Saturday 8 March 2008

Putting A Foot In It


Breadbox has admitted to playing the trombone
which reminded me of an unfortunate event at a school concert.

MissM went to a Junior School
where music was taken very seriously
and the concerts were large and impressive.
One teacher, who was an inspiring trombone player,
had gathered together a group of young protégés.
At this particular Gala Concert
there were six trombonists on stage
and the youngest was a talented 9 year old.

There was a hush and they started the complex piece of music.

The youngest was also the smallest
and as he lowered the trombone
it got irretrievably tangled up in his shoelaces.

There was a horrified murmur in the hall

He was a quick witted lad
and realised that in order to play the trombone
he could either bend over
or
lift up his foot
when the slide went up.

He decided to lift up his foot in time to the music.
The teacher and the other five trombonists
were absorbed in their music
but the audience were gripped with a horrified fascination
as this little boy played on
with his shoe and foot firmly attached to the trombone slide.

And then somebody in the front row began to laugh
in that strangulated, choking, infectious way
and before long the whole audience was consumed.
I can still remember feeling quite ill with suppressed laughter.


The Head of Music looked up from the Piano
and saw what had happened
and rushed onto the stage and knelt there
untying the shoelace from the trombone.

And all the time
the other five trombonists
and the talented teacher played on.

They are a hardy lot, trombonists.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is a laugh out loud story. I can feel the suppressed laughter. Good for that little guy!

blackbird said...

That's some story.

Middle plays next to a trombonist.
She has very long blond hair and I am always amazed that she chose trombone.

Mary said...

I've commented on this before (maybe not here) but it is that guilty (trying not to laugh in church type ) laughter that is my favourite kind.

You described it so well!

BreadBox said...

Oh, my! What a lovely story:-)

I can imagine having to do that....

N.

Anonymous said...

I wish I had been there. I'm a sucker for laughing when I really shouldn't.

Anonymous said...

Poor little guy, faced with two choices, both leading to humiliation!