This Saturday, the Selly Oak Constituency Choir performed for the first time, when they sung a collection of songs in Cotteridge Park, as part of the Selly Oak Art Soak.  Below, two of our bloggers tell us about the experience of their first live performance, and conductor Matt Beckingham gives his reaction… 

The choir had a real buzz about it today when we met for our pre-concert rehearsal.  Apprehension, excitement and a certain amount of trepidation were in the air but a beautiful day meant that any fears about looking bedraggled and singing to a nonexistent audience were allayed.

The splashes of red in our ‘black with splash of red’ outfits were fantastic. We had necklaces, belts, shirts, shoes, bags, sashes, scarves, earrings, lipstick, nails and probably socks as well. I think looking like a choir really made us feel like a choir.

24^th March – Saturday – pre concert

“It’s the morning of our first concert – yay!

I have been treated with a lie in and singing in the shower took the form of a certain selection of songs I have come to know.

Black and red are the colours we will be wearing and being the only person in the world not to own black trousers ensured a shopping trip last weekend and new trousers have now been purchased (these will also be useful when I go back to work). As for something red – I ordered a scarf from EBay but that hasn’t arrived yet and although I have loads of red clothes they really constitute what I would call a ‘splash’. I have a red necklace that I have been meaning to mend for years so with a little DIY it is now wearable.

Mustn’t forget my notebook to take down some quotes of people’s reactions both choir and audience.

I walked up to Cotteridge School for our rehearsal and by the time I was half way there was boiling. It may be the end of March but it is about 100 degrees and wearing all black does not help. As I walked up I bumped into another choir member wearing red and black too and then walked around the corner and there we were – The Selly Oak Constituency Community Choir looking resplendent in black and red. The rehearsal was good and we finally got to run through Fix You with the soloists – we really looked and sounded like a choir.

I really started to feel the community aspect of this community choir. Within minutes I had one person say, “We met at the MAC my little girl was the one that said ‘Those babies are the same’”, and then her friend said ‘Are you friends with Caroline?’ (a mutual friend had told us to look out for each other) and another asked me whether I went to Cadbury College and we had been in the same French class together. It felt really great to have all these people chatting and talking to each other.

On the walk to the park I asked one lady whether she was looking forward to it as I was very excited (just in case you hadn’t gathered this!). She surprised me by saying ‘no’ however I spoke to her afterwards and she said she had really enjoyed it which pleased me.

As we got to Cotteridge Park’s lovely amphitheatre (many of us had sledged down its steep slopes when we were young) it was reassuring to see a good crowd of people there, the audience was bigger than in the choir which is always a good thing. We found our places and Matt stood in his place. I looked up and saw my family and friends and my two baby girls being held up – I was feeling a little emotional and a little tear came to my eye and for the rest of the performance couldn’t look up there again – I steadfastly concentrated on Matt’s conducting which is exactly how it should be.

The spirituals were a great starter, Rent was fun to sing, the Nigerian song worked very well – a few stray claps but all in all pretty good. The soloists in Fix you sounded lovely and Anthem was as anthemic and patriotic as you can be in a pretty park on a lovely sunny day. Finishing off with Bring Me Little Water Sylvie was a perfect end for me as this was the song that I had loved right from that very first choir practice.

It was over before it had even started but I think for the venue and the audience (and the amount of rehearsal time) it was spot on. I think/hope we left them wanting more!

There was a definite buzz for a good while afterwards. I know the sun being out helped but usually if people have really enjoyed something they hang around, if they think it’s rubbish they disappear pretty quickly. Me and my lot were the last people there as there seemed to be even more people that we knew to chat to. A proper community feel.

We walked home with the sun shining and the babies chattering – a perfect day.”

Claire Gilliam

Selly Oak Constituency Community Choir in Cotteridge Park

“It was fantastic for the Community Choir to make our debut in the constituency where we live and in front of our families, friends and intrigued passers-by; even children and dogs seemed to be captivated! The fact that Cotteridge Park’s amphitheatre was built by volunteers made it the ideal venue for us.

After the performance (which included demands for an encore as well as enthusiastic audience participation) most people took the opportunity to hang around and chat, mingle and to bump into people they hadn’t seen in ages. Everyone was smiling. Several people asked if they can join the choir, which must be a sign of success!

I caught up with Katie and Michelle – two of our sopranos whose nerves that they’d forget the words hadn’t stopped them stepping up to sing solo parts during the performance. They were word perfect and said that Matt’s conducting definitely helped. It turns out that they work together at a local school and had boosted their confidence by giving a sneak preview of the song to their appreciative class!

