Apart from being a daily Mass goer, Dvorak is also sometimes credited with being the first great American composer.
Dvorak 8 definitely has some American moments in the Scherzo - riding across the prairie stuff and who could forget the rock 'n' roll bass line at the end of Dvorak 9?
R3 are presently broadcasting Dvorak 6 from the Proms, which has a stunning piece of syncopation in the first movement, almost as surprising as that bit in the Brahms German Requiem, y'know, that bit, which given Brahms propensity to take off in a JS Bachesque way is pretty amazing.
Anyway, Dvorak is one of my favourite composers on account of his ability to write great melodies and to orchestrate brilliantly.
Update, blimey an alarming accelerando at the end of the third movement, like serious possibility of a car crash. Not sure I liked that. Where's Mariss Jansons when you need him?
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Sitemeter
Had a prob over the weekend along with lots of other people whereby it was impossible to get onto lots of blogs, even me on my own. Fearing a Stasi style crackdown in the blogland on anyone linking to various uber-blogs, I checked through all the blogs I normally read and tried to look for a pattern.
A reader to Fr Z's blog handily displayed how to get round sitemeter and the problem was sorted. I did consider deleting my blog, lest it fall into the wrong hands. Too much watching of 'The Lord of the Rings' at the end of term, methinks. Where's Gandalf when you need him?
A reader to Fr Z's blog handily displayed how to get round sitemeter and the problem was sorted. I did consider deleting my blog, lest it fall into the wrong hands. Too much watching of 'The Lord of the Rings' at the end of term, methinks. Where's Gandalf when you need him?
Never Knowingly Undersold
My favourite shop in the whole world for sensible household purchases is John Lewis. Finding myself a lady with a linen cupboard and on holiday I get to organise things in a sensible and grown up way. Thus I have bought a new duvet (special purchase, duck down etc as advised in years gone by by Grandma,) to go on new spare bed. This all got a bit pressing as an Auntie is hopefully coming to stay the night later on in the week. If not then I'll just have to kidnap someone.
But back to John Lewis. I love the fact that everyone is an expert in their chosen field, be it how many feathers in each square of duvets or handbags or china, or lights or curtains. And I love the fact that the people working there are partners and get a share in the company's profits.
Not to be confused with Tudor Williams in New Malden - Never knowingly undersold in Surrey. How quaint. Why would you want to leave the confines of that county and go to Kent or Sussex, for example?
But back to John Lewis. I love the fact that everyone is an expert in their chosen field, be it how many feathers in each square of duvets or handbags or china, or lights or curtains. And I love the fact that the people working there are partners and get a share in the company's profits.
Not to be confused with Tudor Williams in New Malden - Never knowingly undersold in Surrey. How quaint. Why would you want to leave the confines of that county and go to Kent or Sussex, for example?
Sunday, 27 July 2008
By the Seaside
Have just returned from an action packed and fun filled weekend in Brighton.
By a series of happy turns, I sang at St Mary Magdalene's for their Feast Day, swelling the ranks of their choir with various other extra singers. All power to the maestra di capella and my host for the weekend.
Then, after a glass of wine, (how civilised) and a meeting with Fr Ray, PP and celebrity blogger extraordinaire, to the beach for cool music sung by the daughter of a parishoner, then a boat trip from the beach to Brighton Marina. (I'm not making this up, btw.) Oh yes and the boat trip included tea from fine bone china cups, no less. These people relax in style!
Thankyou to all for a fantastic time!
By a series of happy turns, I sang at St Mary Magdalene's for their Feast Day, swelling the ranks of their choir with various other extra singers. All power to the maestra di capella and my host for the weekend.
Then, after a glass of wine, (how civilised) and a meeting with Fr Ray, PP and celebrity blogger extraordinaire, to the beach for cool music sung by the daughter of a parishoner, then a boat trip from the beach to Brighton Marina. (I'm not making this up, btw.) Oh yes and the boat trip included tea from fine bone china cups, no less. These people relax in style!
Thankyou to all for a fantastic time!
Monday, 14 July 2008
On the move
I'm moving house on Wednesday. That's my latest excuse for not writing anything on me blog. That and the fact that other people are up to lots more exciting things. Fr Ray (the lutenists)has his new lute, Fr Sean Finnegan is gadding around North America, The Pope is in Australia...I'm moving about three miles, to a slightly bigger house in a much greener area, three stations closer to London.
Me and the cardboard boxes are doing just fine.
I happened upon some board markers (c1998) this morning, so can now label the boxes and can tell the removal men where to put them.
