Stop Hesitating Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sarah Caldwell

Sarah Caldwell (1924-2006) was a child prodigy, who, by the age of ten, was already giving public and highly skilled performances on the violin. Graduating from high school at the young age of fourteen, she then attended - and just as quickly graduated - from the Arkansas University and the Conservatorium of New England, before winning a scholarship to the top of the range Music Academy in Massachusetts. At the age of twenty-three, she was directing operas and symphonies created by some of the world's famous names in the world of classical music. In 1952, she was gained the position of Head of the Boston University's opera department, and from there she established the Opera Company of Boston, quickly building up a reputation for staging some of the most famous and most difficult operas or symphonic works ever written.

1976 saw Sarah Caldwell become the first female conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She was awarded a Doctorate of Fine Arts in 1976 - an outstanding honour achieved by very few figures - and a National Medal of Arts in 1996. Her unique approach to directing some of the most famous operatic works every written gave opera an impetus, vigour and new life that was long overdue, so that this incredibly demanding form of the arts took its rightful place on the world's centre stage once more. Lovers of classical music owe Sarah Caldwell an enormous debt.

Answer: Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 until 1945, during the the Second World War when that country was on its knees following the onslaught from Germany. He took the helm again from 1951 until 1955. His was the voice that gave hope and inspiration to a nation that had barely recovered from the First World War before that second deadly conflict was on its doorstep.

His aura of strength, solidity and confidence, and powerful speech making ability provided a rallying point to which the nation's war-weary people gathered to continue the fight again and again and again.

More than a mouth piece, however, Winston Churchill's own life was living proof of a man who was the very epitome of the above inspirational quote.

Answer: Boris Pasternak

Born in Moscow in 1890, Boris Pasternak died in 1960. His father was an artist who illustrated many of Tolstoy's writings and that great writer would prove to be one of the strongest influences on the young Pasternak during his early years. His mother was a concert pianist, so with the creative genius coming from both sides of his family, it's hardly any wonder that Pasternak himself was so skilled in many areas. It would be music that was his first love and that is what he studied at university for six years before switching suddenly to philosophy instead. After studying at that discipline for several years, he switched again and decided to devote his life to literature instead - and the world was the winner.

Pasternak's most famous work outside of Russia was "Doctor Zhivago" and he completed it in 1956. The rest of the world might never have been treated to this passionate work had it not been for the author's stance against socialism at the expense of individualism. It was refused publication in his own country and first appeared in print in Italy instead. Comically so, the immediate Russian opposition to this work made the novel a worldwide success. Pasternak had well and truly answered the knock he heard on his own door.

Answer: John O'Donohue

Born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1956, John O'Donoghue, as Irish as they come, died in 2008. This revered Irish poet, philosopher, priest, speaker and author spoke Irish Gaelic (Gaeilge) and lived alone in a remote cottage in the far west of that beautiful land. Apart from his profound works of literature, this unusual man lectured and spoke widely throughout Europe and America. One unique theme running through much of what he wrote and lectured upon was centred round the overlapping and melding point between philosophy, poetry and theology.

A gregarious and good-humoured story-teller on a social level, John O'Donohue's written works however were the product of the depth of thought that only solitude can evoke. Indeed, this fascinating writer believed that much of the frenetic quality, and lack of direction, of Western life today is the result of an absence of silence and quiet meditation. Only when, as this one time priest would state, we "acknowledge the integrity of solitude, and settle into its mystery" can we know God and find ourselves and our true destinies.

Answer: William Blake

William Blake (1757-1827) went largely unrecognised during his lifetime. Today however he is looked upon by many as the most amazing artist England has ever produced. Typical! They wait until they've kicked the creative bucket before recognising their worth. Part of the reason for that lack of recognition while he lived was that Blake held extremely different personal, creative and philosophical views than those expressed by most other people of his day. He was, in fact, considered to be insane by many of his contemporaries.

His artwork was in stark contrast to that normally produced at the time. He married well below his station to a woman who was the daughter of a market garden farmer and who couldn't read or write. A marriage of love, that didn't deter Blake from wanting to introduce another woman into their household to become a surrogate mother when his wife one couldn't initially reproduce. Many of his fine works were destroyed after his death by those who considered they were the work of the devil because of their strange perspectives and sexual imagery. He staunchly advocated equal rights and the pursuit of complete fulfilment for women, a view that was unpopular at the time. He was quick-tempered, stood in opposition to many of the religious and social views of the time, and his written works were replete with strange and disturbing mystical views on God, religion, the nature of mankind's connection to an infinite oneness, and the nature of the soul.

