However, he mortified me when Dave and I were playing the concerto in my lesson. Ron immediately took great interest in Dave and asked who he studied with and generally made it clear how impressed he was with Dave’s playing. Even more galling was the fact that Dave was actually sight reading the piano second part. I was supposed to be the soloists and had been practicing my part for hours. At the end of the session Mr. Farren Price winked at us telling us to “enjoy” our practicing together. His wink was in vain for nothing happened between Dave and I in spite of being really close.

On the piano performing issue, needless to say a few fluffed notes prevented me from getting through to the finals, although Dave managed to get through the first rung with his performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concert, I believe. He played the second subject of the first movement like no one else ever has or is ever likely to. My concerto was Schumann’s the second and third movements, which of course had special significance for me thereafter. After hours of strengthening the fingers, my digits became quite fat and muscular, the feeling of exhilaration as my fingers seemed to take on a life of their own racing up and down Schumann’s virtuosic episodes was almost worth the struggle.

My final year was quite traumatic; my mother died in Tasmania. I had not really registered how ill she had become and I believed that she would have wanted me to finish my studies so while she was suffering in Tasmania I stayed in Melbourne. On the day of her death there was no doubt in my mind, I had to get home immediately.