The Ecumenical Council

I first met Tom Holland in 1972 at a Welsh Ladies Fencing tournament in Llandudno.

We had a shared love of the sport and we bonded over beer and doctrinal technicalities that weekend. Even then Holland had only 3 interests in life:

1. Ladies Fencing
   
2. Beer
   
3. The Ecumenical Council

But not in that order. In the opposite order:

1. The Ecumenical Council
   
2. Beer
   
3. Ladies Fencing
   

You would imagine that a man so obsessed with recounting  intricate details of The Ecumenical Council would be a dull man indeed. Not so Tom Holland. He imbued these weighty ecumenical matters with such a spirit of Temps d'Escrime and parried questions with a Rapier-like Froissement that it was impossible not to be captivated. 

Drinking pint after pint of strong Brains bitter that little bar in Llandudno truly felt like the centre of the known universe. Happy times indeed.

In 1975 when Tom got his first record deal there was only one subject he was likely to record. His beloved The Ecumenical Council. 

Listening to this record over 30 years later you realise what a remarkable and enduring piece he has created. With nothing more than harp and snare-drum by way of accompaniment he truly brings the subject to life. 

If anything, I understand the actual details of his monologue even less now than I did all these years ago. But that matters not. After just a few minutes I allow my mind to drift off calmly on his dulcet tones and we're back in that little bar once again. And I think to myself:

By Christ, we did some bevvying that weekend!