I have 2 abiding memories of Matthew, one is a clear recollection of him sitting in Mum's front room, he would have been around 10 or 11 I think,  in the chair in the bay window, reading Trivial Pursuit cards. Quite happy in his own little world, not doing it so he could win the game but just wanting to take in as much knowledge as possible. This moment absolutely personifies how I'll remember him, that thirst for knowledge and his studiousness even in the Christmas holidays. 

The second memory is him playing the piano for me, can't remember exactly when, maybe when I was round 20 and he was 15 or so. He played something and asked me to guess what it was. Now, I knew the song, deep in my bones I knew I'd heard the tune plenty of times before, it was something I could hum along to, I knew the next note coming, but I just couldn't place it, not all at. At the end, I had to admit defeat, and smiling he informed me it was the instrumental section of Layla by Derek and the Dominoes. Of course I said, I did know it, but I knew he didn't believe me, he definitely thought he'd got the better of me that day. I was so frustrated :-)

Those are my recollections, if Mum were still around she'd probably mention the hundreds of times she watch Matthew on Young Musician of the Year, that video was played many, many,.....many times, she was so proud of him (we all were) and in fairness it has meant even I can recognise that bloody Debussy tune nowadays.

For all his intellect Matt was such a gentle and caring person, I can't imagine anyone who has met him would have a bad word to say about him. He'll be a big loss to our family. He be fondly remembered as the brains of the bunch, and we're not a daft lot, always with a ready smile and a kind word.