Katie said it had been a joy to sing with backing from the choir and Michelle confirmed that they’re very excited about the performance at Symphony Hall. Michelle also has another event to prepare for – she’s singing in the ‘Britain Loves Variety’ competition soon and we wish her the best of luck.

As I left the park, one audience member remarked that she’d ‘willingly listen to it all again’. You can: the SOCCC will be giving a free performance at Symphony Hall at 18:15 on the 12^th April before the CBSO’s Dream of Gerontius concert.”

Katharine D’Souza

“I am really thrilled. Genuinely thrilled about how it’s all come together. When a first time choir comes out you can be a bit apprehensive but we really seemed to grasp the performance aspect. We are definitely ready for Symphony Hall.”

Matt Beckingham – conductor

This week, as the Selly Oak Constituency Community Choir prepare for the debut performance, Katharine D’Souza has been getting to know her fellow choir members…

Something’s happening across the Selly Oak constituency. You might have heard it: humming, clapping and bursting into song. I had a chat to a few fellow SOCCC members to find out what’s going on.

Tony from Bournville might once have dreamt of harmonising with Katherine Jenkins, whilst Sang, also from Bournville, would have chosen Michael Buble as her ideal partner in a duet, but what they and over one hundred other locals are discovering  is that singing with the neighbours is great fun, and we’re loving every moment!

Carmel from Kings Heath and Vicki from Bournville report that they don’t only practice at rehearsals - the repertoire gets a work out at home too. So if you’re walking down the road and hear strains of Anthem from Chess or Coldplay’s Fix You drifting from an open window you might be getting a sneak preview of a very special concert.

The choir make their debut as part of ArtSoak in Cotteridge Park on Saturday 24th March at 2:30 and we’re looking forward to it. Well, Michelle from Stirchley says she’s “Sooo excited”,and Claire from Stirchley is “Very, very, very, very excited!”, which leads me to wonder if Stirchley might be the most enthusiastic suburb of Birmingham! Paul from Kings Norton, however, did admit to being “A tad worried.”

I know how he feels. We’ve only been rehearsing since January and most of us haven’t sung seriously since school, if ever. That doesn’t matter though. Jan from Northfield identified one reason things are going so well - in Matt Beckingham we have a conductor who ‘brings out the best in us’. Mary from Selly Park agrees, “His skill (musical and motivational) and his lovely sense of humour make it for me.”

Val from Bournville enthused “Everyone should join a choir!”, while Diane from Northfield explained that “It’s great fun and very uplifting”. We’re certainly glad that the CBSO have got the Selly Oak constituency singing. Why not come along to hear us at Cotteridge Park and see what we’re all smiling about it?! We might even share the fun with a bit of a sing-along…

The Choir’s first performance takes place this Saturday, 24 March, as part of the Selly Oak Art Soak.  Come along and hear our wonderful Selly Oak-ers from 2.30pm, in the Cotteridge Park amphitheatre.  More info on Art Soak can be found here: http://stirchleyhappenings.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/artsoak-programme.pdf

The Orchestra are currently jetsetting around the continent as part of a mammoth 13-date European tour, but there is still plenty of CBSO music-making happening in Birmingham whilst they are away.  Led by our fabulous chorus team, the Selly Oak Constituency Community Choir has been going from strength to strength, and is currently preparing for two very special public performances, including one at Symphony Hall.

Claire Gilliam has been a member of the choir since it’s first rehearsal – read her diary of the experience so far below…

Thursday 19^th February

I love singing.  I’ve always loved singing but last time I sang more than SingStar, at funerals or nursery rhymes was at secondary school. At 36 that was over half a lifetime ago. Nine months ago I had two gorgeous baby girls and somehow just having them has given me the confidence to do things I might have otherwise put off – or maybe I just had to have a really good reason to get out of the house!

I was perusing through Twitter one day and thinking I must have something else to do when I saw a tweet mentioning a new choir just up the road from me and being run by the CBSO. Was this it? Was this what I had been looking for? My gut said, ‘Yes yes yes, go go go!’  So I went.

I was pleased to see a big queue at the doors as my worst fear was walking into a room with half a dozen people in that all knew each other. I signed in – it all seemed very professional and very well run. Then someone asked me those scary lines, ‘Alto or Soprano?’ I was stumped, I had no idea, and feeling a little silly that’s exactly what I said.

