I wouldn't miss hearing you sing the 'Miserere' for the world

[shootingstar]

William , the chorister, and his mother are having lunch in a restaurant.

He reaches into his pocket, hoping her good mood will make this easier. 'I wanted to talk to you about Ash Wednesday. You told me in your last letter Robert couldn't come because of his back.'
'Yep,' A slash of poppy red has bloomed on each of her cheeks. . . .
Embarrassed and sad for her, he says, 'You told him not to come.'
She swallows and her mouth shrinks. 'What are you talking about?'
'I wrote to him, about how excited I was.' William puts the letter on the table. 'And he sent me this.' . . .
They both eat for a few moments, then William picks up the envelope, pulling the blue paper from it. ' "Of course," 'he reads slowly, ' "I wouldn't miss hearing you sing the 'Miserere' for the world, but your mother thinks the pressure of having her, me and Howard would be too much for you. I thought of coming on my own, but . . .

(From A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe, Part II Cambridge Choir, chapter 28)

What is the meaning of 'would' there and what time does it refer to? I take 'would' to express possibility or probability in this context, but it could be willingness as well. The issue is 'wouldn't' usually refers to past time. In my opinion 'would' refers to the future in this context.

 

[jutfrank]

You don't have to think about time or possibility or conditionality. It's just a semi-fixed expression.

I wouldn't miss (event X) for the world

It's used to say that you will definitely attend an event because attending is important to you.

In this particular concert, Robert says in his letter to William that he had intended to come, but he was told not to by William's mother. (I think that's right.)

 

[emsr2d2]

If it helps you to understand it, think of it as "I wouldn't be prepared to miss your performance of Miserere even if someone offered me the world (in exchange for my missing it)".