Inside a Musicians Mind....

Robin woke up at 5am with the first two lines of a poem going through his mind. He tried to ignore it, and go back to sleep, but eventually gave in to the urge and got up.
By 5.30am he was waking me to read his latest creation.
I dutifully did, but must confess, it wasn't until a more reasonable hour that I gave it my full attention.
What I like about it is that you can read it on many levels.
It could be about one persons time on earth, or, mankind in general.
Is it the work of an artist, supposedly at rest, a reaction to the terrible storms we suffered here in the UK yesterday, or the sign of a tortured mind...
You decide.

ETERNAL DANCE

I'm the rain and the wind

And the sweet summer sun,

I'm a name in the sand

I'm a figure of fun,

I'm the dance in the trees

Building up by degrees,

I'm the eye of the storm

I'm the ice in the freeze,

I'm the kestrel, the sparrow,

The swallow, the quail,

I'm a spirit of energy,

Blazing my trail,

I'm a maverick, lunatic,

Spendthrift and miser,

And, as I grow older,

I, for sure, get no wiser.

ROBIN HILL 2007

The Concert in Mid-Atlantic

Have you ever thought about how a soloist feels before going on stage?
Robin wrote this poem on a previous trip, but as he is mid-Atlantic at the moment, and has his second guitar concert tonight, I thought I would share it with you.

The Concert in the Mid-Atlantic

Waiting in my padded cell,

And dreading the recital bell,

The summoning of execution,

From which there is no absolution,

It's outcome all depends on me,

Escape prohibited by sea,

Check fingernails are all intact,

Check nerves that are severely wracked,

Check music is inside my head,

And rise up from the cabin's bed.

ROBIN HILL

Believe me, he does actually love what he is doing!
But it is a lonely time waiting to be called on stage. For those who are as passionate about their music as Robin is, I think it is inevitable, that they will feel this way.
The skill is being able to control the tension and use it to your advantage, which, after many years experience, Robin is able to do.
It isn't quite the same when performing with Hill/Wiltschinsky, as there is a certain amount of backstage bravado going on, which helps to diffuse the tension.

It obviously worked last night as the concert was very well received and Robin has had lots of very nice comments. To add to the evening, and make it feel very special, all the audience were attired in evening dress!

Reluctant Mariner Robin Hill Turns Poet

As you can see from this photo the sea remains rather rough although Robin said it is much calmer than it was...




It's still nothing compared to one of the early trips Robin made in 2005. He was en route from Honolulu to Japan when they encountered some severe weather. The 40 foot waves meant long periods of time confined to his cabin. So he wrote this poem.


TIGER SEA

This wild, malevolent, livid sea

Is not quite where I want to be,

Cocooned inside the luxury liner,

I affect the pose of discerning diner,

The tiger sea - wrong side of sane,

Spits angry foam against the pane,

My fellow passengers take delight,

In witnessing this savage sight,

They taunt the beast and sip their wine,

Complacent they just drink and dine,

The audacity of the parasite boat,

To ride the tiger's back and float,

At 14 knots towards Japan,

Is more than I can really stand,

Will we arrive safe in the bay?

Or will the wildcat claim it's prey?

by ROBIN HILL