Herald's Office Hours (9) The Herald and a Deputy meet Mr John Smith

[Martha Villiers]

Martha listened. Attentive and watchful as always. Smiling gently she too sipped at her lemonade. Nodding once more. "Well, I see you are very skilled, sir! Yet...how can I make best use of your skills if you won't comply with my request to disclose the range of your Powers of the Blood? Keeping a secret from me, sir, is akin to refusing to disclose knowledge to His Grace, the Alder Prince. Would you deny that knowledge to the Prince?" she blinks, perplexed, but still friendly, she even giggles at the situation,almost amused by John's temerity; "I hope you can trust me, sir! I shan't use the knowledge to put you at a disadvantage. Rather, to your advantage...to be best deploy you where your skills can be used correctly!" A sweet and innocent smile follows. Though she remains attentive to signs of threat or violence. "If you fear eavesdropping...you may write them down...I shall keep that knowledge safe and then destroy the paper! How does that sound, sir?" she smiles and with one hand begins to get a small notepad and ballpoint pen from the inside pocket of her school blazer.

[Martha Villiers]

Tiny Martha makes no sudden movements and accepts the notepad back with a grateful nod. "Thank you, sir! I have no intention of fuelling any paranoia! Far from it, sir!" she makes a show of gratefully reading the note pad, peering at the information through her spectacles which she has gently eased to the tip of her nose. Smiling and still friendly, Martha neatly rips the page from the notebook and tears it into four before tucking the bits into her pocket.

"I shall burn it later, sir! I didn't wish to brandish a lighter at the moment for fear of causing an unpleasant shock!" a happy giggle as she pats the pocket to show her good intentions. Martha seems fully sincere.

Eager to bring a lighter mood, she asks cheerfully; "Is there anything you wish to ask me, sir?"

[Martha Villiers]

At the mention of music Martha brightens and nods. "I see! How splendid! Well, that sounds a most excellent endeavor, sir! I wonder...would you wish me to play something for you? Something that you feel might expand your musical knowledge? I cannot claim to have a comprehensive knowledge of all music...but if you are curious about a musical piece or style, I might be able to help explore that with you! I am always eager to discuss music with people!" she chirps eagerly and merrily. Getting her cane ready to help her stand, using it briefly to point towards the piano.

[Martha Villiers]

"How simply splendid! Thank you! Please do follow me, sir!" To judge by her smile, Martha appears delighted at this. Nodding cheerfully, she uses her cane to stand and hobbles and skips limpingly and playfully over to the piano.

Once she has sat, rested her cane at her side and smoothed out any creases from her gymslip, tiny Martha smiles and, as one hand lifts the cover to the keyboard, the other gently invites John to come closer. With a smile she rests her hands in her lap.

With another happy giggle, she begins a small lecture; "I think...perhaps...any musical education of Western music should always encompass the work of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach, as you may know, died in 1750...a sufferer of diabetes. Now...if you will indulge me, I shall mention Bach in a little more detail. Johann Bach is, it goes perhaps without saying, one of the corner-stones of Western music...many greater minds than mine claim he is the finest of all composers! He is certainly influential! Bach's use of detailed chord structures...robust and carefully thought through construction of melody...the sheer energy of his work! All of these qualities are outstanding. His reputation and prestige, which had declined since his death, was greatly restored in the late 19th century and remains pure today. Probably now never to diminish."

And here she offers John another happy smile, "It is now, Mr Smith, that I must mention Tomaso Albinoni. A contemporary of Bach. Albinoni died in 1751. Bach greatly respected Tomaso. In fact...Bach borrowed heavily on work composed by Albinoni for some of the pieces written to help educate his, Bach's that is, pupils in the art of concerto composition! Albinoni these days, sir, appears to be known solely for his Adagio in G." a smile is offered, "Sadly, I knew not of that piece when I was a girl. Why? Not because my knowledge is imperfect, sir...which it is, of course...yet rather that it's attribution to Albinoni is entirely bogus. Though a most beautiful and remarkable piece, it was written in 1945 - borrowing a theme from Albinoni incorporating themes and motifs much used by him in his actual compositions!" she laughs cheerily, clearly amused by the fraud, "I add at this point, sir, that Albinoni's life may interest you in one other way..." she readies her hands to play, "For a variety of reasons, in 1722, Albinoni made a visit to the German Court in Munch at the invitation of the Crown-Prince. Upon arrival he was immediately accused of being an imposter! Was he really Albinoni?" a playfully shocked giggle and expression emphasize her retelling, "Obviously confused and appalled, Albinoni protested. To no avail! The court were convinced: he must be an imposter! How dare he! He looked nothing like Albinoni! After all, had not Albinoni not entertained Court with lavish concerts for the last month before making his way to Rostock not two weeks earlier? Laden, they recalled dismally, with huge sums of money earned from these concerts!" she emphasizes her question with a theatrically quizzical shrug and gesture of query. Another cheery smile soon follows, "Eventually Albinoni convinced the Court if his true identity. The city was soon alive with the happy news that the real Albinoni had arrived and the rest of the visit to Munich passed with much success. With this in mind, sir...I shall now try to play you BWV 950 and BWV 951. Fugues by Johann Sebastian Bach...based on themes from the much abused, and real, Tomaso Albinoni..."

(What Martha plays for John - http://youtu.be/pU_tiVS06ao and http://youtu.be/aQjF0TNsDCk )

As the last of the notes die away, Martha rests her hands in her lap, becoming motionless and quiet, head bowed...as if in a mark of respect to the composers.

[Martha Villiers]

Martha, her hands remaining neatly folded in her lap, smiles and nods with humble thanks to John. "Thank you, sir! You are very welcome, Mr Smith!" a happy smile, "I do hope you will feel free to visit again if you wish to speak of the Arts...or, indeed, any other matters that interest you!" another sincere and friendly cheery smile.