Wild Wales

We had a very restful time. My parents are still there. Got to drive through Snowdonia with a beautiful sunset. Saw Portmeirion in brilliant sunshine and just enjoyed being there.



Tried to learn a bit more Welsh. The local chippy has a bilingual menu on the wall. Sglolian = Chips. Thus Sglolian bach and Sglolian fawr for small and big portions and in Tescos where the ailses are labelled in big Welsh and small English papur ty bach = little house paper or loo roll!



My parents are righly dead chuffed with their lovely static caravan and its beautiful location in woods.



Driving home on Fri and Sat was a little epic. Had to take a rustic detour outside Welshpool due to a car smash. Off into the single track, signless wilds. Managed to locate Shewsbury OK though and then on to my Aunt and Uncle's a bit further on.



Back to work the morrow.



No more mountains or bara brith for me!

Music Meme

Mac seems to think I should do this :-)

What song is in your head?
'Lord for tomorrow and its needs' cos I sang it this morning and for all sorts of reasons it was very apt for today.

What is the newest album in your collection?

Schumann Piano Quartet given to me by a colleague so that I may learn to play it more easily. Did Schumann occasionally 'forget' he was writing for violin, viola, cello and piano and not for two violins et al? I think that maybe he did. I need an E string in the last movement.


What is the top album on your wish list?

Stephen Isserlis's new recording of the Bach Cello Suites.

What is the most recent live music event you have attended?

Magic Flute at ENO

Not a music event, but hey great singing at Mass in Wales and an excellent organist. So good that when he got to the end of his improvisation, cum intro landing on a V7 chord and then went in to the hymn, I started singing, but that was infact the real intro, oops, too keen.

What is the top live music event on your wish list?

Maris Jansons and the RCO doing anything by Mahler or Dvorak or Brahms.
St Antony Variations are a favourite, but then so is Brahms 3, Brahms 4, Dvorak 8
If I had to Choose Mahler, 8 because I've never heard it live.
Mm now the clocks have gone back Bruckner 9 is great. Mulled wine and Bruckner, obviously.

Stuff synaesthesia, I think the links bewteen food and music have been too little explored.
Although a colleague and I did enjoy foxing a line of boys by having a conversation about colours and keys. He thought C major was yellow - a happy smiley key, whereas HoD who has perfect pitch, thought the whole idea was silly and then said C maj was magnolia and neutral.

But I digress.

I also am fond of early music, so some beautiful venue in Italy, with a great group doing Monteverdi ( anything I love it all.) I like Ex Cathedra quite a bit.

I also like the relentless play/ sing til you drop of Irish Trad music with all the dancing (clompy shoes particularly)and Welsh choirs. Oh and then there is Cerdd dant. So a day at the National Eisteddfod. Best singing I have ever heard was at the Eisteddfod in Bala. Can't beat it. Welsh being blest with pure vowels plus a harp. Need I say more...

Long list but hey this is a Catholic blog who says we have to hold back?

What are the top three albums currently in rotation at your house?
Mm have to confess I rarely sit down and listen to music, but I do have R3 on a lot.
On Sat when I was driving home, I was able to catch most of CD Review, which is my favourite radio programme. Andrew MacGregor is a top man.
Anyway, they 'did' their stuff on the Schubert C major Cello Quintet D9 hundred and very late. That is a real favourite. You just gotta listen to it, all 50 mins of it.

Does music you are practising count? OK. Bach Cello Suites for Viola and Horn.

And some madrigals I must get to grips with asap.

I notice that Mac has memed Fr Justin. I seem to think that he is a musician as is Fr Ray, so if they are not too busy, it would be good to know what they like.

Plus anyone else. We all have favourites. Let me know and I'll have a read.

Half Term

Hurray!

Off to the land of my father tomorrow.

No Internet. No land line and intermittent mobile reception. Should be good for a rest.

Have fun merry readers.

Don't forget to vote for Fr Z and Fr Tim et al.

Do other people write blogs? All the top religious ones seem to be Catholic.

More on Music from Fr Zed, who writes in red.

Oh goody.

The Magic Flute

Yesterday, we took some of the sixth form to see The Magic Flute, aka, Die Zauberflote at ENO. Hard life, I know. I did get home at 12.15am and then get up at 6am to teach all day today....

I usually prefer things in the original language, but this being a Singspiel with spoken dialogue, it was very immediate and funny in English. I hadn't been there since it's all been refurbished and it's a beautiful theatre. The singing translation worked very well with Mozart's phrsaing and there was some fantastic singing particularly from Papageno and the three boys.

This is the third time I've seen Magic Flute and the whole masonry, enlightenment thing seemed very strong. Or maybe I just know slightly more. My first experience was my first term in secondary school at a Schools' Matinee at the ROH. In German of course. Didn't understand anything even faintly, but thought it was very exciting. I spent lots of these performances (for members of the choir and orch got first go at the tickets, so I went about once a term - lucky eh!) looking into the orchestra pit. Opera the total art form, something for everyone...

I'm not known for being a strident feminist. Having woman teachers back five generations, plus plenty of feisty women in the family and very kind men, doesn't give you much of an axe to grind. That said it did really bring out the apparent misogyny of masonry. Put women in their place etc. Not attractive, and of course the Queen of the Night is the baddie with her three side kicks.

Will have to read the libretto methinks and dust down some books. Half term beckons.

A great production and as it was the last night all the techie people came onto the stage for a bow. Needless to say, the orch were mostly packed up and gone when the conductor gestured down to them.

What Kind of Cross are You?

You are the San Damiano Cross: Rich in symbolism, this cross was first painted in the twelfth century gathering images from the Gospel of John. Christ is the central figure and is surrounded by the angles, the apostles and the Virgin Mary. The cross became well known because it was the cross in front of which St. Francis was praying when he received the call to rebuild the Church.
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A blogger after my own heart

Check this out for some great BXVI pics.

Here's one to entice you over there.

You paid attention during 100% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
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That's clever cos I guessed one of the questions!

Liturgical Music

I removed my venting about music because the tenor (no pun intended) on Holy Smoke has now become very nasty and I have no wish to be part of that.

An Award

First I get added to two blog rolls and memed and now an award.

Too much excitement. Thank you.

Now the bit shamelessly copied from Mac. Thank goodness for copy and paste.

'Anyway, what is a Mathete when it's at home?It seems to be a brand new award being passed out. It is the Mathetes Award, created by Dan King of Management by God to recognize those who take to heart the Great Commission and further God’s Kingdom by creating more disciples for Him. According to Dan, mathetes is the Greek word for "disciple".The rules for the award, as posted by its creator, are as follows: Winners of this award must pick five other "disciples" to pass it on to. As you pass it on, you are asked to mention and provide links for (1)the post Dan King of Management by God as the originator of the award, (2) the person that awarded it to you, and then (3) name and sites of the five that you believe are fulfilling the role of a disciple of Christ.'

This award is becoming more of a club, though. Not that I'm in any way, shape or form ungrateful. That would be against my alleged positiveness.

The hard bit is finding five people who have not already got this award and you read their blog.

Back in a mo when I've had a check.

Ask Sister Martha Mary because she's clear and fiesty.

Antagonistic Pots and Pans because she's spotty and interesting.

Cottage Blessings just because of the picture at the top. (The rest is great too mind.)

That leaves two. Um have to sort it out later.