‘No problem’, said the lady. ‘Do you sing high or low?’

‘Both’, I replied, not being terribly helpful.

‘Well the sopranos usually sing the tune’.

That was it then – I love singing songs that I know well, so singing the tune sounded good. I used to play the lofty role of 4^th flute in the Birmingham Schools Wind Orchestra and never got to play the tune. Now it was my turn!

Matt welcomed us all and what a welcoming kind of chap he is. And we were off – singing,  in a room with other people that wanted to sing. Pure heaven. The rehearsal was light- hearted and good natured but also felt like we were really achieving things right from the start. Matt was excellent at keeping it fun but useful.

We did a bit of warming up and a practised singing whilst smiling – that took me right back to school choir practice.  We sang a bit of each song and before I knew it the end had come.  I wanted more, I could have gone on and I just sang all the way home.

‘How was it?’ Mum asked when I got home (she was babysitting).

‘Fantastic – I’m buzzing’.

The first thing I did before heading off to bed was to download all four songs to my phone, as well as a piano app so I could find the notes easily wherever I was. As I said I like to sing songs I know.

 Thursday 26^th February

As well as listening to the same four songs all week I got my flute out for the first time in over a decade so I could get some of the tunes in my head, and was delighted that my fingers still remembered the notes and which keys to press.

The second rehearsal was as much fun as the first – better in fact because I had been looking forward to it so much all week.

The lady I was sitting next to mentioned the concert at the Symphony Hall that had been alluded to in the first week.  ‘It might be on 14^th April’, she said confidently.  My heart sank – we had a wedding to go to. I spent the next 20 minutes thinking about whether I could do both.  The wedding is in Ludlow.  Impossible.  Or is it?  Yes, Claire, it is impossible! I forgot about it and just decided to enjoy the singing. I did and it was great again.

We even attempted some Choralography – don’t ask – it’s not a good thing but could work with a bit of wholehearted effort from everyone.

When I got home I checked to see what was on at the Symphony Hall on 14^th April – Rhod Gilbert. I couldn’t see us starting for a comedian unless it was some cruel joke. I relaxed a little, there was still hope.

 Thursday 2^nd February

It’s all fine – the concert is going to be on 12^th April – yippee I can go!  I couldn’t believe how much I had been hoping I could do it.

We sang the starter from the first week again, which I had really loved and was disappointed that we didn’t do it last week. After the first week’s rehearsal it was stuck in my head constantly, apart from the times when I wanted to remember it – then it completely escaped me!

We sang some more of the four songs, and some other bits and bobs, and even attempted some more choralography. I sang sang sang this week – knowing the songs makes such a difference to your confidence.

Only downside this week is that we have a two week break

Thursday 16^th February

It’s Thursday night – I’m thinking about choir.

 Thursday 23^rd February

Hurrah – choir tonight!  A busy day led to leaving two screaming babies with their dad who was very firmly telling me ‘Go – it’ll be fine’.  So I went.

A quick walk up the road singing the songs and trying to learn some words. For some reason in my head I was back to school days and could hear Matt saying ‘Well you’ve had two weeks, you could have at least learnt the words!’ He didn’t – it’s not that kind of choir.

I chatted with someone this week that I thought I recognised from work. She wasn’t from work nor school nor the co-op or anywhere but we still had a lovely chat.

Singing songs was great. There are some really high notes in one of the songs which involved a bit a screeching and after expert advice from Matt also involved bottom clenching and eye brow raising. Trade secrets.

We’ve had choralography and this week we had clapping and stamping. Four different rhythms for four sections. Oh my goodness, it’s amazing how tricky this was for a room full of people that you would hope had some rhythm. 1, 2, 3, 4 – stamp, clap, stamp, stamp. It’s harder than you think and then we had to sing on top of it.

Matt reassured us: ‘That was very interesting.  Right now I’m not worried at all. In five weeks time I’ll be panicking like mad’.

We all laughed, nervously!

After having a chat with Katie (from the CBSO) about where we would be performing the community concert, and the hope, on ours and their behalf, this will carry on long term, my mind was racing about where we could perform. On the walk home in my mind our performances went from local parks to the University of Birmingham’s Community Day to Arts Fest to The Queens Jubilee concert to the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics with the whole of the Olympic Stadium singing along with us.

Well you have to aim high!

I have spent much of today singing at the babies – it’s great training because if you sing and don’t smile they get very unhappy. If you smile they love it and it’s much more fun!

