High Memories #5 - #6

Thought waves about High started last night. I wrote 4 short stories on the FB group. And the comments opened up new bits of my brain that seemed lost forever. So, here goes.

#5 - Dilip's Guitar

I was chatting with Nondon and trying to find an acoustic guitar which I could use for a non-rock acoustic programme (mine had bitten the dust with a broken neck, though Braganza's said they would fix it). Nondon, without hesitation, said, "Ask Dilip to loan you his". I was taken aback because I feel a musician's connect with his instrument. I expressed this and Nondon, characteristically slow and easy, as though talking to an idiot child said (and I quote), "Dilip has no special connect to material things. Guitars are things". In our little selfish world I had not experienced this feeling. I zipped over to Dilip's on my bicycle and asked. All he said was, "There it is, take it. When will you bring it back?" Overwhelming. I think I just took more care of it for that one show than I have taken care of much of my other equipment. What a flashback.

#6 - Dilip's Vocal Advice

I recall when I was given the job of backing vocals on Land of Mordor and some of the other Tolkien material that Dilip had written. Being a good learner, I quickly picked up the harmonies and started belting them out to the best of my ability. Dilip put down his guitar, came over to me and said, very softly, "This is not the church choir. You don't have to sing with gusto. You don't have to hold the notes till the next line". Somewhere in between sounding like a staccato typewriter and the church choir, I think I got it right. Those lines still stick in my head as does the music of the Tolkien suite. (Aside: one of Dilip's ambitions was to be on stage with Tejan. Another secret hope was that he would be able to act as Gollum ...)