On Natural Selection (Music)

I start this with http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7Cn7ZW8ts3Y playing on my headphones. Click on it if you like. Minimize the image and listen to it while you're reading, if you can. Otherwise welcome back, over 10 minutes later. The artist has been listening to it. She has been quite literally attacking the rockface of her new piece more than just a little motivated by the piece. I have had it on my headphones a number of times as I've surfed the topics and regions I'm most interested in at the moment. This piece of music - 'a tapestry of voices,' someone has called it - was written over 500 years ago. Can you imagine such a thing? It sounds to me so contemporary. Turn up the volume. Go on. As I write, the artist is sitting on the bright red sofa with her sister, who has come to stay, and they are both giggling as they try to find a film to watch. I can see the backs of their two heads and they are like characters in a cartoon to me. I suppose the caption could be something along the lines of ... Sister 1: "How about the Sound of Music?' Sister 2: 'No, I want to watch a film.' Actually the music has stopped because I paused to drink some tea and briefly joined in the conversation. What shall I play now? I know. Wait a moment. There. Now I am listening to http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1oitSlHi3MY. You will probably have gathered but it is by the late great Nick Drake, and it really should be played loud. A few times. Play it again. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1oitSlHi3MY.