Days 33 to 34
(Saturday & Sunday, 18th & 19th April)
It is a small blessing that a number of sources of normal entertainment - that requires attendance at a public gathering of more than two people, like theatres and cinemas and opera houses - are being streamed in full, so we can watch them at home on our TVs. On Friday evening we both enjoyed watching the Royal Opera House performance of Cosi Fan Tutte, a 'comedy', sort of in the Shakespearean mould. On Saturday evening I enjoyed watching the England Rugby Union team go to Wales, during the 2017 Six Nations Championship. What a match it was ... and what a result for England! Next Thursday, 23rd April (Shakespeare's birthday), the National Theatre is streaming a performance of Twefth Night. This is the play that both B and I studied at 'O' Level. Looking forward to that.
I finally managed to record my (bass) part of Hallmark's latest song, which Tim Briggs is going to put together in a compilation of individual recordings from all the members of the chorus to present to the BABS Live event, which will be played on line and replace the now cancelled convention at the end of May. The song is Hannah Briggs' arrangement of Bruce Springsteen's Dancing in The Dark. For the Basses, it is probably one of the most challenging songs certainly I've ever had to learn, because it is relentless and leaves little or no time for breathing! Not helped because we cannot meet to rehearse this live and there's ultimately no substitute for that. So above all else it has been a challenge of our musicianship. I think the result will be worth listening to, if what Tim has already put together with the few submissions he's so far had.
I mowed the lawn (aka cutting the grass) on Sunday. To call it a lawn is a bit of a stretch. Also cut the expansive from lawn, all two square metres of it!
And, speaking of music, Clemency Burton-Hill's choices for the weekend, from her book, "Year of Wonder" are here ...
Saturday: "Stabat Mater 7: 'Eia mater, fons amoris' - 'Oh mother, fount of love'. by Antonio Vivaldi. One of many, many interpretations of the poem (of unknown authorship), "Stabat Mater Dolorosa" that down the ages has been given an extraordinary range of translations into choral and musical. In the mean time here is my poetic interpretation of this deeply moving Easter account: "A Ballad for Stabat Mater".
Sunday: "Valse Lente - slow waltz" by Germaine Tailleferre.
However you may be affected by anything I've written about, do leave me a comment below or, if you prefer not to, talk to a loved one, a friend or someone you trust.
Monday, 20 April 2020
Saturday, 18 April 2020
On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 32
Day 32
(Friday, 17th April 2020)
Another routine day, really. I continue to attempt to wash anything the current incumbent of the White House says from my mind. He is quite frankly so full of mind sewage, principally because, despite his pathological narcissism, he must know his credibility and reputation around the World is very poor; he is a joke and it would be a joke if it weren't for the fact he is the President of the United States and is therefore a threat to us all. So I'm not even going to report anything except that, in the extreme, he is clearly trying to divert attention away from his inadequacies by creating external 'enemies' of America.
Bloody stupid man!
As every day she does, B spent more constructive time in the garden, which its getting to look better and better. For the small part I play in that, I did a bit more work on paths and steps down towards the bottom of the garden. The dry weather continues to help these causes and sources of much needed salve and therapy for us both.
Today's choice of music from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder", is "Ellis Island" by Meredith Monk. Monk is described by Burton-Hill as a "multi-talented American composer, choreographer, director and filmmaker". Monk was invited to make a film about Ellis Island, "which had been the iconic point of entry for millions of immigrants to the USA". This track is, Clemency says, ""like a distillation of Monk's work in microcosm". It is a rather dreamy, mesmerising and lovely piece of music.
However you may be affected by anything I've written about, do leave me a comment below or, if you prefer not to, talk to a loved one, a friend or someone you trust.
(Friday, 17th April 2020)
Another routine day, really. I continue to attempt to wash anything the current incumbent of the White House says from my mind. He is quite frankly so full of mind sewage, principally because, despite his pathological narcissism, he must know his credibility and reputation around the World is very poor; he is a joke and it would be a joke if it weren't for the fact he is the President of the United States and is therefore a threat to us all. So I'm not even going to report anything except that, in the extreme, he is clearly trying to divert attention away from his inadequacies by creating external 'enemies' of America.
Bloody stupid man!
