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Chapters (77)
  1. Landing Page
  2. A TERRIBLE KINDNESS
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. ABERFAN
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. CAMBRIDGE CHOIR
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. FAMILY BUSINESS
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. MIDNIGHT CHOIR
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. ABERFAN
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. Acknowledgements
  76. About the Author
  77. Copyright

Martin puts his head to one side and purses his lips as they arrive at Mr Atkinson’s office. ‘Fair point.’ It is beyond William how there can be even a ghost of a smile on Martin’s face as he leans against the wall.

The others appear. Even though Mark is four years older than Charles and Anthony, he is barely taller than them.

‘My dad’s going to go mad if he hears about this.’ Mark glances at the younger boys. ‘We didn’t write the letters! Why should we get punished for something we didn’t do?’

‘Yes!’ says Anthony, in a bold voice that doesn’t match his frightened eyes.

William’s buttocks tighten, imagining the whacks he’ll get as scribe of all four letters.

Mark jabs William’s chest. ‘You did it! You need to own up.’

‘Rubbish!’ says Martin. ‘You’d have thanked us if it had worked.’

‘But it didn’t’ – Mark’s pinched face is getting redder – ‘that’s the point!’

Martin ignores him and turns to William. ‘Go back to class, quick, before Mr Atkinson comes.’ He nudges him away. ‘You don’t need to be here.’

‘What?’ says Mark, two deep furrows at the top of his delicate nose. ‘He’s the only one that needs to be here. He wrote the letters!’

‘The letters were from your parents, asking for things you wanted.’ Martin is calm and matter of fact. ‘Go on, get lost, William, quick.’

‘But I did it!’ William says.

‘No, you didn’t.’ Martin shakes his head. ‘I did.’ He turns to the others, his body still loose and easy. ‘And if any of you say any different, I’ll make your lives so miserable you’ll wish you’d had a whacking from Atkinson every day for a week, instead of having me to deal with.’

Charles clamps his lips together, fighting tears.

‘No,’ William says, ‘that’s not fair.’

‘Go!’ Martin pushes him hard, so he stumbles backwards.

He looks at the others. They’re resigned; they’re not going to argue. Before he has time for any other thoughts, he walks away as quickly as he can, fizzing with shame, already regretting it, but knowing he isn’t going to turn back.

24

FEBRUARY 1959

It’s a high-wire act, this solo, like floating above a canyon. Getting up there isn’t the problem; William can get to an F, never mind a C. The problem is holding the G in perfect pitch, rock steady, without cracking or fading while all the parts below are changing. Allegri’s ‘Miserere’. It still thrills him how his breath, his voice, can fill the chapel, soaring up to its high ceiling, piercing the silence, or slicing through other voices. And when he’s a soloist, there’s the thrill of knowing the others’ voices are there to frame and magnify his own. It’s magic. Pure magic.