Some exceptional posts here. Janie's & Amergin's to name but two. Deeply personal, deeply moving, creating a plethora of images & emotions.
         Janie, you wrote: "....as you birth more fine music....". Those six words go right to the heart of why I compose. For me, it is almost literally like giving birth to new life, in the hope that one or two pieces might just outlive me & be remembered & performed after I'm gone.
       Some of you know already that Jane was my Step Daughter. When Ann & I decided to marry, Jane & her Sister agreed that 'step' was not a word they liked. To them I was 'Nigel' (Introduced to friends as: 'our Mum's husband') & 'Grandad' as the Grandchildren gradually appeared on the scene. For that reason, I've always referred to Jane & her Sister as my daughters & for all practical purposes, that's just what they are.
       My first Wife, (who I lost to breast cancer) & I were unable to have children, so, as you can imagine, Ann's two daughters were a golden gift, swiftly followed by six, Golden Grandchildren.
         At the risk of sounding maudlin & sentimental, the pieces I write could be construed as my 'Children', which perhaps explains why I wrote: "...one or two pieces might just outlive me & be remembered & performed after I'm gone..."
         I've been wanting to write about this for ages, but my courage failed me. It was an emotional step too far, but, for a multitude of reasons, now feels the right time to reveal a part of my life that has remained unspoken of for too long.
                                    With Love & comforting sense of relief & release,
                                                                      Nigel
                                                                      xxxx