As every day she does, B spent more constructive time in the garden, which its getting to look better and better. For the small part I play in that, I did a bit more work on paths and steps down towards the bottom of the garden. The dry weather continues to help these causes and sources of much needed salve and therapy for us both.
Today's choice of music from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder", is "Ellis Island" by Meredith Monk. Monk is described by Burton-Hill as a "multi-talented American composer, choreographer, director and filmmaker". Monk was invited to make a film about Ellis Island, "which had been the iconic point of entry for millions of immigrants to the USA". This track is, Clemency says, ""like a distillation of Monk's work in microcosm". It is a rather dreamy, mesmerising and lovely piece of music.
However you may be affected by anything I've written about, do leave me a comment below or, if you prefer not to, talk to a loved one, a friend or someone you trust.
Friday, 17 April 2020
On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 31
Day 31
(Thursday, 16th April 2020)
Another day. Another dollar ... or pound. God forbid we end up with dollars. That would mean that DT's dysfunctional corporate establishment, nay banking system, had finally bought out the UK. Perish the thought that we keep up the lock down - and it would seem wise and humane to do so - whilst the USA exit and get back to business, at a great cost to lives. Their economy survives and ours in ruins. We'd be at the mercy of a takeover! Nightmare, Night terror. Arrrgh!
Meanwhile, the death toll continues to rise here (now heading towards 15,000 confirmed deaths from Corona virus) and around the World, although there is a tentative reduction in the load on hospital Accident and Emergency departments, which may indeed a momentary reduction. We cannot afford to relax restrictions yet.
Or could it be China. Who knows. Whatever happens, as ever was the case, we can never be certain of the future and, as your well briefed financial adviser would say: "past performance is no guarantee of the future ...".
Enough of this. Some more digging and path repairing at the bottom of the garden, to provide some physical therapy. All's well that ends well the day.
Today's choice of music from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder", is "Tornami a vagheggiar - 'Return and desire me' from Alcina" by George Frederic Handel. This was Chopin's first piano concerto, although numbered 2 because it wasn't published till after his Concerto No.1, for some reason. At nineteen years old the young Frederic had just fallen in love with a beautiful singer called Constantia Gladkowska, but, smitten as he was, "in the six months since I first saw her I have not exchanged a syllable with her of whom I dream every night".
Ms Burton-Hill follows this with "Mate, we've all been there". It is evident, however, that Chopin poured all his feelings of love for this woman into this piece. "It is hard to imagine a more persuasive love note ... At least this heavenly music endures." Clemency concludes.
However you may be affected by anything I've written about, do leave me a comment below or, if you prefer not to, talk to a loved one, a friend or someone you trust.
Meanwhile, the death toll continues to rise here (now heading towards 15,000 confirmed deaths from Corona virus) and around the World, although there is a tentative reduction in the load on hospital Accident and Emergency departments, which may indeed a momentary reduction. We cannot afford to relax restrictions yet.
Or could it be China. Who knows. Whatever happens, as ever was the case, we can never be certain of the future and, as your well briefed financial adviser would say: "past performance is no guarantee of the future ...".
Enough of this. Some more digging and path repairing at the bottom of the garden, to provide some physical therapy. All's well that ends well the day.
Today's choice of music from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder", is "Tornami a vagheggiar - 'Return and desire me' from Alcina" by George Frederic Handel. This was Chopin's first piano concerto, although numbered 2 because it wasn't published till after his Concerto No.1, for some reason. At nineteen years old the young Frederic had just fallen in love with a beautiful singer called Constantia Gladkowska, but, smitten as he was, "in the six months since I first saw her I have not exchanged a syllable with her of whom I dream every night".
Ms Burton-Hill follows this with "Mate, we've all been there". It is evident, however, that Chopin poured all his feelings of love for this woman into this piece. "It is hard to imagine a more persuasive love note ... At least this heavenly music endures." Clemency concludes.
However you may be affected by anything I've written about, do leave me a comment below or, if you prefer not to, talk to a loved one, a friend or someone you trust.
Thursday, 16 April 2020
On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 30
Day 30
(Wednesday, 15th April 2020)
Today's first event was our once weekly on line session of Tai Chi with David Lipka, of Mindful Tai Chi.
