Flooded

For some time now I've been doubtful about the Youtube algorithm that decides what gets into my feed. Some of what appears does have an appeal, but a good half of the videos do nothing for me at all - and they tend to stick around, or recur with monotonous regularity as if someone, somewhere can't quite believe I take such little heed of them.

However, recently I've started to revise my opinion. This is on account of a quite wonderful video that cropped up for no reason I can fathom of one Evangelina Mascardi doing wonderful things with a lute and slaying a Bach Partita in the process. I've always had a penchant for the lute even in my teenage years when I borrowed an album or two of Julian Bream's wonderful playing. I think it's the unfussy crispness of the sound that appeals, plus the instrument attracts the kind of repertoire that I feel at ease with - tuneful but not overly romanticised, if you see what I mean. If anything I reckon Ms Mascardi goes into territory even beyond Mr Bream's mastery.

But the great thing is that after my playing her expert performance a couple of times the algorithm seems to have sprung into action on the lute front and flooded my feed with recordings and performances from all sorts of luminaries. And these ears tell me it's all good! I suppose I vaguely regret I never had this kind of access to such expertise as a teenager, but my goodness I feel blessed indeed to have this gently forced upon me now.