I’ve done committees and meetings, school fetes and concerts and some hardline money raising.

I said I have opinions based on years of experience.

No one has to agree, respond or reply though they can of course.

In a small way it’s all part of the conversation we share all the time.

People contribute in many ways and this is the one I have chosen for now.

And …I do believe in conversation.

Communication changes things, brings attention to feelings and ideas.

Opinions can change as lives are lived.

And people can add life and laughter to their families and the community.

And we can all learn from each other.

But there is a time and place for conversation and not all conversation is good.

Let me tell you what happened last weekend.

On the advice of someone who knows what’s going on, I went to the Hepburn Brass Band Concert held in the Daylesford Town Hall. 

When I got there, I found people dressed up for a musical prom concert featuring the program of rousing music that had won the band third place in their section at a recent brass band competition.

The audience brought supper to share and many of them were dressed up as well.

Queen Victoria looked amazing and the men in suits and hats looked great.

Band members came together as a group wearing pith helmets and smart uniforms.

The tables were mostly filled with family and friends, many of whom were long time locals.

There were also a few assorted ‘not quite locals’ (15 years) like me as well.

Now this is where I have to tell the truth.

I have seen the brass bands in street parades before and, though I never thought they were musical giants, I have always enjoyed seeing them playing their part.

What a very humbling shock it was to hear them play in the town hall.

They were magnificent under the guiding hand of the fabulously musical Jenny Jordan who was resplendent in Victorian black.

It seems the band has had a resurrection and very excellent it is too.

I really enjoyed what they did (rousing music played with sensitivity) and the audience was riveted by the performance. You could have heard a pin drop.

Until two tables of around 12 people arrived late.

They set their tables, scraped chairs, clanked their bottles, glasses, iceboxes, cutlery etc, and talked and laughed above the performance as if they were at an outside picnic race meeting.

Some sat with their backs to the performers while others continued their conversations and laughter.

They were very interested in passing around food and wine and appeared to be unable to pay respectful attention to the to the concert.

It is one thing to lack interest and another to interfere with other people in the audience.

The whole affair was wrapped up for me in the image of a young boy about 12 who, like myself, couldn’t hear because of the disrespectful adult behaviour.

He turned to see where the noise was coming from and his mouth dropped open.

I watched him watching them. He looked astounded.

I felt ashamed.

I did (bravely I thought) go and whisper in someone’s ear to ask if they could keep the noise down please.

Having done what I could, and still unable to hear the band properly, I left at interval.

I hope the shocked boy recovers and chooses not to be influenced by the example of some grownups behaving badly.

What was I saying about conversation?