When Stephen Sondheim died last November, it was revealed that throughout his career the great songwriter had written copious responses to his fans’ letters. Twitter was briefly awash with heart-warming examples of his gracious thanks and detailed answers – there’s even an Instagram account dedicated to them.
But what sort of wide-eyed geek actually writes to a famous musician? Well, me, for starters – the 17-year-old version at least, on a high from being released from school into the cultural wonderland of London. A visit to Wigmore Hall to see cellist Steven Isserlis left me reeling and pre-internet I must have had to go to the local library to find the British & International Music Yearbook to hunt down his agent’s address. I don’t remember what I wrote – no doubt it was fervent and profoundly uncynical – but there came an answer of several generous pages (now lost in the muddle of my storage).
This story is from the September 2022 edition of BBC Music Magazine.
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This story is from the September 2022 edition of BBC Music Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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