Three artists

Chaplin, Gormley and Mendelssohn. 

Hot on the heels of our cultural day out in Bristol, we were heading north to spend the weekend with our friends in Lytham St Annes.  But we’d already booked tickets for our favourite concert of the season in Symphony Hall – the one where a classic silent movie is shown.  So on Friday night, we stayed in Birmingham.

The programme this year included a short Charlie Chaplin film, One AM, followed by the full length movie, City Lights.  Before this main programme, however, we were treated to the four winning films in a Silent Movie animation competition run by Birmingham City Council recently – what a bonus!

We’re not particular Chaplin fans and really, we’d been hoping that they’d show a Valentino film this year, or something similar.  Having said that, the whole experience is so terrific, we’d go to see anything, really.

Anyway, we settled down to watch as the orchestra struck up the music and within seconds, we were laughing.  Quite how Charlie Chaplin does (did) it, I have no idea – it really would be remarkable to create such a visual feast today, using all the technological trickery we have available.  But knowing how these films were created, we could only sit back, gasp with amazement at his skill, laugh until our sides hurt and occasionally hold our breaths as some tragic scene unfolded.

As ever, Symphony Hall was well filled for the evening with people of all ages who sat so quietly throughout, we’d have heard a pin drop.

Wonderful.

Antony Gormley was the next artist to feature in our weekend, in the form of his “Another Place”, on Crosby seashore.  I’ve wanted to see the hundred figures which are placed standing and looking out to sea, for some time and this seemed a great opportunity to visit them.

Except, we hadn’t thought to check the tide times!

Actually, it didn’t matter too much.  It was an easy place to park, to get out our coats and hats and enjoy a little bracing sea air.

It was very windy though, and from time to time my hero got an unexpected shower as a larger than average wave crashed against the sea wall.

As we walked, the figures became more visible, partly due to the changing tide, partly because at this end of the promenade, they seem to be set a little higher, or perhaps in shallower water.

By the time we’d walked back to the car, enjoyed a hot drink from the burger van parked along the way and read the paper a while, the tide had turned enough to see some complete figures at the other end of the beach.  We didn’t have the time or the inclination to walk back up there however and will simply have to return here.

And what of the third artist, Mendelssohn?  Well, our friend Olga was singing in a performance of Elijah on Saturday evening and we were very pleased to go along and support her.  It brought our little cultural break to a grand finale!

Harbinger of Spring

I’ve written here about our dear friend Tra and her marvellous playing.  With a new CD about to released and two more to follow, here’s a sample of what’s to come.

Gorgeous!

Drained…

We heard the CBSO last night in Symphony Hall.

Having got up at the crack of dawn to drive to Chester to research (and order) fittings for our wardrobes, we drove home via Birmingham.  We’d booked ages ago for this particular concert – Richard Strauss and Rachmaninov – and looked forward to hearing some terrific music played live in our favourite concert hall. It was recorded live for Radio 3, so if you’re quick, you might be able to hear it too.  It’s also widely reviewed here and here

We were not disappointed!

What made the evening more special was the preconcert talk by Stephen Johnson, who spoke so eloquently about Strauss and the relationship of his work to Nietzsche – in particular, about Also Sprach Zarathustra, of course.  To hear him rattle off bits of Nietzsche with ease, referring only briefly to notes whilst making it sound so interesting, was pretty impressive!  We usually find that the pre-concert talk enlightens our listening, but last night it was a model of its kind and made the performance so much more enjoyable.  Sadly, the Radio 3 programme presented by Stephen Johnson is lo longer available – I’d really like to hear what he had to say once again, having listened through the piece with shivers down my spine.  Not only were there times when the whole audience was sitting absolutely still and silent to hear the smallest of quivering sounds but there were also plenty of those awe-inspiring moments when Symphony Hall seemed to be completely full of the most wonderful music that made us all sit up and draw breath.

The interesting thing was that neither of the Strauss pieces end on a “high”, so though the applause was resounding, there wasn’t the same obviously rapturous reaction from the audience as one might have expected.  What was noticeable though, was the fact that the audience remained seated for several curtain calls and Andris Nelsons’ acknowledgement of the various soloists and sections of the orchestra.  Having watched the audience in Boston jump to their feet in a standing ovation but then scuttle out the door before the applause has even begun to abate, it’s good to watch a more respectful audience respond to a great evening of music. In particular, it’s fun to enjoy what has already become a small tradition between Andris and the orchestra – he begs them to stand and take another bow whilst they sit firm, insisting that it is he who should accept the applause and acclaim.  Only after several of these small interactions does the leader of the orchestra finally give the nod and the orchestra rise to their feet and give in to their conductor’s request.

