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The Corfu TrilogyOn Sven’s last day – he was leaving on the evening boat – we held a little farewell lunch party for him and invited Theodore. Delighted at having a new audience, Sven immediately gave Theodore a half-hour recital of Bach on his accordion. ‘Um,’ said Theodore, when Sven had finished, ‘do you, you know, er… know any other tunes?’ ‘Just name it, Doctor,’ said Sven, spreading out his hands expansively. ‘I will play it for you.’ Theodore rocked thoughtfully for a moment on his toes. ‘You don’t by any chance, I suppose, er… happen to know a song called “There Is a Tavern in the Town”?’ he inquired shyly. ‘Of course!’ said Sven and immediately crashed into the opening bars of the song. Theodore sang vigorously, his beard bristling, his eyes bright, and when he had come to the end, Sven, without pause, switched into ‘Clementine.’ Emboldened by Theodore’s Philistine attitude towards Bach, Mother asked Sven whether he could play ‘If I Were a Blackbird’ and ‘The Spinning Wheel Song,’ which he promptly executed in a masterly fashion ...» |
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