What a traumatic night. Not that I ever imagined that sleeping in the woodshed in the orchard would ever be a breeze. Although there was a breeze. Went right down my back. Very uncomfortable.
But around 11 pm I heard a mystical noise coming from outside. Narrowing it down, I realised it was something with Hnaef's voice, singing Thomas Hardy's poem "To Lizbie Brown". It then started rooting around in the woodshed and, in my sleep-befuddled state, I assumed it must be one of the Pope's legion of robots, come to take me away to the Ordinariate.
In the circumstances, what else could I do? Naturally I kicked the robot in the shins. Switching on the genuine authentic candle-effect LED tea light which the Archdruid had issued me for lighting in inflammable situations, I found Hnaef laying on the floor, clutching his knees, surrounded by the logs which Mrs Hnaef had ordered him to collect (Hnaef having once again forgotten during the day time, and only now returned from the White Horse).
But I am full of angst. For even now I am awake, and have eased the wrinkles and creases out of my muscles, I cannot be sure that Hnaef was not really a robot. And, now I think of it, I'm not totally sure I am not one myself. For surely if the Pope's legions of robots had removed the real me, and left in my place an identical robot, onto which it had played all my memories: how would I know?
I think I may sit here in the woodshed a little longer. This will require some thinking.
For those who wish to know what Hnaef sounded like, albeit he didn't look like this and he didn't have a piano:
Ghastly song, lovely voice. If Hnaef really sounds like that, you should be hiring him out to the highest bidder, not kicking his poor shins.
ReplyDeletecymraeg's comment notwithstanding, I think it is a great song - I love Finzi along with Butterworth, Vaughan Williams et al. To me they are the musical equivalent of Thomas Hardy and A. E. Houseman. I slightly prefer this version.
ReplyDeleteRevsimmy Yes I do agree the Joel Brandon version is more sensitively sung, however, much as I love Vaughan Williams I do not share your taste for either Gerald Finzi or Butterworth.
ReplyDeleteHerasy I know, but I also find Hardy terminally depressing.
Revsimmy Yes I do agree the Joel Brandon version is more sensitively sung, however, much as I love Vaughan Williams I do not share your taste for either Gerald Finzi or Butterworth.
ReplyDeleteHerasy I know, but I also find Hardy terminally depressing.
I love the Finzi settings of Hardy poems. I have the LP with John Carol Case singing Earth and Air and Rain accompanied by Howard Ferguson.
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