We moved recently and this meant a great deal of downsizing. I realised I had boxes of music and old scores from various concerts, orchestral parts from tours with Harry Connick Jnr, old programs of concerts around the country, old rugs, various broken implements, boxes of things that defied categorisation that hadn’t been much opened in about 10 years. I really don’t know why I have been hoarding all these things.

Guy NobleGuy Noble

It’s a little like the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, their burial chambers stuffed with golden chariots and trinkets, all the things they would need in the afterlife. Guess what, they didn’t. They left behind what looked like an expensive Egyptian garage sale. You can’t take it with you so if you don’t really need it, give it away, donate it to poor young conductors, sell it on Gumtree, throw it out. I hired a van and threw most of my rubbish and old memories in the back, drove on up to the tip and heaved it out, all 340 kilos of it (they weighed the van on the way in and out so I know exactly how many kilos...