What else? Apart from some path and step rebuilding as well as assisting B with a bit of digging at the bottom end of our garden in some glorious warm and sunny weather, it was a routine and uneventful day, besides our next door neighbour getting stuck in his garage followed by a plea for help from his wife to the 'Street' WhatsApp group, which we missed (because of the aforementioned digging at the bottom of the garden!).
For a change, today, I am going to point you toward the website of Poet, Writer and Editor, G Jamie Dedes, and in particular her publication this week of an article entitled "In the Wake of COVID-19: Free Speech and Freedom of Artistic Expression Threatened". She regularly exposes injustice and doesn't pull her punches when she does so. As an additional background to this singularly extraordinary woman, some time ago she asked me to write a testimonial for her 'The Poet by Day" blog, which primarily promotes the work of others as well as her tour de force, The Bardo Group's 'BeZine'. My statement was:
"There are blogs and there are blogs. There is writing; there is poetry; there is art; there is human endeavour and there is ‘The Poet by Day’. Rarely, if ever, have I come across a web log like this, of such towering integrity. Seldom have I encountered such a willingness to subjugate self for the benefit not only of the art of the written word, but also for the benefit of poets and writers everywhere. Here be a deep well of inspiration."
~~~~~
Today's choice of music from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder", is "Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor, Op.21 2: Larghetto" by Frederic Chopin. This was Chopin's first piano concerto, although numbered 2 because it wasn't published till after his Concerto No.1, for some reason. At nineteen years old the young Frederic had just fallen in love with a beautiful singer called Constantia Gladkowska, but, smitten as he was, "in the six months since I first saw her I have not exchanged a syllable with her of whom I dream every night".
Ms Burton-Hill follows this with "Mate, we've all been there". It is evident, however, that Chopin poured all his feelings of love for this woman into this piece. "It is hard to imagine a more persuasive love note ... At least this heavenly music endures." Clemency concludes.
However you may be affected by anything I've written about, do leave me a comment below or, if you prefer not to, talk to a loved one, a friend or someone you trust.
(Wednesday, 15th April 2020)
Today's first event was our once weekly on line session of Tai Chi with David Lipka, of Mindful Tai Chi.
What else? Apart from some path and step rebuilding as well as assisting B with a bit of digging at the bottom end of our garden in some glorious warm and sunny weather, it was a routine and uneventful day, besides our next door neighbour getting stuck in his garage followed by a plea for help from his wife to the 'Street' WhatsApp group, which we missed (because of the aforementioned digging at the bottom of the garden!).
For a change, today, I am going to point you toward the website of Poet, Writer and Editor, G Jamie Dedes, and in particular her publication this week of an article entitled "In the Wake of COVID-19: Free Speech and Freedom of Artistic Expression Threatened". She regularly exposes injustice and doesn't pull her punches when she does so. As an additional background to this singularly extraordinary woman, some time ago she asked me to write a testimonial for her 'The Poet by Day" blog, which primarily promotes the work of others as well as her tour de force, The Bardo Group's 'BeZine'. My statement was:
"There are blogs and there are blogs. There is writing; there is poetry; there is art; there is human endeavour and there is ‘The Poet by Day’. Rarely, if ever, have I come across a web log like this, of such towering integrity. Seldom have I encountered such a willingness to subjugate self for the benefit not only of the art of the written word, but also for the benefit of poets and writers everywhere. Here be a deep well of inspiration."
“This is enhanced, in a major way, by her own invention, a blog called ‘Into The Bardo’ (now a collaborative blog, ‘The BeZine’), which represents the noblest of goals, an aspiration to connect all life on Earth spiritually; to unite the World in one grand scheme, which, if it achieves nothing, fills us with hope.”
She is one of the very significant reasons I have continued to be motivated to write over the past seven or eight years that I've known her and been a contributor to her publications.~~~~~
Today's choice of music from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder", is "Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor, Op.21 2: Larghetto" by Frederic Chopin. This was Chopin's first piano concerto, although numbered 2 because it wasn't published till after his Concerto No.1, for some reason. At nineteen years old the young Frederic had just fallen in love with a beautiful singer called Constantia Gladkowska, but, smitten as he was, "in the six months since I first saw her I have not exchanged a syllable with her of whom I dream every night".
Ms Burton-Hill follows this with "Mate, we've all been there". It is evident, however, that Chopin poured all his feelings of love for this woman into this piece. "It is hard to imagine a more persuasive love note ... At least this heavenly music endures." Clemency concludes.
