Our beloved and revered Dr Albert Mason has passed away. Curiously, in supervision the week before, I had mentioned that phrase and Dr Mason wondered why we use the expression “passed away” when we mean to say that somebody has died. It was just like him to look at everything with an analytic mind, because one never knows when or where the unconscious will show itself. In so many ways Dr Mason taught us to listen to patients very attentively, to hear the subtle nuance, the unusual turn of phrase, the intricate interweaving of emotions and their phantasies. His favourite metaphor for analytic hearing was listening to chamber music, to listen for the way a theme is passed amongst the individual instruments, whose players work together in a very intimate way to create a musical conversation. And so it was my profound privilege to have had such an extended conversation with him. He was completely unique.

Dr Mason, it was the deepest and most intimate of pleasures to have known you for so many years.