I'm not talking about knowing someone directly, or being related by blood, but there is a theory that everyone on the planet is connected to everyone else by less than seven people.

I can claim to be connected to Benjamin Britten in three connections
(a friend's brother worked with Britten on the production of Owen Wingrave. The profile of one of her children was used to produce a silhouette used as a backdrop on the stage set)

and Julian Lloyd Webber in two connections
(different friend runs an orchestra where JLW put in a guest appearance)

Also a less glamorous connection, a cousin appeared on the Jerry Springer show.

Has anyone out there got some interesting connections?

Er, I once shook hands with Ricci Ruggiero...... Does that count?

Actually I was playing viola at the time and said that I hoped something would rub off. he replied "probably just some dirt".

Loads of them! An aunt is an international soloist and tutor at RAM, a second cousin who was a very well known boy treble, an uncle who was a conductor, a couple of famous teachers if they count, and yesterday I was one handshake away from one of our most famous baritones, just for starters.

There is a letter in my family to my grandfather from Vaughan Williams, commenting positively on my Dad's piano playing..... and my Dad used to proof read for a composer when he was at RAM, but I've forgotten (temporarily.......I hope ......) Who the heck was it?

I don't have any

Hang on, I'm sure I do, I am friends with a lyricist-composer who I was at uni with, he must know some people...

Oh, even more realisation, I definitely have connections as I can read this thread and say 'I know someone on a forum who...'

My Great Uncle's brother-in-law had a Great Aunt who met Beethoven.

Wow, I can't compete with your connections, but I've thought of another one. My English teacher also taught the folk singer Isla St Clair. Unfortunately I can't claim to be related to anyone with any musical talent.

<racks brains for tales of ClariNicki1's dad's student days>
Was it Lennox Berkeley, or am I making things up?

This probably doesn't count, but I went scrumping at Church Farm in Ashmansworth earlier in the year

One that probably does count: Husband's great aunt was at school with Kathleen Ferrier, who used to accompany Husband's great aunt at school concerts.

Wow...

I don't have any..

You know ME!

I've met Petrat twice

(does that count?)

I'm Fiona's other half...

I've been trodden on by bryn Terfel, and my husband realised recently that a baritone he accompanied whilst at school was bryn. My mother's cousin was [or is, we're not in touch as you can tell] the woman who co-wrote cliff Richard's devil Woman, and the same cousin worked on Cracker Jack but got the sack cos she was always late for rehearsal.My mother almost had her eye put out by alli Campbell's dad's guitar string, when it snapped, and caught her sharply across the bridge of her nose. He sent her an enormous box of chocs to silence her complaints. My daughter once opened my dressing room door and said "mum, there's an old lady wants to speak to you." It was Janet Baker, and she had no idea who she was, or that she'd just called the great lady herself "old"

Just remembered, it was Lennox Berkeley who my dad studied under and proof read for.... and then he believed he knew how to interpret the music better than my sister's flute teacher.... That was fun... sister had to learn to play the piece one way for her teacher and one way for my Dad!!!! and as he was her accompanist, I imagine his interpretation won!!!!!





Gosh Deborah.... your memory is better than mine today... but I am feeling very tired...... And didn't my Dad study under the above said Kthleen? You probably listened to him more than me.... you don't tend to listen to your Dad. He went to school with Quinton Ballardie..... (spelling?????) and I spoke to Quin on the phone after my Dad died..... He kept leaving messages on my Dad's answering machine and he said lovely things about my Dad when I spoke to him.

The only one I can think of for me is that my music teacher taught (at least) one of G4, so that's sort-of two steps.

I'm also pretty sure that I can't be more than about 2 or 3 steps away from knowing jod (that is in real life, not on the forums )

im one step away form knowing Morgans Munchkin no doubt. I have alot of friends who go to her school.

umm, im not sure...
Jamie Cullen went to my school's sixth form, and my head of music taught him;
My teacher is a concert pianist;
My Grandad is very good friends with the conductor of the national welsh chorus (i think thats its name);
My Great grandad was a trumpet player in a proffesional orchestra;
I know the organist at Bath abbey, as he occasionally plays at the church i do, and i'm going to observe his playing in December.

I dont know if those count.

Jacob.

I have accompanied three of the singing daughters of the chap who wrote Cliff Richard's
"Mistletoe and Wine". One of the daughters also had an appearance in the film "Love Actually".

Dreadful song!!

It is indeed - but actually it was written to be satirical (as part of a play or musical - don't remember which) pointing out how some people are only interested in the superficialities of Christmas.
The author is not particularly happy with the Cliff Richard interpretation, but I bet he doesn't complain about the royalties...

The singing teacher of a girl I met in choir last week taught Kerry Ellis. Through that one person, I'm sure I get a connection to plenty of West End stars.

When I was a child living in Highbury, north London, my parents rented rooms to students from the RAM and RCM. None of our lodgers went on to become household names but I suppose they must have counted some who did among their friends. The last house we lived in (before our flight to the suburbs) is now owned by cookery writer Nigel Slater. He probably has us to thank for preventing the house (a Georgian terraced) from being converted into flats. Before my parents bought the house (1979) it was owned by an Irish couple who ran it as a residential hotel - I remember there were still numbers on the doors when we moved in. I've recently been told that Arsenal FC had a number of Irish team members during the late '70s, so who knows, maybe some of them boarded there in their early days!

