Tags
Anghiari Festival, Bach, Cadogan Hall, Haydn, Locatelli, Mary Abbots, Parliament Choir, Simon Over, Southbank Sinfonia, St John Passion, The Archers, The Creation
I am treating myself to a day off after a hectic run of work, so I am sitting in my garden as the cats explore various nooks and crannies, and admiring the plants, now sited in their various positions and beginning to take in the spring sunshine. After the post-apocalyptic concrete disaster of former years, this is a veritable oasis. It went massively over cost and time, of course, but seems to have been worth it, especially as the summer yawns ahead and many happy hours outside beckon.
Apart from the intermittent sunshine, I am also basking in the warm afterglow of the Parliament Choir’s rendition of Haydn’s The Creation yesterday evening at Cadogan Hall. Southbank Sinfonia, directed by Simon Over, played brilliantly – what else? – and the choir was on top form, sounding better than ever in a work they clearly enjoyed. Mind you, it is hard not to enjoy that piece, and, of all the animals, it was the worm which provoked the best reaction from the audience.
So what next? Well, in terms of composition I have a couple of large projects to get on with, though I am not intending to put any notes onto paper today, rather to give myself some proper downtime for a few hours. Then there are some more performances to come, including Bach’s St. John Passion this weekend at Mary Abbots, before things go slightly quieter next week. It may seem odd that things are so calm in one of the most musically intense weeks of the year, but most of the Holy Week music is unaccompanied, which gives people like me an early Easter break.
Much merriment has been had about my last but one post. St. Denise of Prague commented that my next piece should probably incorporate the theme tune from The Archers, while I have been gleefully informed about the inclusion of some Locatelli in the programme for the Anghiari Festival this summer as people go about causing good-natured mischief.
This afternoon, though, I think I’ll just sit out here with a glass of Parliamentary fizz, read a little more of Diana McVeagh’s biography of Finzi and let the minutes wash over me. As Calvin (of “and Hobbes”) says, “there’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want”, but I think I’ve managed to eke out a few hours.
Nicholas O'Neill 