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@dan
It was a bit garbled and I thought I should let his voice speak for me. But I should probably explain a little more..
I always listened to the music, but never really appreciated it and as soon as I had the option to, I opted out of it. Now, my personal taste has mellowed and brought me back to really enjoying it in my own way.
My dad was a remarkable man, coming from a poor east end family, he then moved to Surrey after his parents died, and became a farmer, until deciding to throw it all in at the age of 29 - coming to London to study at the Guildhall. He later received a CBE and also several classical Gramophone awards. He was also the kindest and most supportive person I've had the privilege to know.
He died last year after a long battle with dementia, specifically Lewy Body Disorder - which is a mix of Parkinsons and Alzheimers - and like all kinds of dementia it weakens the mind, and then the immune system and the body.
Following his death I listened to all the recordings of his interviews, and particularly his 1st appearance on the radio 4 show, Desert Island Discs - his recommendations helped me discover a whole realm of music I could never have done without his help, particularly all the German lieder songs - like this recording by Fritz Wunderlicht of Schumann's Dichterlibe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg1jz1H8ex8&feature=fvwrel