However you may be affected by anything I've written about, do leave me a comment below or, if you prefer not to, talk to a loved one, a friend or someone you trust.
Wednesday, 15 April 2020
On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 29
Day 29
(Tuesday, 14th April 2020)
I had a lie in this morning. B got up at 7 to feed the Zoo and watch the news. Apart from editing a haiku triplet, the theme of which I rather like, I decided to familiarise myself with TikTok ahead of hopefully getting my oldest granddaughter to teach me how to do the 'TikTok dance'..? There is a purpose, a plan, which might be revealed in due course ...
In the mean time, I further progressed my attempts to get some money back and/or claim insurance from flights and accommodation booked for Hallmark of Harmony's trip to Ireland for the IABS international barbershop convention in October, where we were due to compete as part of our preparation for going back to compete at BABS convention in 2021, following our year off as champions. Ooops! That was one of my long sentences. Apologies.
So far, I've managed to get 50% back, or will do in 5-7 days, from Airbnb for the flat I booked in Killarney. The rest, less the usual service/booking charge, I have to claim from the host. So we'll see what happens over the coming week. As for getting anything out of Ryanair, I've not even received the courtesy of a reply to my request for assistance from them, so it could well be next stop claiming from the travel insurance. I'll let you know how it goes, assuming you have the slightest interest ... if not I'll give you fair warning at the beginning of a paragraph when I am about to report on progress. So there you go.
In between whiles, this is how useful Guide Dogs can be ...
Another good session on Zoom with Tim Briggs and 40 or so members of the Hallmark band of brothers in the evening, was followed by a bit of telly, including a harrowing and emotional episode of "Our Girl". Ooof, that's all you need just before bed!
And also today's choice of music from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder", which is "Fruhlingsglaube - Faith in Spring" by Franz Schubert. The text is by poet, Ludwig Uhland encapsulating the bittersweet promise of Spring. The second verse is, as Ms Burton-Hill relates, "wistful" ...
With each day the World grows fairer
One cannot know what is still to come
Now all, all must change.
See you tomorrow.
However you may be affected by anything I've written about, do leave me a comment below or, if you prefer not to, talk to a loved one, a friend or someone you trust.
(Tuesday, 14th April 2020)
I had a lie in this morning. B got up at 7 to feed the Zoo and watch the news. Apart from editing a haiku triplet, the theme of which I rather like, I decided to familiarise myself with TikTok ahead of hopefully getting my oldest granddaughter to teach me how to do the 'TikTok dance'..? There is a purpose, a plan, which might be revealed in due course ...
In the mean time, I further progressed my attempts to get some money back and/or claim insurance from flights and accommodation booked for Hallmark of Harmony's trip to Ireland for the IABS international barbershop convention in October, where we were due to compete as part of our preparation for going back to compete at BABS convention in 2021, following our year off as champions. Ooops! That was one of my long sentences. Apologies.
So far, I've managed to get 50% back, or will do in 5-7 days, from Airbnb for the flat I booked in Killarney. The rest, less the usual service/booking charge, I have to claim from the host. So we'll see what happens over the coming week. As for getting anything out of Ryanair, I've not even received the courtesy of a reply to my request for assistance from them, so it could well be next stop claiming from the travel insurance. I'll let you know how it goes, assuming you have the slightest interest ... if not I'll give you fair warning at the beginning of a paragraph when I am about to report on progress. So there you go.
In between whiles, this is how useful Guide Dogs can be ...
Another good session on Zoom with Tim Briggs and 40 or so members of the Hallmark band of brothers in the evening, was followed by a bit of telly, including a harrowing and emotional episode of "Our Girl". Ooof, that's all you need just before bed!
And also today's choice of music from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder", which is "Fruhlingsglaube - Faith in Spring" by Franz Schubert. The text is by poet, Ludwig Uhland encapsulating the bittersweet promise of Spring. The second verse is, as Ms Burton-Hill relates, "wistful" ...
With each day the World grows fairer
One cannot know what is still to come
Now all, all must change.
See you tomorrow.
However you may be affected by anything I've written about, do leave me a comment below or, if you prefer not to, talk to a loved one, a friend or someone you trust.
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