The Paternal Optimist

The Boy Wonder Live !!

Or perhaps that should be "The Boy Wonder Lives !!"

Or "The Paternal Optimist Lives !!", for that matter.

Whatever, this blog is resurrected, at least temporarily, in order to bring you something which will no doubt one day be considered of enormous historical significance : a recording of the BW performing Gerald Finzi's beautiful Eclogue (a movement from the Piano Concerto he never wrote) at the legendary St John's, Smith Square, in front of a large audience, many of whom were parents or grandparents of those performing, but many of whom were not.

As you will hear, he played with the delicate touch and maturity that makes the PO such a proud father. Just be patient when it starts - it actually begins about ten seconds in. Oh, and any deficiencies in recording  quality are entirely the fault of the PO.

Christmas Cracker

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the PO...

THIS !!!

Happy Christmas and Very Good Elf to you all !!

Status Update

The Paternal Optimist is unwell. Or, by the time you read this, in Singapore. Or Hong Kong. If he is no longer unwell, that is. In which case, he's shivering beneath his duvet in Geneva. Either way, he is unable to post to this blog from home for the time being, as his PC is dead.

None of which are reasons not to send HUGE congratulations to Button on her outstanding Grade VII violin result (140), and slightly smaller congratulations to the BW for scoring 100% in both his end of term Latin and Greek tests.

Now, back to bed.

Gorgeous

Click on the image for the full mind-blowing effect.

The Boy Wonder And Mr Hyde

So, it's Sunday evening and all across the land people are preparing themselves for the return to the humdrum routine that Monday morning will bring...

Well, some people are.

Not the Boy Wonder, though.

Oh, no. Marooned as he is, half way through a break now so long that not even Hogwarts dares refer to it as "Half Term" anymore, preferring instead to call it the "Michaelmas Holiday", it is doubtful whether the BW even realises that tomorrow will be a Monday. To him, every day truly is like Sunday.

Not that the PO begrudges him his rest, you understand. After all, only a complete fool could have spent last weekend in the company of the BW and not realised that the poor boy was exhausted, wiped out, knackered.

Which is understandable, given the intensity of his life during term-time : school six days a week; regular orchestra practices and other musical activities; prep - LOTS of prep; late nights up playing on the Playstation. And to be fair to the lad, he's come up with the goods and delivered everything that's been asked of him, as his latest report confirms.

Or does it ???

Well, OK, yes it does. After all, it would be churlish indeed not to give praise to a boy who has earned himself a 7 CD report (11 minus 4, as the number of subjects reported has risen to 15 this year - see here for a reminder of the rules), featuring no fewer than four 1As (Maths, Latin, Music, and - for the first time - Art) and two 1Bs (Greek and Chemistry), and which
features many, many words of commendation. It is, as we have come to expect from the BW an outstanding report.

But - and more sensitive readers will long ago have guessed that there was a "but" - what this report does not do is bring us any closer to understanding the riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma that is the Boy Wonder.

Take the following comments from various of the Hogwarts Dedicated Professionals entrusted with the responsibility of filling his head with useful stuff :

Biology : Very good in class, keen to contribute.

English : An impressive public speaker, a fluent reader and an effective contributor in class discussion.

History : A thoughtful member of the set, and contributes ably to discussion.

RS : Enjoys contributing to class discussion.

Now compare those observations, noting, of course, the recurrent theme that runs through them, with this comment :

Greek : Working with his usual quiet confidence, but beginning to participate more in class now.

And finally, attempt to reconcile them with the following :

French : Remains a shy pupil. Must try to participate more in class.

Now, it may be, of course, that to Hogwarts DPs the words contribute and participate mean two completely different things. (And, technically, they do. But that's not the point.) Or it may be that the BW, being a humble, modest sort of fellow, is deliberately holding back in French and Greek so as not to hog the limelight and give the other chaps an opportunity to shine.

Or it may just be that, as he walks into the classroom for certain subjects he transforms into a lion, while for others he becomes a mouse...

Curiouser and curiouser.

