1887. The harmonious blacksmith
© Bruce Goodman 25 July 2020




It was Grandma Hilda’s 75th birthday coming up. She loved to hear twelve year old granddaughter, Lydia, play the piano. Grandma Hilda liked old-fashioned music. Not that Lydia didn’t, so Lydia thought she would surprise Grandma Hilda by playing a piece specially learnt for the birthday. Lydia thought and thought and thought. In the end, she decided to learn Handel’s “The Harmonious Blacksmith”. She practised and practised and practised. It was quite hard, even though she was very good at playing the piano.

Grandma Hilda’s birthday arrived. Lydia and her parents went to visit.

“Happy Birthday Grandma!” said Lydia. “I’ve learnt a special piece on the piano for you!”

“That’s lovely dear,” said Grandma Hilda. “As long as it’s not a piece by that awful composer called Handel. His music goes boom, boom, boom, and I can’t stand it.”

“No,” said Lydia. “It’s by Scarlatti.”

Grandma loved it. In the circumstance it’s possible that Handel wouldn’t have minded.

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