Answer: Mary Oliver

Mary Oliver, who was born in 1935, has been described by many as America's finest poet. While that may be disputed by others of course, the talent of this creative writer has seen her win the National Book Award in 1992, the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, and many other sought after awards.

Her first book of poetry was printed when she was only twenty-eight, and, in between teaching at university level, the output of work this artist produced is astonishing. Strong themes running through that work are her intense love of the natural world and its beauty, and also that strange affinity with solitude and self examination that pervades much of the output of other artists.

She believes in the healing and creative force of nature, how we should allow it to do its work on our own beings, and all we can achieve if we learn to listen to the messages of the universe. "Tell me," she asks, "What is it you plan to do, With your one wild and precious life?"

Answer: Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews was born in 1935 and began her career in the entertainment business as a child. This lovely actress, singer, writer and director had a very far from idyllic childhood, however, but rose above it all to become one of the world's most loved musical stars.

Her voice was unique, purely pitched, sweet, with beautiful diction and a range of four octaves. It could quite easily be described as one of the most listenable-to voices of the age. Her dancing and acting skills were also top notch, as evidenced in her many delightful films. With a career spanning stage, radio, film and television, this charming woman, in her later years, has also branched out into writing and directing in addition to her many other talents.

She has penned twelve books, been nominated for and won an astonishing number of awards for her performances, endured the loss of that exquisite singing voice, been married twice, and was made a DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) - and all this from a person with a troubled childhood. Julie Andrews really did grab the opportunities of life that floated past her quite delightful musical nose.

Answer: Eric Hoffer

Eric Hoffer lived from 1902 until 1983. With many works to his credit, including ten books, this Presidential Medal of Freedom winner suffered a severe setback as a child when his mother took a tumble down a flight of stairs while carrying him in her arms. The injuries sustained by the child saw him losing his sight for eight years, and his memory for some time as well. Yet he recovered, and such was his joy at seeing again, he began a lifelong habit of reading everything he could in case he should lose that precious gift once more.

The early part of his career found Eric Hoffer living in acute poverty for several years as he struggled to make a living, and at one time he contemplated suicide. Yet, as living proof of his own advice, this giant of a writer managed to take all the negative experiences of his life, examine them closely for their lessons learned, and pen some of the most powerful and influential modern day works ever written. These include his 1951 work "The True Believer" which deals with the rise and effects of fanatical mass movements throughout history, their devastating effects on society, and the manner and way of life that gives birth to their inception. Heavy, but very fascinating.

Answer: Doris Lessing

Born to British parents, Doris Lessing actually popped into the world in 1919 in Iran where her father, an ex-military man, was working for a Persian bank. She has won many awards for her truly astonishing output over her lifetime. This includes twenty-seven novels, the librettos for two operas, plays, short stories, poetry, and many works of non-fiction. Such an illustrious career started out with her first job as a nursemaid, but in keeping with her quote above in which she stated that anyone will blossom if given the opportunity to do so, Doris was fortunate in having an employer who allowed her full use of the family library, encouraging her in particular to read works of politics and sociology. Poor girl! She was only fifteen at the time!

Never afraid to take on the more serious issues of her age, this remarkable woman's concerns include a mix of social protest, political attacks on corrupt rulers, feminism, the inequalities existing throughout the world, mysticism, developing self-fulfilment in the individual, and, most peculiarly, science fiction. What a juxtaposition. The wording on her Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007 reads "...that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny". Indeed, Doris Lessing has subjected a divided civilisation to more than just scrutiny. She's practically carried out an autopsy on it. She was made a Companion of Honour (CH), one of the highest awards given in Britain, in 1999.

Answer: Richard Branson

Born in 1950, Richard Branson, had undiagnosed dyslexia during his school years. This resulted in a poor academic record for the young fellow, but did he let this hold him back? Not on your nelly. Because he was delayed at achieving in academic subjects, Richard developed a rather amazing set of people skills instead. Of his early steps into the business world - selling records - he said "There is no point in starting your own business unless you do it out of a sense of frustration".

This remarkable business man took his own frustration at his lack of academic prowess and turned it into a multi billion dollar business empire instead.

This man with the giant teeth really did say yes to the chances that came his way - and learned "how to do it later".