Back to the subject of music, I was taught by Pamela Thorby (as a visiting recorder teacher at my secondary school) before she was famous. Some years after I left school Pamela was fired after an episode when she accepted a concert engagement at short notice and left all her pupils in the lurch.

I went to the same school as Annie Lennox .. although she's older than me. I got soooo fed up of the music teachers going on and on about how 'great' she was... they were certainly riding on her coat-tails and dined out on their favourite 'Annie' anecdotes... quite sickening really coz those teachers were real old perves! I am in no doubt she certainly doesn't remember them with any warmth!

My teacher's brother is a founder of the folk group Old Blind Dogs. They're quite famous.

Thomas Adès went to my brothers' school.

Oh yeah.... an old friend of mine's brother is married to Tasmin Little..... I actually went on holiday with Tasmin Little's husband and all of his family when I was about 17.... and we all sang (or attempted to sing) A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square on top of a canal boat!!!!! Great holiday, but it was all pre- Tasmin days!!!!! I suppose I played in a concert band with Tasmin Little's husband as well....

Oooooh?

Is that at the school I left in June, or my current one? (Please don't mention my exact locations publically though).

I've met Barry-Clari!

oooh ! *waves hand* me me me ... I've Met Barry-Clari too!

Actually I was at college with some fairly well known people.

I've met Batty too.

I've never met barry-clari

at Morgan's Munchkin, maggiemay and petrat!



Should be able to rectify that at the handbell day!

A friend's mum went to music college with James Gallway! And I'm sure some of the folks that I've just graduated with will become well known, they are very good! partularly one of my pianist friends!

The one you did your A Levels at

I think all of us can probably claim connections with dozens or hundreds of the top musicians of the last century by chains of only two or three links. My previous piano teacher, for example, has met many of the great pianists of the 20th century, and they in turn have met all the others ...

... but somehow it is not quite the same as knowing them yourself!

I've been trying to think of some more links.

At the end of a brilliant concert by the Stylists a few years ago, a friend announced that she was going backstage to meet them. I had no idea how this worked so I just followed her and picked up a few autographs. Although they aren't Motown, I'm sure this gives me a vague connection to Marvin Gaye, James Brown etc.

As I'm short sighted and had been sitting at the back of the concert hall, I didn't really recognise any of the Stylistics when I saw them close up, so I asked the first black American within sight for his autograph. He looked a bit surprised and replied in a wonderful southern drawl, "I'm in the ba-yend", but I took it anyway.

In which case I'm claiming a link to Melinda Maxwell, Hansjorg Schellenberger, Alex Klein and Maurice Bourgue.

Ah.

The drummers from both Razorlight and Coldplay went to my college, as did Helena from How do you solve a Problem like Maria, but none at the same time as me.

A friend of mine makes tippers for Cormack Byrne of folk band Uiscedwr.

One of my old music teachers taught Craig David, though I'm not entirely sure that's something to be proud of

The sister of one of the members of G4 sang at my wedding. I dined out for years on the tale that one of G4 had sung at it, then I looked closely at the choir photo from the day

I guess this depends on how tenuous you will allow the link to be

My Latin teacher had previously taught Amanda de Cadanet who was later married to John Taylor of Duran Duran ... and thanks to Band Aid that makes me just four links away from a lot of '80s pop acts.

Right then.

My dad was in prisoner of war camp with Clive Dunn (he of "Don't Panic" fame - no not Douglas Adams). Of course Clive was famous for that great old song Grandad I visited him and his wife in their Putney flat once many moons ago.

So I have had lunch with a star of Top of the Pops.

I went to school with Mel B of spice girl fame. Have one of her early performances on video - one of the gospel singing bits of Jesus Christ Superstar. Can't think of the name of that particular piece right now.

Also many people from our school went on to star on stage with at least a few in the west end!!!


All came back for a benefit performance when our school drama room was burned down many years
back now so i can't remember the names.

I have no connections on my own account, but am lucky enough to be married to a very good harpsichord tuner and technician, and have therefore met many Early Music stars - many of which I dare say most of you won't have heard as it's a bit of a niche interest....
they include Trevor Pinnock (he's been round for a meal a few times), Bob van Asperen (who has also been round), Robert Woolley, Mitzi Meyerson, Emma Kirkby (has borrowed my tights ), Anthony Rooley, Jakob Lindberg, Pamela Thorby, Han Tol, Piers Adams and Red Priest, Giovanni Antonini, Jonathan Manson, Richard Boothby, Melvyn Tan, Monica Huggett, Sarah Cunningham....and many others.
And have had a discussion with and had my hand shaken by Alfred Brendel .

My grandfather sang as part of a choir for Queen Victoria: at least I think it was my grandfather, it might have been my great grandfather. The person who conducted the winning choir on Last Choir Standing has been to the choir I play for and has done several sessions with us, so I've met him, and Mike Brewer; one of my ex piano pupils plays for Jamelia. I've also met John Rutter, and got his autograph.

I have met a number of leading saxophonists - and clarinettists
My son has spoken with Sir Colin Davis and with John Lill
I have sung in a choir performing at the QEH for Princess Caroline of Monaco

My friend was friends with Jacqueline du Pré.
My partner knew the band leader, Harry Roy.
My teacher knew Dennis Brain.

Rolf Harris came to my house for tea

Could he tell what it was???!

*Sorry...!*

(this was when I was quite young - at my mum and dad's house)

Aww..you're still quite young!