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coming around his desk as I was shown into his office. “It's good to see you again.”
    “ Good morning, Archie,” I smiled.
    I always smiled when I called him Archie. Just over three years before it would have been unthinkable. As a student, even though Archie had known about my commission, we both had to play the game for the sake of propriety and protocol. Even so, he had allowed me some license which the British students had not had, and under the guise of giving me experience I was permitted a great deal of freedom and privilege. But he was still “sir”, or “Colonel Mowatt” in those days.
    Now, as a retired captain and with my rising status in British music, I was considered an equal – but I still smiled when I called him Archie.
    “I'm glad you were able to come today – I know how busy you must be,” he said.
    “ I really don't have a lot on right now. Rehearsals for the show begin in three weeks, and I figured I should have some time off before that grind begins.”
    “ It's good to see you getting on – It's a tough life you've chosen. You've really got to have what it takes.”
    “ Come on, Archie,” I replied, “you know how much luck is involved in this business. If I hadn't been in the right place at the right time a lot of these things wouldn't have happened for me. There are lots of guys walking around out there who can do what I do – they just haven't had a lucky break.”
    “ Not at all, lad,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “It's the wonderful training we gave you here that's made the difference, and don't you forget it.” He chuckled as he reached for his cap. “Now let's go down to the rehearsal. Oh, by the way, I hope you're lunching in the mess with us today. There are a couple of people here you should meet.”
    Every Wednesday night from late May until mid-August, the band at KH presented a public concert on the huge concrete bandstand in the garden behind the main building. These concerts were really part of the training program, not only for the musicians as players, but for the student bandmasters to conduct under performance conditions.
    As well, there were often guest conductors, both military and civilian, and this served to acquaint the students and pupils with personalities in music and a wide variety of styles in conducting. On top of it all, the public were treated to some wonderful concerts, full of military splendor and endless variety.
    As Archie stalked into view the rehearsal halted abruptly, and the band sergeant major brought the band smartly to attention. Archie took up his position at a microphone in the center of the lawn, and indicated to the student who was conducting to proceed.
    For large outdoor concerts like this, all of the pupils and students formed the Kneller Hall band. The pupils were younger, promising musicians attending a one-year course of intensive instruction on their individual instruments, while the students were on a three-year course of theory and conducting, designed to prepare them for probable selection as Bandmasters in the British Army. There were also quite a few Commonwealth countries represented, and the mix was both stimulating and interesting.
    It didn't take Archie long to get into gear. While the student struggled valiantly with Vaughan Williams' The Wasps , Archie whistled to stop him and give him some 'friendly' advice.
    “ Don't flap your left arm like that, lad,” he bellowed, “you'll take off like a ruddy bird. If you can't do something constructive with it we'll have to tie it down! Start again!”
    I sat there, listening to the music and Archie's ravings, remembering my student days in a bit of a daydream, thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere and the sunshine.
    I'm not sure when I first noticed her. I think it was a glint of sunshine in a mass of golden hair, but whatever it was it turned my head. She was several rows in front of me and slightly to my right, but with barely a dozen people attending the