The Penny Whistle Written by Michel Henri


Quote:
I came into this world as a child
I live as a child
l have the thoughts of a child
l will die as a child

WHY!

Because the examples the grownups
set for me as a child
were just to horrendous
for me to learn anything good from.


Michel Henri


The Penny Whistle Written by Michel Henri
All articles by Michel Henri are copyright ©Michel Henri and should not be reproduced without the author's prior written consent.

What a fantastic blow, this man they called ‘the old tramp’ could really
make me sing, he was just the greatest! Mind you, his teeth were a bit rotten
and his breath, let us just say it was bad, very bad. However, the music he
made, well let’s just say; that it was from another world.
I would hear people declare, time and time again; as they dropped money in
his old battered bowler:
‘That’s just far out man! Just far out!’
I was so very proud to be part of this unique happening.
At the end of the day he would stuff me into the side pocket of his old
battered overcoat; and l wouldn’t see the light of day again, till he started to
play again the next morning in the dirty old underpass.
The condition of the places he played made no difference to the old tramp.
The quality of his blowing was always something l looked forward to, he
always gave it the best he could. I was so very proud of him but then with a
flash it was over.
The old tramp suddenly dropped me from his lips and l rolled into the
gutter, the old tramp fell over on top of me dead. I knew he was dead as l
heard his last breath leave his battered old body, it sounded like an
orchestra complete with strings and a cathedral organ. I imagined glorious
angels singing and leading the way for his soul out of the gutter, and into
musical heaven where his spirit belonged.
A short time later people came and took his body away, leaving me by
myself in the gutter, where he had dropped me.
I have no idea how long l was there but eventually a man came by and
picked me up. He cleaned of the muck by spitting on me and rubbing the
dirt of my tin body with a piece of paper. Then he put me into his pocket.
The next thing l remembered was being dropped into a sink and given a
good wash and scrub up. All my cavities were washed out and l felt clean
inside and out. I was like a brand new Penny Whistle, l even smelt first-
class. Then I was placed into a small comfortable compartment next to a
beautiful Oboe: “Oh love at first sight” and then it all went dark.

It was dark for quite a long time, and then the sun came out. Well l
thought it was the sun but it wasn’t really the sun. It was a large flood light
looking down on me from a lighting rig fixed into the roof of the building l was
in. I looked around:
‘It’s ok! Don’t worry!’ said the beautiful Oboe; ‘We are going to rehearse with
the Maestro in about thirty minutes, at the moment all the musicians have
gone to have their coffee and biscuits.’
‘Will they let me play with the orchestra’ l asked excitedly.
‘Well it’s not up to me Penny. I can call you Penny can’t l? As you are a
Penny Whistle aren’t you. And you can call me Oboe.’
‘That’s fantastic! Thank you Oboe, I do hope they let me play, all my life l
have been playing in the gutter. But people have said that l have a great
sound and that l am very good.’
‘I’ll ask Steinway the Grand Piano’ said Oboe kindly:
‘He thinks he is the boss around here.’
‘You are joking! I hope!’ said the grand piano who was listening to the
conversation. ‘I am the boss! And if you think l will be playing for a Penny
Whistle when l cost more than two hundred thousand pounds! And have
played for the Three Tenors, and many great artists including
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Victoria de los Ángeles,
Sergey Prokofiev, Shura Cherkassky, Paul Hindemith, Andrés Segovia,
Benjamin Britten and Francis Poulenc, to name just a few, you better have
another think, what do you say about this Stradivarius?’
The arrogant violin didn’t say very much, all he said was:
‘You a Penny! Me! Three million, English quid’s!’
Then he went on and on about the history of the Stradivarius family. Their
legacy and the intricacies of handmade instruments.
Then there was a rumble of thunder from the back of the orchestra pit, which
rattled the chairs and music stands, then flashed the lights, the three
majestic Timpani’s shouted out:
‘Come on you two give the tin man a chance, you always have it good. Let
the little tin man do his thing, you might even learn a thing or two.’
‘I do not think so!’ said Stradivarius, in his upper class Italian voice:
‘He is made of cheap tin, just a pennies worth!’
‘How awful!’ said the Grand Piano, slamming his key lid down with a bang.
‘What is happening to this business! If you ask me it’s all going down the
drainpipe. It will soon be spoons, and the comb and paper. We have to
make our stand with this kind of riff raff!’
‘Riff! Raff!’ I looked at my little body, l was clean and a smelt lovely.