 Saturday 25^th February

I got to spend a day on the allotment today and when I got there I realised that it is an excellent place for singing so long as your close allotment neighbours aren’t there. I don’t think my singing comes into their idea of peace and quiet, though if some theories are to be believed it might help the plants grow.

As it usually does when I’m digging or weeding, my mind wandered and before I knew it I had visions of a mixture between a pop-up choir and a flash mob choir. We all joined it because we love singing and not necessarily to perform so how much fun would it be to just pitch up at random places and singm - supermarket car parks on a busy Saturday, the queue at the dump when everyone is getting bored of waiting, local markets, Cannon Hill Park and so on. Surely that would make people smile and what better reason for singing than that.

 Thursday 1^st March

Two babies and me with sickness bug mean that choir is not an option tonight. I don’t think singing on one piece of toast in 48 hours would give me enough strength to reach the high notes!

 Thursday 8^th March

So very tired after a week of me, the babies, Martin and my mum having a nasty bug but still the thought of choir is keeping me going and I managed to grab 20 minutes in bed before the rehearsal!

I was listening to the tenors and basses and closed my eyes, thinking how amazing it sounded.  The beautiful sound human voices can make is just incredible. I’ve never sung in a choir with different parts before and the fact that it’s voices and not external instruments makes it even more special.

We learnt a few things today: people have different voices due to the shape of their faces and when Matt broke his nose his voice changed. Well there you go now you know.

We tried more rhythms and clapping and stamping with the same ‘interesting’ results as before.

I also learnt that although I know I love singing it is also something I am good at. The lady next to me told me I had a lovely voice which was a real confidence boost and I find I have more confidence doing this than anything I have done before. It’s a great feeling knowing you have something right and singing proud rather than standing just behind someone else.

It’s not very long now before our first concert – how exciting!

This year sees the start of an exciting three-year residency for the CBSO within the Selly Oak constituency of Birmingham.  There are a range of projects in the pipeline to bring the Orchestra to the community and get as many people in Selly Oak involved in music as possible.  This kicked-off in early January with the launch of the Selly Oak Constituency Community Choir.

Free to join, and aimed at all members of the Selly Oak area, regardless of musical ability, the first rehearsal  saw an impressive turn-out of over  100 eager singers, and the choir has already got several performances planned for the near future.  Over the coming weeks, we will be shining our ‘Selly Oak Spotlight’ onto the choir to bring you news and views right from the heart of the community.

Three members of the choir share their thoughts on the start of this project, and what it means to them, below…

I am always singing and love it, it relaxes me – you can’t be tense or worried when you’re singing.  Singing in a choir intensifies this and that buzz of being part of something bigger than yourself is fantastic. I never have to talk myself into going to choir – it can’t come round fast enough!

-  Claire Gilliam

I always leave feeling happier than when I arrived – I guess singing must be good for me. Chatting to the other singers is great too. Everyone’s so friendly.

-   Katharine D’Souza

I had a really stressful day at work and getting out and doing something both physical and creative was exactly what I needed. We tried out another new number which is apparently from Nigeria as well as revisiting the songs we’ve already been practising. We were filmed which is great – I’m hoping the concerts will be up on YouTube as I can share the experience with family and friends far away. I’m already planning my outfit for the concert: I’ve got a great pair of red shoes although one of the tenors pointed out that they won’t be visible from the audience. But I know I’ll be wearing them!

-  Rachel MacGregor

On Saturday our Communications Intern, Abi, attended a live opera for the first time, with the CBSO’s performance of Tristan und Isolde.  Read on for her thoughts on the experience…

Despite having completed a music degree, and writing both a 2000- and a 4000-word essay on opera (the works of Mozart and Britten respectively), it was somewhat of a guilty secret of mine that my entire knowledge of the art-form had been gleaned from scores, recordings and many, many YouTube clips.  I had never been to an opera in ‘real-life’, never had to sit through an entire performance, follow the story from beginning to end and stick with it – I had always had the luxury of a pause button or a bookmark when my mind began to wander.

So, when I arrived at Symphony Hall on Saturday ready for the CBSO’s performance of Tristan und Isolde, it was with a degree of trepidation.  Even for my friends who regularly attend the opera, the name Wagner carries a rather heavy, serious reputation.  With the opera as a whole coming in at just under four hours in length, I knew I was not in for an evening of light entertainment, and as I took my seat in the hall, all I could think was that I wouldn’t be leaving it for the next hour and a half.

