Piano practice

I found this while clearing out my emails.

Flex your fingers while the ad is on,

it's worth the wait.

All together now

Sometimes the car radio supplies the perfect soundtrack.

Only last week I had been telling my son,

as we wandered around Leicester Square, 

that this had once been

an enormous roosting spot for starlings.

A murmuration of starlings,

once a common enough sight,

is now a rarity.

Today as I drove away from the supermarket car park

I had a tantalising reminder...

a local flock of starlings whirled, divided

and regrouped as this began to play -

A lovely Monday interlude

Every dull November 14th morning,

should start with a live performance

of Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata in G minor
in the comfort of your own home.

Today would have been my dad's birthday.

He had a good ear but no formal tuition

and played the old Broadwood upright from memory

with big crashing octave chords in the bass for added oomph.

Here his youngest grandson entertained us in similar fashion

about eighteen years ago.

As seen

here

Less silvered than Cathy's, 

more like old green glass.

Flying with Mozart

 It's a good thing the day is long,

there is much to do ...

Enjoying this rush of wind under my wings,
the Rondo Allegro at 04:19.

A lovely morning interlude*

because it isn't all errant electricians,
leaky plumbing
and Black Mould round here.


Sometimes people just offer to come and play
Fauré and Saint-Saëns 
'if you wouldn't mind',
before a return-to-the-concert-platform event
following surgery.


*See also A lovely evening interlude

Bowing out

After twelve years

with this great teacher and friend

we reached the final lesson tonight.

It started here -

and finished with this.

It seems to me that a spirited Prelude 

in a sad key perfectly represents

my mixed feelings about this stage of life

which is all about endings and beginnings.

Rachmaninov composed this at the age of 19.

O. will play it at his Leavers' concert tomorrow aged 18.

Fidelio

The London Lyric Opera, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,

Philharmonia Chorus

and Queen's College Chapel Choir -

some of whom came here between rehearsals and performance,

for a meal and

 

Special House Hot chocolate and

somewhere to dress. 

It was lovely to meet them and the concert was magnificent.

I don't know how they fit it all in with their studies.

Next stop Amiens in March.

The piano lesson

Tonight it was Bach and Gershwin.
It's been eleven years with Thomas now.


Here's where it all started.