The Trumpets, Trombones and the all the brass section gave a loud discord
fanfare which filled the hall:
‘We play for the SAS and all the armed forces and we say the little tin man
gets his chance! Therefore, you two, who are always up your own
backsides! Don’t mess with us!’
A crashing sound came from the Cymbals in agreement.
Even the Triangles, Chimes, and Castanets were getting in on the act, for
my acceptance, saying to me:
‘Don’t give up you’ll make it.’ But without much effect as they were drowned
out by the crash of the Cymbals.
I pulled myself up to my full 12 inches and shouted at the top of my voice:
‘Look l don’t want to cause you any trouble, l just wanted to play in the
orchestra that’s all. I have been playing all my life, but unfortunately only in
the gutter, this would be a dream come true for me’
The Grand Piano slamming his key lid up and down again, said nastily,
‘A dream for you, but a nightmare for me!’
‘And me!’ added Stradivarius, plucking his strings.
All the Woodwind Instruments agreed with the acceptance and so did the
Percussion group, making their judgments in favour of the tin man, by
playing the loudest discord in the concert hall that had ever been heard.
All of a sudden all the instruments went quiet, not a sound could be heard
not even a pin drop. It was deadly silent, not a movement, everything was
motionless.
Then after a second or two the pit lights went on and slowly all the
musicians walked into the orchestral pit and made ready to play their
instruments.
The maestro came in last and tapped his baton on his podium, then all the
musicians sat down or took their places ready to play.
Oboe, stood next to me and waited her turn, at the same time l wondered
what was going to happen to me, would they let me play?
Oboe said in a whisper…
“How many times have you fell on your face Penny, and been laughed at by
the human race, don’t worry you’ll make it, stand tall and just take it!”
I looked up at her; she was so beautiful and had such a wonderful voice, l
replied:
“The Grand Piano, what’s his name, Steinway, and that violin Stradivarius
they don’t like me because l’m made of tin, and that goes for their friends
Viola, Cello and Double Bass, but they haven’t heard me play yet”
Then a voice said:
‘Come on you two, it’s time we did our bit. A big hand picked up Oboe then
to my astonishment, another big hand picked me up and walked with me up
the stairs to a place in the middle of the orchestra. Wow! Feeling proud
wasn’t in it, l was placed on my own small stand by the side of the beautiful
Oboe. Me, one minute in the gutter with the old tramp lying on top of me,
now l was on the orchestral stand next to the beautiful and talented Oboe.
The musician tuned up the beautiful Oboe, getting her mouth piece
moist. Then to my astonishment and l think to the aggravation of both
Stradivarius and the Grand Piano, he put down the Oboe and picked me up
and put me to his lips, well l was flabbergasted, thrilled, astonished, shocked,
gob smacked you name it, l was it.
Then after touching me with his lips, he said excitedly:
‘Well this will be a first for me Penny, l only hope l can play you, as fine as
the old tramp did. We are going to accompany ourselves, and the full
orchestra will be our backing band: I wonder what the old tramp would think
about you now?’
I wondered if he would be looking down at me from musical heaven, after all
he taught me all l know.
The maestro tapped his baton on the rostrum to get attention from the
musicians and said:
‘We have a change of order we will be playing number 13 from the big book,
“The Penny Whistle Polka”
The rehearsal audience clapped their hands and the beautiful Oboe
whispered to me…
‘Now you can show them Penny, play with all your heart, and enjoy it.’
The big hand took me carefully and lifted me up to his mouth. I could
see over all the other instruments. Steinberg and Strady didn’t look that
happy! I can tell you, but all the others were with me.
Me! In the middle of the London Classical Orchestra, just unbelievable!
That’s what it was, just unbelievable!.
The big hand held me so gently; l played like l had never played before
remembering all the skills l had been taught by my teacher ‘the old tramp.’
Yes! I could tell he was there with me, looking at me, and egging me on.
We came to the end of the Polka and all the musicians stood up clapping
and cheering. The big hand held me up high in the air and waved me from
right to left. My heart was in my mouth l can tell you, what an experience just
as the big hand put me down by the Oboe; l heard a voice in my tin head
say…
‘Thank you little tin man you didn’t let me down, you made me very proud.’
I just know it was my old tramp up there in music heaven.
All the musicians got up and walked out of the orchestra pit to have
their coffee break, and we were all alone.
The beautiful Oboe was very close to me, she said:
‘Penny you were just fantastic how did you learn to play like that? The only
other time we had such excitement was when Larry Adler played his mouth
organ with us, well done my special friend.’
‘The mouth organ wasn’t English! So there!’ said Steinway and the violin
Stradivarius agreed.
The Timpani’s rumbled loud, and then the Brass section shouted out:
‘It doesn’t matter where you came from you divots! Its how you play the
game, and that little tin man is one of the best, so shut your rattling!’
‘Well! I give you he can play, yes he can play, l give you that, quite good l
suppose’ said Steinway the grand piano.
‘Yes! I agree with Steinway’ said Stradivarius ‘he is quite good, but being
made of tin isn’t what we are looking for, he isn’t in our class, so to speak.’
‘Class! Class! Look who’s talking about class, it was only last week you had
a half naked girlie lying all over you trying to sing, for that Simon Cowell, you