The Boy Wonder Travels In Style

The PO spent an hour this afternoon with a very nice man from the Human Resources department of the company that, amongst other things, puts food on his plate and pays to keep the BW at Hogwarts, discussing the terms of the PO's imminent expatriation to the Far East.  The deal on offer was a standard one, though no less satisfactory for that. However, putting his interpersonal skills to good use, the PO did manage to negotiate one special, additional benefit not generally included in the standard package : a return air ticket from London to Singapore, Business Class, every year for the duration of his stay, in the name of the Boy Wonder.

My Family And Other Animals

If you're a regular reader here, you probably think that the PO's world revolves around the Boy Wonder. And you'd be right.

There are, nevertheless, moments when it only seems right to shift the spotlight, albeit briefly, away from the Wondrous One (most of whose time is currently being spent, it seems, in rescuing damsons [sic] in distress and poking sticks at sheep lying on their backs to see whether they're dead or just gazing at the clouds) and towards some of the only marginally less wondrous characters that people the PO's world.

Like the Lovebirds, for example, who have recently moved into a compact and bijou house in idyllic Carshalton, situated in the Wandle valley, a full ten miles south-south-west of Charing Cross. Carshalton was listed amongst the assets of Geoffrey de Mandeville in the Domesday Book under the name Aulton, and, having visited the Lovebirds there last weekend, the PO can confirm that very little has changed since the following description was written :

"[...] There is a church; and 7 slaves; and 12 acres of meadow. [...] In demesne there is one plough; and (there are) 3 villens and one cottar with three ploughs; and a mill worth 35 shillings; and 3 slaves; and 10 acres of meadow. Wood worth 2 hogs. The land is for two ploughs. In the time of king Edward it was worth 4 pounds, and afterwards 40s, and now 110 shillings. Of the same hides a certain smith of the King’s has half a hide, which in the time of king Edward he received with his wife, but he has never done any service for it."

Then there are the Guitar Hero and his Songstress. You may remember that earlier this year the PO reported the exciting news that one of the songs by their band, Headlights, had been used on the soundtrack of an episode of hit TV show Grey's Anatomy (unfortunately the link to the video no longer works). Well, this Monday night, the PO was sitting in his armchair here in Switzerland, watching Grey's Anatomy when - lo and behold! - the unmistakable sound of the Songstress' heavenly voice began to float across the room.

Unable to contain his excitement, the PO immediately called his Favourite Aunt, who gave him a breathless update on everything Our American Cousins are up to (and, in passing, extended an invitation from the Medic to her graduation ceremony, which if the PO's calculations are correct, will take place two years from now), including two very exciting pieces of news about Headlights:

• First, the band's first album is out now and available here (the PO's copy, which would appear to have been the last copy left at Amazon UK, is already winging its way to Geneva now); and
• Second, the band will be on tour in Europe early next year - meaning that, with a bit of luck, the PO will get to see them perform live in some mega-stadium in Germany before he emigrates to sultrier climes at the end of February.

Exciting times indeed.

Corrigendum

Mrs MOP would like it to be known that she did not attend the Footlights show with Young Mr H and the Boy Wonder last Friday. Moreover, she has a first-class alibi - she was "partying the night away at a friend's 50th in Kensington Place" - which Mr MOP, apparently, is more than ready to corroborate.

The PO therefore deduces that it was the Mother Superior who chortled at the Niceties proposed by those people from The Other Place.

As to the traffic-directing, Babycham-chugging, quad-biking high jinks indulged in by Young Ms H and her sidekick Orange following the inauguration (sic) of the vicar, the PO prefers to draw a discreet veil over them.

Niceties

The PO suspects there must be times when visitors here wonder whether this site was not created with the sole and unique purpose of spreading misinformation - not to say disinformation - regarding the activities of the Boy Wonder. What can the PO say or do, other than adopt a cowering, cowardly pose and stammer from behind trembling hands raised to protect his tear-drenched face ?

"P-p-p-please.... p-please, d-d-don't sh-sh-sh-oot the m-m-m-mess-ss-enger!!"

You see, a news service can only ever be as good as its sources. And every once in a while the PO's primary source can be, well, a touch on the unreliable side.

