Besides, she was naked

Beyond Hebrew school, one of my interests back in primary school was mythology. I loved the Greek myths with their tales of gods, demigods and their shenanigans. They were fanciful in a way that omnipotence was not. I never really got into the Roman myths in the same way for they seemed to be variations of the Greek with new names.   My exposure to the Norse tales of Asgard was from The Mighty Thor comic books.

As I grew older, my interests changed slightly. I began leaning toward stories about social justice like Robin Hood, the Golem and Lady Godiva. These were not whimsical tales reliant upon the caprices of divine beings. Instead, people were fighting for the way they thought the world should be and not the way it was. Looking back, I think it also explains the many years in which I have enjoyed comic books and super-heroes.

During my teens I played violin with my schools’ orchestras. I don’t know if I was any good; however, I was a part of our main orchestra, the chamber orchestra and played in the pit for musicals such as The Sound of Music and Alice: A Rock Opera. The latter was composed by our conductor, Dr Philip J (“Doc”) McConnell. I was also actively involved in the Music Council. Looking back, music gave me a social life and gave me a release to keep me focussed on my other studies.

In 1978 Doc planned and arranged a trip for our orchestra to play at the Harrogate International Youth Music Festival. Thankfully, my parents were able to allow me to be a part of the trip. Our itinerary was several days in London (Croydon, actually), a few days in Coventry (staying in the dormitories of the University of Warwick) and a week in Harrogate for the Festival. It was an amazing and wonderful experience.

I remember two events unrelated to music. While in Coventry we attended a reception given by the Lord Mayor of the City. The other was the interest of the local press in our reception, particularly as Doc was originally from Coventry. Having emigrated to Canada years earlier, the headline read something like “the return of an exile”. Doc merely laughed at what he referred to as a load of rubbish.

In the vagaries of my memory, the Lord Mayor’s reception offered its own highlights. I recall him welcoming us as “Fellow citizens of the British Empire” (in 1978). After his address we were all given pin badges with the City’s coat of arms after which he declared us all to be honorary citizens of Coventry. At 15 years of age, it was all other worldly. Still, it was not something I could use twenty years later as an entitlement to emigrate to the United Kingdom.

Nevertheless, many years later I was telling my stories of Coventry to a colleague who was less than impressed. With a hint of amusement, he told me “people don’t want to go to Coventry, they get sent there.”

My reply was to note that almost every 15-year old boy would want to be associated with a place there the civic heroine rode naked through the town. Besides, the story of Lady Godiva – who did what she did to protest a tax increase she believed would cripple the citizenry and local economy – was consistent with my developing sense of social justice. Besides, she was naked.

Lady Godiva’s famous horse ride was orchestrated. Her husband, a local luminary, ordered all people to be indoors with the shutters closed. One man, however, could not resist temptation and took a quick peek. For his troubles, Thomas was struck blind and would go down in legend and history as “Peeping Tom”. Some may think this was divine punishment for disobedience. A teenager like me concluded that Lady Godiva just must have been blindingly beautiful. Because she was naked. Who knows?

I recently learned that Doc McConnell passed away one week ago. I hope he is happy conducting the choir invisible. It is left to me to keep the memories of his music department and our trips to England, Washington and Ithaca alive while at the same time remembering a teacher and friend whose influence was, in retrospect, greater than I thought.

Rest in peace, Doc.