Klarinet Archive - Posting 000191.txt from 2006/02

From: "Lelia Loban" <lelialoban@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Sad news
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 15:44:38 -0500


Joseph Wakeling wrote,
>I just came across the following in the Guardian's obituaries:
>Professor Sir Nicholas Shackleton
http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,1708225,00.html

That is sad news indeed. We corresponded off and on about antique
clarinets. I'm embarrassed to admit that until I read the obituary, I had
no idea who Nick Shackleton was, other than someone who clearly knew a lot
more than I did about vintage instruments. Last spring, we arranged to
trade photocopies of some old musical instrument manufacturers' catalogues.
I mailed him mine, but never heard from him again except for a thank-you
note and then a belated but gracious e-mail saying he hadn't forgotten.
Not knowing he was ill, I meant to wait a reasonable amount of time and
then pester him, but am glad now that I never got around to it, since
obviously he had more serious things on his mind.

How little we really know about each other from "meeting" in cyberspace. I
tend to assume that the things we don't know are the stuff of morbid
stories on the late night news broadcasts: the congenial correspondent who
turns out to be the friendly neighborhood axe murderer, or the persona of a
ten-year-old naif masking the reality of a forty-year-old whore who fronts
for Madame Spanky's Paddle Palace, etc.. I definitely don't expect to find
out that the nice guy who collects clarinets is a renowned scientist with
"Sir" in front of his name. R.I.P. --I'm very sorry to hear he's dead at
age 68. That's too young.

Lelia Loban

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