Humor is also a way of saying something serious
It is little wonder to me now that Eliot, after one brief visit, was moved to immortalise Little Gidding in verse. Arriving as a first time visitor to the village on Saturday 9th July for the sixth annual T.S.Eliot Festival, I was surprised and delighted by the remote, rather timeless atmosphere of the place and its expansive views over the Huntingdonshire landscape.
The sun was shining as Peter Cochran and I kicked off the festival with our reading of The Waste Land. Our attempt to 'do the police in different voices' was warmly received by the assembled festival-goers, who entered into the debate which followed [The Waste Land: poem of hope or despair?] with equal enthusiasm. Hugh Black-Hawkins, giving the case for despair, and Nicholas Sagovsky, championing a message of hope, argued their cases with eloquence, inspiring a wealth of response from the audience. So much so that it took several apt calls of 'hurry up please it's time' from Simon Kershaw to bring the discussion to an end.
A delicious afternoon tea, served with admirable efficiency by the weekend's superb catering team, was taken outside so that we could enjoy the sunshine to the full - accompanied by the sound of Alexander Kershaw's thoughtful music. Which proved to be the perfect way to refresh ourselves after such a lively session.
Next on the agenda was the Society's annual Little Gidding Lecture, delivered this year by Professor Steve Ellis, on the theme of 'Eliot and Earth'. Illustrating his arguments with selections from Eliot's Four Quartets and The Idea of a Christian Society, Ellis put forward his theory of Eliot as a ruralist. He spoke of Eliot's condemnation of the merciless exploration or the earth and his advocacy of a return to a respectful relationship with the land.
These ideas seemed uncannily topical, with Eliot appearing to have anticipated today's environmental concerns. Ellis was quick to point out, however, that for Eliot harmony with the land was no romantic idyll, no end in itself, but simply the way that a Christian society should live out its temporary exile on this earth - whilst preparing for the life to come. The lecture was fascinating, introducing me to a side of Eliot which I had not known.
Before an excellent supper, again taken out in the fresh air, there was a chance for festival-goers to read their own choices. It was truly moving to hear so many readings, so different in character, interpretation and delivery, but all inspired and united by a deep respect for - and visibly intense connection with - Eliot's poetry.
