Post 466. THE PIANO

ON TELEVISION.

DID YOU SEE IT?
It was a Love Production for Channel 4, presented by Claudia Winkleman, and 'a must' for any lover of the piano like me, a non player, whose childhood piano lessons got as far as Drink To Me Only with both hands before the discovery that I was reading the music from the numbers printed on the notes, rather than on their position on the score, brought an abrupt end to my tuition. Nobody had mentioned that the numbers were only a basic beginner's guide, I can still start DTMO with both hands, but probably not finish it. Bit like the lessons really. Ah well.
Back to The Piano.
 Amateur pianists were invited to play pianos sited on railway station platforms at St. Pancras in London, at Leeds, at Glasgow. and in Birmingham. Unbeknown to them they were being watched by the renowned performers Lang Lang and Mika who invited all of them to be spectators at a special concert to take place in the Royal Festival Hall, and who chose one of them from each group to play at the concert.
The chosen four were: Jay (25) from the Isle of Wight (winner at St. Pancras), Lucy (13) from West Yorkshire (winner at Leeds), Sean (27) from Edinburgh (winner at Glasgow), and Danny (26) from Manchester (winner at Birmingham). All were delighted to be chosen.
As is always the case in television, some dickhead in power insisted there be a winner because that's what the public wants/needs/expects.
So, come the performance, the ultimate accolade was given to  Lucy, whose performance of a Debussy Arabesque was beautiful, touching, and entirely worthy of the standing ovation she was given at its conclusion. Lucy is blind and neurodivergent, and everybody loved her.
But every one of the chosen finalists was a winner.
Did you see it? If you are in any way a piano lover it really was the best reality television so far this year. A welcome change from cooks, twaddle talkers, and junk dealers, too.
Well done all concerned.
BUT HERE THEY GO AGAIN.

THE STUDIED COMPLAINANTS.
Other than condoning change for the sake of it, why would any English speaking person heed the latest problematizing of our language, Oxfam's Inclusive Language Guide? 
Oxfam staff are apparently being urged to amend what we dinosaurs used to think of as 'plain English' (e.g. mother and father are out, parent is in). For what misbegotten reason?
Don't ask me. Ask Oxfam or any other of the studied complainants. They will find an abundance of reasons: anything from colonialism to disablism to  racism to sexism (not forgetting - never forgetting - anti Semitism). Give 'em the nod and they'll all moan together. It's a mad world.
And I've probably offended enough people for now.
Back before the month is out.