Matron Bollard knew

[ted]

A rather vigorous one from a couple of years ago.

[quantum]

This had me thinking of Rachmaninoff, the way layers of cascading patterns weaved together.  What did Matron Bollard find out near the end of the piece? It was something very peculiar indeed.

I've listened several times, and it is as though the music calls upon one to discover what the title character knew.  It also has me wondering who Matron Bollard is. 

[ted]

This had me thinking of Rachmaninoff, the way layers of cascading patterns weaved together.  What did Matron Bollard find out near the end of the piece? It was something very peculiar indeed.

I've listened several times, and it is as though the music calls upon one to discover what the title character knew.  It also has me wondering who Matron Bollard is.

Thanks for listening Neil. Yes, the title is based on a very peculiar incident, but quite unconnected with the musical content I'm afraid. After my mother's funeral in 1989 we invited those who attended around for food and drinks at our place. Among them were three old family friends, Mr Hutchinson, Mr Baker and Miss Bollard. Each of these people, who were not friends with one another, independently took me aside into another room or the garden and told me exactly the same thing, that it was most important I didn't neglect my music for mathematics and computing because I would regret it later in life.

A couple of years ago, when I was scratching for titles to remember improvisations by, I remembered the occasion and termed a triptych "Mr Hutchinson knew", "Mr Baker knew" and "Miss Bollard knew". It was one of those striking "synchronicity" events Jung talks about, where the mind gropes with reason and wants to ascribe a mystical explanation.

Miss Bollard rose in her profession to become matron of the largest hospital in the country, although she was very modest about it.

[quantum]

It is a wonderful story, Ted. Thank you for sharing it.  I am certainly glad that you have persisted with your music.  The narrative is quite fitting to the music, I think.