Goodbye to John Caspell

First, my condolences to those who were close to him.
Next, my condolences to those who didn’t get the chance to know him.

I knew him only briefly, not sure we every shared a conversation, but I had the pleasure of sharing filk circles with him a number of times.

I first met him at O.V.F.F 2006
I remember he and hsifyppah performing I fell asleep (reading the Silmarillion) onstage and though to myself that I should look for them at the open circle that night. I did find them performing in the smallest circle that night. Hsifyppah declared that we needed spooky songs for Halloween, so the two of them performed The Mad Scientist’s Love Song (It’s even spookier performed on banjo). I had been planning on asking them to perform it for Gary at Concertino this summer.

In circles he was always patient, kind, cheerful, and was a die-hard lingerer, at least once I was in a circle with him that lasted till breakfast.

I was looking forward to seeing (and hearing) him in June. I’m sure there will be many circles in the future where I will notice his absence.