One of SSW’s regular activities is our classical music session, which takes place the last Wednesday afternoon of the month from 2–4pm. The event is hosted by volunteer Tony Meggitt, and is open to anyone with a visual impairment.
Here we meet Tony and ask him a few questions about his love of classical music.
How did you get into music in the first place, Tony?
When I was a teenager, I would listen to LPs, and whilst my brother was into the Elvis rock genre at that age, I chose to listen to Tchaikovsky, which got me hooked on piano music. One LP led to another; I discovered a love of opera, and my musical tastes grew and grew by introducing composers such as Gilbert and Sullivan, Mozart and Beethoven.
Who are your favourite composers?
Verdi, Wagner, Beethoven and Mozart are amongst some of my favourite composers.
What can our members expect from a classical music session with you?
The classical music sessions are very relaxed and light-hearted, where it really is like a live version of Classic FM (but without the adverts!).
I will introduce the selected music piece, say a little about the composer, or the music, then we listen. After each piece, members are free to comment and express anything they like about the music, then we move on to the next piece. The session is broken down into two sections; first we may have an Overture, Concerto and a piece of Opera. Then we have a tea break, and for the final half we will have some more relaxed music, perhaps a laugh with a humorous piece to bring the session to a happy end.
Tony says that his main aim for the sessions is “to please all of the people, some of the time”, knowing that not everyone will love every piece out there, but he makes sure he has a good mixture to satisfy most tastes!
Thank you Tony!
If you or someone you know would like to join our classical music session, we’d love to see you there. All SSW events are open to the blind and visually impaired, as well as their carers. To book your space or to find out more, give us a call on 01903 235782.
