there’s Bigend from the concert. Clapton shows he is still the world’s best electric previous novel Pattern Recognition (do we suspect another trilogy?), blues guitarist, and Winwood is still a great keyboard there’s an old man who was once big in the CIA or something and hates player, but some of Winwood’s vocals are a bit irritating. how it’s being used, and so is playing practical jokes on The Company. ’Little Wing’ is to me the highlight of the set.* It all sort of fits together, and is a fun weird adventure read. But what really counts is Gibson’s wry, sharp ability to articulate our material Have you read Alex Ross’s The Rest Is Noise, his history of classical surround. He remains one of our finest poets of contemporary consumer music in the twentieth century? Well written, and mostly solid (although thing-ness. And a delight to read. a friend is pissed off at how he has left out important women composers, especially recent USAmerican ones). I recommend it anyway (it read I hope that even the rather banal and boring copy-editing keeps going. aloud very well to the friend I read to once a week). And, he is very good (I note that the Australian Central Bank raised its interest rate this past on Janácek, and I especially like chamber music, so now have both week, as if to say Things are getting better here). András Schiff on ECM with a good selection of the piano music on a CD 11 October 2009 titled A Recollection, and the Alban Berg Quartet’s Quartets 1 & 2. Gorgeous, yet sharp, not soft, music. *brg* Thanks also to YVONNE ROUSSEAU and THOMAS BULL for their emails. So to reading. I read quite a lot of fantasy, which I know you don’t like,

22 Ursula Le Guin and Australia

Australia’s connection with Ursula Le Guin and her books begins with the only Philippa Maddern could have been, but for reasons I don’t under- final editions of the first series of Australian Science Fiction Review stand, Pip stopped writing fiction by the early nineties. David Grigg wrote (1966–69). Long before anybody else, John Bangsund, ASFR editor, several fine stories, but gave up in the eighties. Many people did their discovered Ursula Le Guin’s first two books. I don’t know how he made best ever work at that workshop, and stopped writing fiction in the contact with her, but both within and without the letter column of ASFR, seventies. they were soon fast friends, and have remained so. When The Left Hand of Darkness appeared in the Ace Specials edition, with its splendid Leo George Turner was Ursula Le Guin’s most articulate champion during the and Diane Dillon cover, John was the first person to recognise its seventies and eighties. His long essay about The Dispossessed (reprinted qualities, and to spread the word among Australian fans. Le Guin became in SF Commentary 76) is perhaps his best essay about one particular the one American SF writer we all had to read (although the ‘hard SF’ book. The Nova Mob meeting at which he presented that essay as a talk lot, who didn’t have much time for the ASFR approach, were equally was memorable. Peter Darling, John Foyster, among others, had some enthusiastic about their discovery, Larry Niven, especially Ringworld). strong objections to The Dispossessed, which really set George off.

My great Le Guin discovery, apart from the short stories as they appeared My favourite Le Guin books include the first two books of short stories. in the magazines and original fiction anthologies of the early seventies, I found Always Coming Home a slog to read, because it contains nested was A Wizard of Earthsea. This, it seemed to me, was a far more potent short narratives, rather than one continuous story. I did notice that some and visible Utopia than Gethen; I felt immediately I could live there, no of the passages were much better written than anything Ursula Le Guin matter what happened to Ged. The Tombs of Atuan seemed very strange had published before — with the result that the books that followed, and dark to me, but my friend Rick Brewster, who disliked almost all the especially the non-SF collection Searoad seemed better written than other SF I shoved at him, thought it a very good book indeed. anything she had published before. Likewise, Tehanu was a quite different book than the earlier ‘Earthsea’ books: an intense study of The Farthest Shore, several years later, remains, to me, the finest interpersonal conflict and resolution, with almost no adventure element. fantasy novel I’ve ever read (except for Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Gifts, by comparison, could have been written in the 1970s, although it Looking-Glass, of course). It takes the reader into the land of death, and has a very interesting fantasy idea, unfortunately not pursued in Voices back again, in a convincing way that transcends all the trivial horror and Powers. novels of later years. If anyone had asked me what my religion was during the 1970s, I might In 1970, John Bangsund stopped publishing ASFR, but he kept in touch have said I was a ‘LeGuinist’, whereas she herself would make no other with Ursula. He urged us to ask her to become our Pro Guest of Honour claims than to be influenced by Taoism. Still, Le Guin, both as person at Aussiecon 1. She nearly backed out, as I’m sure you’ve read, but Robin and author, has always given off an aura that goes beyond the literary. Johnson (Chair of Aussiecon) persuaded her to turn up by promising her She remains one of a small number of writers whose books I buy a week’s writers’ workshop two weeks before Aussiecon. It was that automatically; one of the few I can re-read with pleasure. The fact that workshop, and the force of her personality, that for a time made many she exists and keeps writing is one of the reasons I remain interested in budding Australian writers want to become the next Le Guin. Perhaps SF.