Proms
Tuesday Liz went to West Wickham to get toenail done and shop. To quiet time and David was hilarious. Lady turned up late with a baby in the chantry. His comment "Just shut your gob". She left early. Over tea he said he likes his girlfriend "because she likes me". Liz and Adam were there. Stunning prom from Petrenko and the RPO. Shostakovich 10 and Beethoven piano concerto No 4 with Alexandre Kantorow who also played a virtuosic encore. Firebird finale.
Wed slept late so no swim. Bed and towels. England won semi-final against Australia women's football. Catching up on Proms. Impressed by Dora Pejakevic and Voces 8 singing Roxanna Panufnik and Barber. Mahler 7. Henry came and painted a canvas - a tortoise. Travelling auctioneers. Small mouse when I was cooking. Not nice.
Thur another hot night and lie-in. Liz temp up so resting. Listened to last night's prom Elgar In the South with MS and Aus Italien - not been played at the proms since 1900s! Did hoovering and ironing. Mahler 7 and Schumann piano concerto. Took Liz to King's as temp still up. She was due to go to Aspects of love at Hammersmith. Mendelssohn Scottish from Proms.
Friday swim and Unacc and they liked my new T short and video of Battle of the Flowers. Postponed Claire. Animal Park. Soldier's Tale from the Halle on Iplayer.
Sat lie-in. Very quiet without Liz here. Listened to proms. Read all of The Tablet. Visited Liz in Guthrie Ward - she has her own room (It used to be a private room). Mass at South Norwood David Standley slow and dignified. He tells me he has cancer, 3 hymns Do not be afraid with gaps, soul of my saviour and This is the day. No attempt at Guide me. Car park full but not church goers! Cooked pork, beans and rice Hello fresh. Mahler 3 from Prom. Rossini Il Signor Bruschino from Wildbad.
Sun played Dad's organ music and Fidelis by Whitlock. After lunch fetched Liz from King's and lucky to get parked in a disabled space. Enjoyed NYO prom on TV.
Mon swim, exercises. Liz's temp down. To C and W and Xrays took a while. Very nice doctor from Athens and looks like knee replacement might go ahead hopefully partial. Cooked. Only connect, University challenge.
Tues chat to Ann. Swim. Quiet time and long chat to Adam. Enjoyed the Prom Schumann Paradies und der Peri. We sang this in Zurich with Helen Donath, Peter Schreier and Charles Du Toit. Lucy Crowe was superb and Andrew Sharples and the other 4 soloists all distinguished themselves. Simon Rattle conducted reduced forces (5 double basses). The tenors of the chorus should have given much more in the first half. There is much to enjoy in this neglected work. Nice to see Adrian and John.
Wed swim. LIz haircut. Excellent meeting with Fr James Raj about the Letter showing Sept 22. Excellent Prom Hansel’s Samson. The Philharmonia Chorus on fine form and excellent soloists. What a pleasure to see Ferrolith collecting for musical charities as we came out! The Germans have arrived and saw Charles.
Thursday swim. LIz went for MRI scan and my booking came through for my scan. Sept 14. Caught up on Animal Park, hotel above Arctic circle. To David Lean cinema to see Name me Lawand a moving film about a deaf boy who learned BSL in Derby and saved his family from deportation. David was there. Saw a couple of giraffes in Croydon. £50,000 for tat. Interesting exhibition at the library shows how many fine buildings we have lost. Prom Schumann No 1 and Elgar violin concerto and new work by Judith Weir.
Friday it was Ian Bristow's funeral in Strood but we went to see theWMUK bikers off to Paris at Crystal Palace. It was nice to meet some more people. Took Sheena from Ealing on a mini-tour of the Palace then drove to Farthing Downs getting a bit confused so in fact we missed the bikers. We then went to the Red Lion Lindfield and saw them arriving and had buffet lunch in the garden which was very pleasant. The famous Dr De Saa is taking part! Had tea at Whyteleafe on the way home. Moved garden furniture around as it was a bit cooler. Boston SO Prom Strauss and Prokofiev Sym 5. Animal park.
Sat Hurtado on the Good Shepherd. To organ prom by Isabelle Demers all from memory! Stunning reeds. The Wagner and Prokofiev were most effective. Thunderstorm on way home via Sloane Square. We didn’t have disabled parking today and we missed it!Started the new jigsaw balloons in Cappadocia. Boston SO Prom Stravinsky, Gershwin and Ravel.
Played Mahler Adagietto, Paradies Sicilienne and a new piece Jongen Grand piece d’orgue. Meeting then to St John’s for Fr Tom on trauma theology with delicious gazpacho and cheese. Coleridge-Taylor Nonet. Watched RSCM course evensong from Bath Abbey. Good that there were 4 conductors. The new anthem reasonably effective. Turns out Callum Alger was conducting it! Prom was very memorable. Sir Simon Rattle conducting his final concert as chief conductor of the LSO. We began with the wonderful BBC singers Poulenc La figure humane. Emma Tring got a handshake from the maestro. Mahler 9 combines childlike joy with extreme anguish. Felt emotionally wrung out! We had good seats on the platform in M stalls for disabled.
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