Making Music at Toton

Last time I went to Toton bank I didn’t see anything new. This time, I thought I’d give mid-week a go instead of the previous weekend trips, which proved to be a good move. I’d not seen any Class 92s at Toton before, but here was 92011 sticking its head out of the depot and mostly hidden by other locos. Turns out it is called Handel. Two days later we are at the Minster in Southwell for a midweek concert performed by musicians from the Minster School. Second up is “Where e’re you walk” by Handel, unerringly and movingly sung by one of the youngsters. I have a soft spot for Handel [though certainly not all of it]. Every Christmas, I play sections from the Messiah that particularly appeal to me, including “He shall feed his flock” and “I know that my redeemer liveth”. In all 3 cases, it strikes me that Handel must have been a genius, writing such beautiful, melodic songs 300 years before Paul McCartney. It just seems like its such modern music to me. I know little about classical music [as by now you may have already decided] but I’m not aware of anything remotely as interesting coming before Handel, and yet to say that these songs strike a chord is a massive understatement for me. He must surely have recast the mould. On Wednesday, it carried all the way to the bank overlooking Toton MPD. I also copped 3 sheds.