Archive Entries for September 2019
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Saturday September 28, 2019
Glamour Puss
For some time Felicity has been engaged in a project to produce a Dada-esque book. I have been following progress, viewing the artwork, as she has been photographing her friends in (conical) costumes of her own creation, along with the most amazing varieties of bread (yes, bread - the sort you eat).
She always had it in mind that I would be photographed with my Mini car - not realising that I had long moved on to other models - however, this turned out to be a fortuitous setback, as she managed to find some wonderful (and willing) people with an original Mini with which we had a 1960's styled "shoot". I can tell you the "mini" dress was much longer than of that era but I am no longer a teenager so modesty prevailed. I did have a lot of difficulty not collapsing into giggles as Felicity's husband kept up a continual commentary of photographer's clichés throughout - "work it baby - that's hot!" - which was particularly amusing when spoken by a rather shy academic.
Posted on September 28, 2019 at 4:46 PM. Category: Art and Culture.
Saturday September 21, 2019
Sonning - Towards Zero
Another delightfully light-hearted retro experience at The Mill - not to mention good acting, good food, and good company. The book is from 1944 but Christie adapted it into a play in 1956; the plot is nicely worked and luckily the most challenging scenes on the windswept headland take place firmly off-stage. (In truth as with many of her plots, almost impossible to imagine anyone carrying it out in real life). One of the reviews said the play "almost had a feel of a television production in front of a live studio audience" which is the case as the theatre is small and intimate so that the actors do not (if they are wise) project voice and actions in the way they would for a normal stage production.
We went with a group of friends and colleagues who by popular consent chose a matinee performance. Traffic is so unpredictable that we planned it so we arrived mid-morning and enjoyed a leisurely amble by the Thames.
Along the way there was a very noticeable pretty plant that we did not recognise - it had rather large flowers for a "wild" flower. Rob later identified it as Indian Balsam, Impatiens Glandulifera - also known as Himalayan Balsam or Policeman's Helmet "an aggressive coloniser of river and stream banks".
Finally, on returning to the Mill, we watched a duck involved in spat with a decoy... (you musn't laugh).
Posted on September 21, 2019 at 6:06 PM. Category: Art and Culture.
Wednesday September 11, 2019
Proms: more new and old
Prom 71 was Bach Night and following on from last year's wonderful experience, we went for another dose of Bach with some new works as well.
John Butt and his ensemble the Dunedin Consort performed Bach's Orchestral Suites interspersed with four new works from Stuart MacRae, Nico Muhly, Ailie Robertson and Stevie Wishart.
- Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major
- Nico Muhly: Tambourin
- Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C major
- Stevie Wishart: The Last Dance?
- Ailie Robertson: Chaconne
- Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor
- Stuart MacRae: Courante
- Orchestral Suite No 3 in D major
Posted on September 11, 2019 at 6:04 PM. Category: Art and Culture.
