Paul Hutchinson was persuaded by his father to take up the accordion at the age of 17, the young Paul formed a ceilidh band and never looked back. His father never had the heart to tell him that it was a practical joke. Then one day in a field Paul formed Belshazzar’s feast with Paul, the Pauls went on to win public acclaim, due to them being really rather good. Paul (this one, not the other one) has also dallied with other musical combo’s, not least of which are Hoover the Dog, Karen Tweed and the Playford Liberation Front (Karen Tweed may be a person rather than a combo). His eclectic endeavours have resulted in little gems such as the Pagoda Project, and the album Clarion.

Hutchinson is a great bear of a man, topped with a mane of hair that makes us baldies quiver with fear. In his grasp an accordion looks like a concertina, yet he plays with a lightness of touch that tugs the heartstrings. This then is Hutch’s list of firsts (no idea if anyone calls him that, but I would if he let me). Here he reveals his earliest musical inspiration was Victor Borge, The Clown Prince of Denmark, truly a musicians musician…

FIRST RECORD YOU EVER BOUGHT
James Taylor

FIRST PERSON WHO MADE YOU WANT TO BE A MUSICIAN
Victor Borge

FIRST GIG YOU EVER SAW
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

FIRST PERSON YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH
Susan George

FIRST THING YOU THINK ABOUT IN THE MORNING
Tea

FIRST PERSON YOU’D INVITE TO A PARTY
Robert Peston

FIRST THING YOU’LL BUY WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR FIRST MILLION
New fencing to keep my dogs in

FIRST THING YOU’LL ABOLISH WHEN YOU RULE THE WORLD
House of Commons

FIRST ALBUM YOU’D SAVE IF YOUR HOUSE WENT UP IN FLAMES
Last Leaf – Danish String Quartet

FIRST PERSON YOU’D SEND ON A ONE-WAY TICKET TO THE HEART OF THE SUN
Couldn’t do that to anybody

FIRST THING YOU EVER PERFORMED IN PUBLIC
Minuet by JS Bach

FIRST SONG YOU’D HAVE PLAYED AT YOUR FUNERAL
Charlie Darwin – Tom Jones

FIRST INSTRUMENT YOU EVER OWNED
Fender Rhodes piano

FIRST PERSON YOU’D RAISE FROM THE DEAD
JS Bach

FIRST PLACE YOU’D VISIT IN A TIME MACHINE
18^th Century Bath

FIRST TRACK ON YOUR APPLE MUSIC OR SPOTIFY MOST PLAYED LIST
Polska from Dorotea by Danish String Quartet

FIRST TRACK ON YOUR IMAGINARY ALBUM OF YOUR OWN GREATEST HITS
Supper Club arr S Pritchard

FIRST PERSON YOU’D ASK TO JOIN YOUR ALL-STAR BAND
Edgar Meyer
(Not Victor Borge? Ed)

FIRST THING YOU’D LIKE TO CHANGE ABOUT YOURSELF
20yrs younger

FIRST ARTIST YOU’D BOOK TO APPEAR AT YOUR OWN UNLIMITED BUDGET FESTIVAL
Danish String Quartet

www.secretaccordionist.co.uk/

www.belshazzarsfeast.com