Which explains the following corrections :

• The BW will not, in fact, be rowing over the next two terms, although he is planning to lodge an appeal against his non-retention by the rowing selectors.
• Nor will the BW be playing the solo part in a concert performance of a Mozart piano concerto at Hogwarts on November 23rd
• In fact, on November 23rd he will be participating in a Mozart piano concerto masterclass with Jeremy Menuhin
• The concert performance of the Mozart will take place "er, some time in March, I think"

Naturally, all of the above remains subject to confirmation, modification, cancellation, repudiation and general ridicule.

In the meantime, just about the only thing of which the PO can be certain is that the BW accompanied Mrs MOP and Young Mr Hoskins on Friday night to an evening featuring the "square and squeaky sketches" of this year's Cambridge Footlights. Among the sketches that caught the BW's imagination were one involving Andy Murray and Tim Henman, and another making fun of the "sad people that go on forums on the web" (a category which the PO would like to stress clearly does NOT include bloggers, who are not sad at all).

When asked whether he might be interested in doing something similar one day, the BW replied "Yes, maybe. I kind of prefer that kind of subtle humour."

Subtle humour ? Sounds like the PO had better pull his socks up.

Return Of The Boy Wonder

So, the Boy Wonder is back.

Or rather, the Paternal Optimist is back. You may not have noticed that he was ever away, but he was - doing manly things, like getting massages, writing poetry and going to the opera.

As for the Boy Wonder, he's not so much back as - Back At School !

Yes, hard though it may be to believe, given that the sun is still shining, the leaves are still on the trees, and the cricket season is not yet over, Hogwarts pupils have been back, hard at it, working on their readin', 'ritin' 'n' 'rith'm'atick' [That's enough apostrophes. Ed.] for a week already.

The BW is apparently now in the Third Form, which, he assures the PO, is the Second Division to the Second Form's Conference. Or something like that. In any case, he would appear to have taken the step-up into his ever-lengthening stride, as is his wont.

PO : "So, what have you done this week, then ?"

BW : "Mostly just picked up the books I need for the new year."

PO : "For a whole week ?"

BW : "Hmmm."

He did, when pushed, confess to being slightly thrown by the fact that last year's Latin DP is now teaching him Greek, while her colleague, who last year taught him Greek, is now educating him in the language of Julius Caesar. Or maybe it was the other way round. Anyway, he casually mentioned in passing that they both write the word "commendation" in the same way on his work, so there can't be too much to worry about.

So, apart from the trauma of having different teachers from last year for every subject, it would seem that the new term has started quietly for the BW. He has extra homework, of course - an hour and a half every night, now - which, as he commented wryly, when combined with six o'clock finishes on most days, plus an hour's piano and viola practice (the PO is sure the Mother Superior will verify the accuracy that piece of information), "doesn't leave much personal time".

PO : "Then again, terms at Hogwarts only last six weeks."

BW : "Hmmm."

The other novelty this term is that the BW has taken up rowing. At the trials this week he was not amongst those pupils able to generate the greatest wattage with a few arm-only pulls on the ergometer. But when they were asked to row for a minute, his leg length and famous stamina came into play. As he put it, "Everyone else was puffed, but I felt fine." He'll now be rowing three times a week this term, instead of rugby, which should ensure that those cherubic looks last a little longer (until he starts getting into drunken bar-fights, for example, or gets caught by the horrific St Andrews teenager-creating face morpher).

Finally, a quick update on the musical front...

First, confirmation that the BW's masterclass went exceptionally well - he particularly enjoyed his sessions with up-and-coming Czech pianist, Libor Novacek. A recording of the BW's performance in the end-of-week concert (as predicted, he went for the Schubert impromptu in the end) will be posted here as soon as the PO receives his copy.

Second, the date of the BW's debut as a soloist in a concerto is tentatively confirmed as Thursday November 23rd. He was not entirely sure when he discussed the matter with the PO earlier this evening, but said that the Hogwarts concert programme for this term shows on that day "Mozart concerti" - "That's the posh plural of concerto", he added helpfully - and believes that this includes him. The PO will, of course, provide definitive information just as soon as he has it, so watch this space.