I WAS A YOUTH MUSICIAN
Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi?
He whispered to me in the hedgerow
I was young and overseas for the first time without family. I was travelling with a youth music group. I was incredibly naïve, having led a pretty sheltered upbringing. I had no idea what was going on, I did what I was told and followed the rest like a little sheep. I wasn’t as talented as the others who were the cream of the cream.
I hadn’t got many friends, there were people I knew from rehearsals, but I was not part of the in-crowd. There was James, a tall blond and pretty boy. Lisa, the viola player, who had her eye on him for sure, and I think romance blossomed. We were all teenagers, but I felt everyone was older, more mature maybe, and very serious. I felt pretty much an outsider.
We went through the tour playing in many towns in northern France, staying in basic accommodation. It was a whirlwind. What a fantastic experience.
I remember attending a dinner, sitting at long tables in a city square. It was in our honour. We were brought wine and water in carafes. We all went crazy. I had never had access to alcohol before, and I made myself very ill and thoroughly embarrassed myself in front of the staff and our hosts, I am sure. I knew I had to apologise to a few people the next day. In…
