If Music is the Food of Love, Play On... - Berni B: Full Life Celebrant

Despite my varied but relatively limited artistic talents, a propensity to any type of musical skill has always evaded me. From simply remembering songs/tunes/writers/performers through to singing or playing any musical instrument.

I was the only child in junior school, where choir was compulsory, to be told I could mime the words. Something that had a profound effect on me throughout adolescence and adulthood until recently . I was always embarrassed to sing and would always mime. Now I blast it out and to hell with it. Everyone is entitled to sing , whether they are in tune or not, its good for the soul.

i think about this a lot these days. Having been engulfed in music and musical initiatives since arriving in Llanwrtyd. I am in awe of anyone who can sing or play an instrument. I even have trouble keeping rhythm with a triangle. Which, incidentally, was all I was allowed to play in music lessons in high school with Mr Rooke. Music lessons were agony.

Llanwrtyd Wells is the Brecknockshire constituency home of the Monster Raving loony Party. Screaming Lord Sutch had a thing for constituency offices in pubs . In Brecknockshire its The Neuadd Arms Hotel, in Radnorshire its The Fountain Inn, Llandrindod.

behind the bar of Neuadd Arms - proof that this is the official HQ of MRLP — behind the bar of Neuadd Arms – proof that this is the official HQ of MRLP

So 70s rock and eccentricity have a long history in LW. Little surprise the idea of a Loony Party Music Festival finally fell out of the minds of some of the LW-afflicted visitors and residents. Screaming Lord Sutch played his last ever gig in the Neuadd Arms before committing suicide 16th June 1999 and there is a memorial on the wall in his recognition.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — plaque outside Neuadd Arms in memory of Screaming Lord Sutch

In honour of this link and in recognition of my general pinkness, I joined the Loony Party – my alter ego “Lady Lily of the Pink” occasionally surfaces for events and parties

so much musical talent surrounds me. My son, Jason plays in a rock band -actually, several rock bands and his first band, Lindsays Shirt were the youngest band ever to be invited to Brecon Fringe. There is constant music practice in my house and I love it.

John strums guitar too and can sing. In fact for our 10th anniversary he surprised me (just a bit) by having had written – from his notes and by another musical friend of ours, Ian Harvey – a song , just for me, about us. not only did he have it written, he went into the studio and recorded it, had it produced and presented my with the CD. So that explains the CD image from my last blog.