Friday 12th December 2014

I’m afraid I’ve been remiss and invisible for some while. In fact I addressed a mass rally of Dainty Lady TV viewers on Tuesday, the terror of which wracked me for days. My subject was ‘What to do if the Queen arrives unexpectedly for Christmas.’ Barry Norman also spoke. Genevieve Suzy, who was present at the Rally, blanked my contribution so presumably there was something wrong with it but I don’t know what.

One must try to battle on. Yesterday, some middle-class people as a choir were singing in the atrium of the British Library and without warning Christmas began for me. Lilting, melancholy and long ago. Christmas is always in the past but Easter is thunderingly in the present. The glaring terror of the Resurrection. They were singing a piece which was familiar. I found out later it was ‘Adieux des Bergers a la famille sacre’ or ‘The Shepherds’ Farewell to the Holy Family’ from L’Enfance de Christ by Berlioz. Berlioz is one my blanked-out composers despite sitting through an entire Les Troyens. I’ve just not been overwhelmed. But now I am. ‘Adieux des Bergers’ at once has shaped Christmas 2014 for me without warning. It’s solemn, sentimental, very faintly discordant, wistful, sad and lovely.

How Chekhov made mayonnaise will have to wait. Another theme has struck. Years ago one struggled so mightily to have an important run-up to Christmas. Now I see that engagements have flooded in. One has been used last minute. Just as ‘Adieux des Bergers’ sprang from nowhere, so I find that a glittering garland of outstanding pre-Christmas events has occurred round my neck. Come back later to see the glory that has been and is to come.