‘Music can change the world’. I didn’t say that, somebody else did – but my version is just as illuminating: music has no boundaries. It’s a powerful message that’s brought home to me as each week passes.

The first occasion was on when I was hosting a charity evening of Asian music in the Guildhall with Sabir Mirza and Aahista Aahista starring. Of limited interest? No way! We had a great audience, Asians and Europeans evenly represented, all as one, race irrelevant and the evening was a joy to be involved with. That it also raised £2,000 for my local charities was a gratifying bonus.

The very next day, it was music of an entirely different kind, as I hosted a reception for the Chorale Choir from Worcester Massachusetts. They awarded me the key to our US twin and I confess to deep disappointment that I had to miss their concert in the Cathedral later in the day, hearing nothing but the highest accolades the following morning.

Another day, another musical event of an entirely different kind – WODYS’s high-energy Back to the 80s show. Was I impressed? Absolutely – although the evening was also tinged with a sense of having missed-out. You see, I really wanted them to invite me on stage to join in the dancing as they did in their sneak preview in Crowngate a few weeks ago! That’s on YouTube for all to see. This was the final show by producer and director Dale Humphries but my, what a spectacularly high note to go out on!

Sandwiched in between these events, each of which left me speechless with admiration for every single performer, was the usual round of events and issues more traditionally associated with the demanding role of Mayor. These included promising some action on concerns about the bus service; hosting a quiz for one of my chosen charities, Worcester Headway; attending the All Sorts Summer School’s afternoon of dance at Medway Community Centre; and finally, an opportunity to say thank you to the Midlands Air Ambulance Service with a tour around their headquarters that strengthened my respect for an organisation that already had my highest admiration. It was a rare eye-opener.