I’m on the train from Cardiff. The viva vice was survived – and an enjoyable experience. I learned a great deal about my work and about things that worked and elements that need developing. As the chair of examiners said, it is a good chance to get detailed feedback on one’s work. The feedback I received was superbly useful; aspects of my writing that needed a nudge to be explored further was fascinating and I picked up so much from the two composer-examiners. Above all the questions were the questions I asked myself before submission so perhaps it was nerve-wracking to hear them asked by someone else. ‘Why’ questions are always fearful but I welcomed a chance to hear their thoughts on my work. I valued the questions that were demanding intellectually and resulted in an interesting exchange particularly regarding the relationship between my teaching and own writing. Rather arresting to think the viva has been reached and passed; I didn’t really imagine it would happen. Now to the corrections.
Steven Berryman 