Timeless Music

I CAN CLEARLY REMEMBER the first time I watched The Sound of Music. I was nine, and it was being screened on TV as a Saturday night family film special. My dad was keen for me to watch it, and I was happy to oblige as it meant staying up beyond my usual 8.30pm bedtime. I loved it! My favourite scene was the grand ball and the von Trapp kids’ performance of ‘So Long, Farewell’. Needless to say, ‘Adieu, Adieu, to Yieu and Yieu and Yieu!’ soon became my signature nightly motto. It still is (when the mood is right!). I’m sure many of our readers can similarly recall their first encounter with this family and their fondness for singing through the extraordinary wartime challenges they faced. If you have a similar von Trapp memory, write to us at editor@readersdigest.com. au. In ‘The Story Behind the Songs’ (page 112), by Reader’s Digest writer Robert Kiener, we meet the last remaining member of the von Trapp family, Johannes, now 81, who shares how the film and the music shaped his family’s future.

This issue also has tips to make your day easier, including how to respond to people who dwell on the negativity in their lives (‘How to Deal with Complainers’, page 104), the latest treatments for back pain (‘New Help for Aching Backs’, page 96), as well as how to make the best cup of coffee (‘Coffee Maker’s Roadmap’, page 100).

Thank you to all our loyal readers, old and new. Happy reading!