Hillingdon - The Home of Heathrow

The London Borough of Hillingdon is a borough of West London.  Ruislip, Hayes and Uxbridge (home of Brunel University) are settlements in Hillingdon. Heathrow Airport straddles Hillingdon and Hounslow. 

Pianos for the Aficionado

Bosendorfer, which hails from Vienna, Austria, is one of the oldest luxury piano makers in the world. Bluthner and Steinway are also famous manufacturers. Bosendorfer pianos were chosen by Franz Liszt for his concerts in Vienna.

Where Music Meets Literature - Symphonic Poems

A symphonic poem is orchestral music evoking the content of a poem. The German word Tondichtung (literally "tone poem") refers to the same concept.  The Hungarian composer Liszt created thirteen such compositions which in turn inspired Dvorak and Richard Strauss to pen compositions with the same intent.

Bach's Goldberg Variations

The Goldberg Variations is a piece for harpsichord by German composer Johann Sebastian Bach. A harpsichord is like a keyboard that internally plays a harp. It was thought to have been composed for the Russian diplomat Count Keyserling as a sleeping aid who paid Bach with a golden goblet filled with coins. The composition was published in 1741 and consists of 30 variations.

Jersey-born Count Basie's Classic Jazz

Count Basie, an American jazz pianist, founded his own orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, in 1935, leading the group for almost 50 years.

He was born in Red Bank, in Monmouth County, New Jersey (speculation exists over the origin of the name Monmouth, it could be a reference to James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, or named after Monmouthshire in Wales).

In Red Bank today, the Count Basie Theatre, is named after him.

Ex Malo Bonum

Ex Malo Bonum - good out of evil.  The origin of this phrase is Saint Augustine of Hippo, who contradicts Seneca the Younger's dictum that no good can come of evil.

Presidential Line of Succession (PRE-LOSS)

The Speaker of the House of Representatives ("House Speaker") is second in the Presidential Line of Succession, after the Vice President. The office was established by the US constitution in 1789.

The House of Representatives is the "lower house" in America's bicameral legislature, the "upper house" being the Senate (where two senators represent each state, irrespective of state population). There being 50 states in the USA, there are correspondingly 100 senators in the Senate.

Baltimore-born Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker (Representatives) since 2019, is the only woman in US history to hold this position. She studied Political Science at Trinity College.