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Thank you for the music
The late Leonard Bernstein, whose 98th birthday would have been today, conducting Candide Overture from a concert performance of Candide with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, recorded in December 1989.
This performance took place just a few short years before I started the first of many pilgrimages to the Barbican Centre to see the LSO perform. Many faces in the orchestra, some sadly now departed, are familiar to me.
Leonard Bernstein is one of my heroes – an exuberant man brimming over with talent and energy, someone who knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life, and who got on and did it: making music in all its glorious forms.
A rich life truly lived, and an unparalleled contribution made to American music, including some of the 20th century’s most achingly beautiful.
Happy birthday, Maestro.
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Semi-Partisan Politics 
Thank you Samuel for a great tribute to a truly great man. In spite of our political differences (you, a Conservative with a small ‘c’, me, a Socialist with a small ‘s’) I think I’m beginning to fall in love with you! Love all your blogs. Keep up the good work.
PS When do you sleep?
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You are far too kind! Many thanks Heather for the very kind words, I’m glad that my short Bernstein tribute struck a chord with you. Bernstein has been an inspiration to me since I first came to know of him as a young undergraduate at Cambridge – far too much of my student loan was spent buying “Bernstein Century” CDs from the Border’s store in town that year!
I’m very glad you enjoy reading despite our political differences (and it’s little more than a decade since I might have described myself as a man of the Left!). There are many socialists I admire and respect, generally those of the Tony Benn mould, or really anyone who can make a coherent case for their views and who doesn’t compromise on core principles in pursuit of easy votes.
Thanks again – it’s an honour to have you as a regular reader. All the best – Sam.
Oh, and sleeping is an awkward necessity which I tend to squeeze in whenever the opportunity arises. During the EU referendum campaign I was down to about 4 hours a night – now is not so bad!
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