Such is the warmth and excitement with the CBSO right now – we feel particularly fortunate to be able to listen to such terrific music, if not quite on our doorstep, then certainly just a short way down the road.

Back to school

Yesterday morning, there I was in the bathroom with Radio 3 playing one minute and the next, I was back at school.  More accurately, I was standing in morning assembly listening to my music teacher and virtuoso organist play the most thrilling and memorable piece as the headmaster made his entrance.

Picture the scene.

Not only did I stop and listen to the whole piece on the radio, I came straight downstairs and played it over again on Spotify.  Magic!

Food for the soul

We woke up this morning feeling replete. 

More than, actually.

We spent most of yesterday working with the legendary master baker Clive Mellum at Shipton Mill, at one of his breadmaking workshops.  We learned the basics from Clive a couple of years ago, since when we’ve baked bread regularly, usually with “Clive’s Mother” providing the necessary ferment.  My hero is the breadmaker in chief and having found a failsafe formula which we both love, we’ve lacked the confidence to explore alternatives, to stretch the parameters or stray from the prescribed method.  We needed another boost of confidence from Clive, and seized the opportunity to take his “advanced” workshop yesterday.  With our friends Arthur and Barbara and two ladies from Herefordshire, the six of us had Clive’s undivided attention for the day.  How lucky were we?

The basket of breads we were introduced to at the start of the day contained an impressive range of shapes and textures – surely we couldn’t expect to create such magic in just a short time?  Clive had other ideas!  With the first hour, the rye sourdough starter was at work and we’d got our hands in the dough.  In what seemed like a very short space of time, Clive was pulling our first loaves from the oven – attractively cracked crusted rye breads, proved in floured baskets which gave them that lovely stripy pattern.  Were we impressed with our work?  you bet!

No time to interrupt the workflow though, and in a matter of minutes we had other doughs in our boxes, rising there under the table in the warmth of the bakery.  We quickly made a couple of sourdough pita breads each, watching them inflate and bake in just three minutes in the oven.  The other dough in the photograph above is an open crumb, made using something Clive referred to as a “flying sponge” – there is always more to learn!

Finally, we needed to shape our baguettes – another nifty technique, explained and demonstrated in seconds by Clive but probably needing a couple of pages in a book.  We set out our beauties on deckchair canvas and went off to get some fresh air whilst Clive prepared our lunch.

Didn’t I say what a treasure he is?

The mill is in an idyllic setting on the bank of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and as we took a breather, entertainment was provided in the form of the tipper truck delivery and the occasional boat passing by.

We sat in the sunshine, thinking how good life is – taking the opportunity to photograph some of those lovely reflections in the water.

Of course, when the call came to say lunch was ready, we didn’t really expect such a feast!  Could there ever be a more appetising bread and cheese lunch?

In the meantime, Clive had put our baguettes into the oven and look what beauties resulted?  That loaf with a G on it was described as “top baguette” by Clive – and yes, it’s mine! 

More baking – this time a half and half rye and white flour loaf which turned out like this

And then, the “open crumb”, focaccia bread was baked

Last but not least, there were some seed doughs there we’d made earlier, which needed shaping and baking.

Clive demonstrated a new (to us) method of snipping the top of the dough with scissors which all of us loved – one loaf was snipped, the other slashed and into the oven they went.

And that was that.  3.3opm and one box of the yummiest, most attractive baked goodies later, we were done.  Yes, my snipped loaf does look like an open jaw with very sharp teeth!  The plastic bag contains the flying sponge for the next focaccia bake and, best of all, because both my Hero and I did the workshop, there’s another, almost identical box of baking to bring home as well!  I think that there’s going to be one full freezer here, but how good is that?

Oh, and you might recall the reflections I was admiring at lunchtime on the canal?  Well, after the baking workshop, we drove to Symphony Hall Birmingham, to a concert and sat by the canal there for a while, enjoying the unseasonably warm evening.

Did I think the reflection at lunchtime was good? 

Bah!

Birmingham did better!

In the still evening air, the water was like glass, until a flight (flotilla?) of geese decided to mush it up by swimming along it!

The concert was terrifc.  Andris Nelsons on tiptop form and a well filled hall is almost guaranteed to make the evening special and we left feeling bowled over by the experience.  If you can Listen Again using the link, you might get a flavour of the atmosphere there in Birmingham, if not, you’ll simply have to believe me that it was indeed a dazzling evening.

What a day. 

What an evening. 

What an aroma in the car when we returned after the concert!!