May’s toughest gig? Teaching!
QUESTION Aside from Sting, were any famous musicians teachers in a former life?
Mark knopfler has a degree in english from the University of leeds. He taught english for three years at loughton College (now epping forest College) before finding worldwide fame with Dire Straits.
Queen guitarist Brian May studied mathematics and physics at Imperial College london, graduating with a BSc honours degree in physics in 1968. In 1971 he worked as a maths and science teacher at South london’s Stockwell Manor. The school served economically disadvantaged students at the time.
according to May it was a tough gig; on one occasion he decided to teach geometry by allowing his students to cut shapes out of coloured paper with scissors. May recalled ‘they were all attacking each other with scissors — ears, feet and hands were getting cut and there was blood and paper everywhere.’
In 2007, May received his phD in astrophysics from Imperial College.
Bryan ferry graduated with a fine art degree from newcastle University in 1968. In the same year he moved to london, where he taught art and ceramics at Holland park School while he was putting roxy Music together.
art Garfunkel studied maths and architecture at Columbia University before finding fame with paul Simon as Simon and Garfunkel. after the pair split in 1970, Garfunkel tried to ground himself by teaching maths at litchfield academy, a preparatory school in Connecticut.
James Collins, Maidenhead, Berks.
QUESTION Was Beethoven’s Funeral March No.1 written by him?
THIS stately, mournful piece has been played at royal funerals since the time of edward VII (d.1910) and featured prominently at Queen elizabeth II’s funeral.
Despite its name, the authorship of this work is debated. It was the Beethoven
scholar Gustav nottebohm who first disputed its authenticity in 1862, on the basis of its style. He assigned authorship to Johann Heinrich Walch ( 1776- 1855), a German conductor, chamber musician and choral master for the Duke of Saxe- Gotha-altenburg, a duchy in today’s Germany, and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
The confusion arose because most of Beethoven’s best-known works were published with opus numbers, with which they may be reliably identified. However, 228 works were designated Woo (Werke ohne opuszahl — literally, ‘works without opus number’).
In the German musical catalogue prepared in 1955 by Georg kinsky and Hans Halm, they concurred with nottebohm’s conclusions and relegated the piece to their appendix of doubtful works.
Corrine Thomas, Penarth, Glamorgan.
QUESTION Is ‘To Zlatan’ a recognised verb in Sweden? What other eponymous verbs are there?
Further to the earlier answer, in australia we have the verb ‘to fang’, meaning ‘to drive recklessly’, named after the argentine racing driver Juan Manuel fangio, who was celebrated for his daring style.
Tom Davies, Gerringong, NSW.
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