The main removal man can round today to remove rubbish, which was great. Off went the desk I did my Alevel work on. If you took a 'brass rubbing' of it you'd probably get an interesting collage of algebra, harmony, organic chemistry and calculus, plus my Dad's comments on student's History essays.
My parents are doing all sorts of useful things like disconnecting washing machines and taking curtains to the dry cleaners. I think you can guess which is doing what.
Books, Music and CDs. Moving house must be easier without them, but life less exciting.
In other news I have two tickets to hear the Berlin Phil with Rattle at the Proms. Not alas the Brahms 3 and Shostakovich 10 programme which was already sold out last week- no surprise really. Not sure how they did that programme, just take two of your favourite symphonies and put them either side of the interval? Yes, I could go and queue, but contrary to what it says in the Proms Guide, it is very possible to turn up to hear a visiting foreign orch and not even to get into the Gallery. I know 'cos it has happened to me. I have queued all day before to hear Rattle and the CBSO doing Mahler 7 and was on the telly, but I was a student and sitting on pavements passing the day chatting was a way of life. Now I want comfort.
I'm going to the Wagner and Messiaen concert. From the back row of the circle, the Messiaen will sound interesting... in a different way to when I heard the same programme in Amsterdam in Feb. Then we sat in the Choir Stalls behind the cymbals and every other metal percussion instrument. Crash! Two Turangalilas in one year!
Me and the cardboard boxes are doing just fine.
I happened upon some board markers (c1998) this morning, so can now label the boxes and can tell the removal men where to put them.
The main removal man can round today to remove rubbish, which was great. Off went the desk I did my Alevel work on. If you took a 'brass rubbing' of it you'd probably get an interesting collage of algebra, harmony, organic chemistry and calculus, plus my Dad's comments on student's History essays.
My parents are doing all sorts of useful things like disconnecting washing machines and taking curtains to the dry cleaners. I think you can guess which is doing what.
Books, Music and CDs. Moving house must be easier without them, but life less exciting.
In other news I have two tickets to hear the Berlin Phil with Rattle at the Proms. Not alas the Brahms 3 and Shostakovich 10 programme which was already sold out last week- no surprise really. Not sure how they did that programme, just take two of your favourite symphonies and put them either side of the interval? Yes, I could go and queue, but contrary to what it says in the Proms Guide, it is very possible to turn up to hear a visiting foreign orch and not even to get into the Gallery. I know 'cos it has happened to me. I have queued all day before to hear Rattle and the CBSO doing Mahler 7 and was on the telly, but I was a student and sitting on pavements passing the day chatting was a way of life. Now I want comfort.
I'm going to the Wagner and Messiaen concert. From the back row of the circle, the Messiaen will sound interesting... in a different way to when I heard the same programme in Amsterdam in Feb. Then we sat in the Choir Stalls behind the cymbals and every other metal percussion instrument. Crash! Two Turangalilas in one year!
Monday, 7 July 2008
Evening Devotions
I keep meaning to put a link to this.
Don't know how anyone has time to do this, but it's really good.
Don't know how anyone has time to do this, but it's really good.
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Reading
It is about this time of year when my mind begins to be filled with wonder at the time which is - drum roll - the Summer Holidays..... The sooner the better. I can't afford a repeat performance leaving stuff on trains. It'll either get stolen or cause a major security alert.
It is during this time every year that I do anything needed doing to my house -DIY etc and me new contact lenses and the like.
Other seasonal activities include reading proper books. I had a chat once with some other teachers and we agreed that we can't read proper serious tomes during the year. Infact one suggested that she was so frazzled at the end of term that a week of reading trashy stuff was necessary before getting down to decent books. She offered to lend some to someone else.
I suffer delusions that I will read that book on Orchestration and that other one on Species Counterpoint because they would be improving and generally sharpen up my now flabby mind. This year...
What would you folks reccommend? I should say I have read all the 'easy' (that is chatty or written as sermons and tied together into a book) BXVI books.
Biographies are good.
It is during this time every year that I do anything needed doing to my house -DIY etc and me new contact lenses and the like.
Other seasonal activities include reading proper books. I had a chat once with some other teachers and we agreed that we can't read proper serious tomes during the year. Infact one suggested that she was so frazzled at the end of term that a week of reading trashy stuff was necessary before getting down to decent books. She offered to lend some to someone else.
I suffer delusions that I will read that book on Orchestration and that other one on Species Counterpoint because they would be improving and generally sharpen up my now flabby mind. This year...
What would you folks reccommend? I should say I have read all the 'easy' (that is chatty or written as sermons and tied together into a book) BXVI books.
Biographies are good.
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