pair of high brow non entities!. We know you are the very best at what you
do, and we are proud to have you in the orchestra. However, the way you
have received the little tin man, well you disgust us all, is that right friends?’
All the instruments gave out with a louder discord than before and they all
joined in, every instrument in the orchestra had a say, the woodwinds, the
strings, the percussions and the harpsichords plus Steinways best friends,
the tubular bells and the concert organ.
I was dumb founded, they actually liked my music, and me, and it was all
thanks to the old tramp who taught me so well.
‘Steinway must have read my mind for he added:
‘It’s not just thanks to the old tramp who taught you, you got guts little tin
man, and l lift my lid to you.’
Stradivarius agreed saying:
‘Sorry tin man l was a bit up my own backside, l pluck my strings to you, and
l am glad l was at your first of many performances with the orchestra.
Please forgive us both, I think we are just too highly strung.’
The whole orchestra gave out with the loudest and purest fanfare they could
play to congratulate the little tin man ‘Penny Whistle’
‘Well you are well on your way now’ said Oboe ‘no going back to the gutter
for you Penny, l think you and l will be bed fellows from now on, you
have won the hearts of all the orchestra’ then she paused for a moment
before saying ‘and me!’
Was l in another world or what?
No instrument in the world could feel as good as me.
All of a sudden the musicians streamed back into the auditorium and started
to collect their prise instruments. I wondered what was going to happen to
me, ‘come on you two’ the big hand picked up Oboe and placed her in the
case, then the hand picked me up and put me in the narrow compartment by
her side, ‘yes a perfect fit, l hope you two like each other because from now
on this will be your new home.’ The it all went dark, I wasn’t afraid l had
Oboe with me, and for the first time in my life l felt safe, l had a family.
Lying next to Oboe l wondered what was to happen next, she must have
Read my mind as she said…
‘Penny we are going to play at the Royal Albert Hall, have you been there?’
‘No Oboe, but the old tramp used to talk about it when he was with drink, he
would say, if only, if only l was still playing at the Albert Hall, he would tell
some of the people who dropped money into his bowler hat, but they would
just agree and say yes, yes, yes, and go on there way, l don’t think they ever
believed he played there.’
‘Well Penny, we are definitely going to play there, so you will be able to live it
all over again just for the old tramp, that will be wonderful. All the other
instruments will be playing just for him, l will arrange it, l promise you, we will
bring him back to life, so to speak. He will not be ancient history anymore,
do you know what his real name was?’
‘No princess l never heard him say, shame it would be excellent to know’
‘Well when we get into the hall, we may be able to fine something out about
who he was. The hall, it’s so full of memories, great musicians, wonderful
people, we may find out. There are quite a few mature broken and worn-out
instruments in the belly of the grand hall, we will see them all, they may be
able to help us.’
A big voice said:
‘Ok, you two, let’s have a look at you shall we.’
Then the lid was opened and the light came in to greet us. The big hand
lifted Oboe out and placed her on a stand by a chair:
‘You know Princess Oboe you are so wonderful to play and your sound is
just fantastic, l hope you like your new friend, the little tin man because l
have decided to keep you both together in the same case, yes, you can look
after each other. You fit perfectly in the case together and in a strange way
you compliment each other. I suppose the muso’s in the orchestra will call
you the odd couple.’
He laughed and the big hand picked me up out of the case.
‘You know little tin man, l am very sorry the old tramp died he always
reminded me of a fellow musician, and l am ashamed to say l didn’t stop and
talk to him. In retrospect l should have. He was a wonderful musician down
on his luck, and l didn’t give him the time of day. That my little friend was so
disrespectful from me, to my fellow man.’
The big hand lifted me up to his lips and he kissed me saying…
‘And boy did he make you sing, you and princess Oboe will be good
together you both make great sounds.’
The big hands gave both of us a good clean and then put us back into our
compartments and then it all went dark again.
‘Penny don’t worry we are now going to the Albert Hall, its so exciting, l
always get excited when l’m going to play, how do you feel?’
‘I don’t know which l’m more excited about, being with you Oboe or going to
take part in the concert with the orchestra, life cannot get much better than
this, can it now?’
‘Penny it can and will, believe me you wait until the audience comes in, the
atmosphere will be electric l promise you. Normally we do our rehearsals
and play at the Wigmore Hall and that’s great, but the Albert Hall is more
exceptional than anything you can imagine, l promise you.’
‘The old tramp told me about places like, The Barbican Centre,
Cadogan Hall, Kings Place, Purcell Room and The Queen Elizabeth Hall he
would talk to himself when he was in drink and reminisce about those
places. Is the Royal Albert Hall that much better than them?’
‘Look, Penny, the Albert Hall the most, and the audiences are the very
best, plus we will have you to top that! Penny, just get ready for a high flying
fast ride, l tell you, with respect to your friend the old tramp, the Big Hand is
going to take you into a new diminution! Just enjoy everything! This is going
to be your new life and we will be together! Forever!’

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 01.04.2010

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