From the first notes of the opening Prelude, though, I was hooked, and the first act just flew by. I knew the opening piece, having played in it before, and had a vague idea of the plot, but for the most part I was in unfamiliar territory.  This didn’t seem to matter,  though, the music and the helpful surtitles telling me all I needed to know.  It goes without saying that I thought the Orchestra were astounding, but it was the singers I was truly amazed by.  With this being a concert performance, it was entirely down to them to convey the story.  Lioba Braun (Isolde) seemed to be singing for almost the entirety of Act I, without tiring, and I particularly enjoyed the group of sailors voiced by the men of the CBSO Chorus.  As the lights came up for the first interval, I was amazed that it had gone so quickly, and I was eager for the rest.

Admittedly in the later acts my mind did begin to wander somewhat, and I found myself paying less attention to the surtitles and just listening to the music instead.  This may have meant I missed some of the emotional power of the work – I remained dry-eyed during the final Liebestod whilst many around me where reaching for the hankies – but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the whole.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that my mind wandered slightly – to go from no opera to four hours of opera is a pretty big undertaking.  I found the music and the playing astounding, but perhaps I am too used to having my trusty pause button there to fully immerse myself in such a long work.  Now that I have been to one opera, I will definitely go to more – although my next may be a bit shorter!

Good evening, as promised here is the final instalment of my tour blog for this time round. Yesterday was long and busy but great fun, for me at any rate, and the concert hall, as you will see, was a delight! Last nights concert was more than anything jolly good fun. Having played the pieces for a week it was great to be able to relax into them, especially Tchaikovsky’s fourth, and go wherever Andris wanted to take us.
 
Now my usual “Without Whom” department!  Thank you to all those people who made this tour so successful and, given the number of venues and the amount of travelling, tiring but ultimately bearable!!
 
Liz Baines CBSO Planning & Tours Manager
Claire Dersley CBSO Orchestra Manager
Thomas Our wonderful tour guide/gofer/jack of all trades and general lovely chap!!
Pete (Rambo), Nik and Barrie our Platform managers for ALWAYS being there when needed and for Marathon van driving!
Stephen Maddock, CEO of the CBSO for generally being himself, but especially for helping Håkan Hardenberger with music stands!
The CBSO admin team back at Berkeley Street for carrying on the CBSO’s day to day running whilst we are away.
ALL of my colleagues, firstly for playing so well even when exhausted, and of course for putting up with my camera and for being good humoured about the blog.
 
Below is a photo of yesterdays concert hall (more photos can be found on the CBSO Flickr page) – undoubtedly the most unusual and beautiful concert hall I have been in, and the acoustic wasn’t half bad either! More on it here. 

 Two more thanks remain to be made…

Firstly, to you gentle readers for your encouragement and comments, it’s been a pleasure as always. Keep being there for us, and we will always do our best to serve and delight you musically, to be your very own City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and to keep trying our best, to be the best we can!

And last a huge thank you to Andris Nelsons our lovely, funny inspiring conductor who always gives 101 percent in every thing he does for us and you.

Good evening, and tonight I am talking to you on the right side of Midnight (just)!

Lovely day today all round, weather wise, culturally  and musically.  This morning my friend, Liz, and I went to the Reina Sofia, Madrid’s museum of modern art. I went especially to see Picasso’s Guernica and was not disappointed.  It was all very moving and impressive, even more so in the  light of the studies and “cartoons” Picasso did when working on it.  Also in the museum were some fabulous, late Juan Miros, a spectacularly large mobile by Alexander Calder and many other extraordinary pieces of art.

This was followed by a stroll back to the hotel through the lovely sunny, autumnal Retiro park, lunch and then to the rehearsal.

First some special people to mention.

Today marks the end of an extraordinary era, not only for the CBSO Bassoon section, but for the CBSO and our audience’s. Tonight’s concert  was Second bassoonist John Schroeder’s last  as a full time member - ending a distinguished career spanning  45 years with the Orchestra.  I say ending but, as far as John is concerned, it’s certainly the beginning of a new part if his life, when he will no doubt be at least as busy and occupied by variety and endeavour as he has been with the CBSO.

I am sure you would all like to wish him a long and happy new life!!  Here he is with his lovely wife Julie, caught today on route to rehearsal…

My second person to mention today is our Leader Laurence Jackson, who I would like to slightly belatedly  welcome back, after a long absence due to ill health.  Its lovely to have him back looking so well, and of course playing with his usual panache and style, and giving wise counsel to Andris and keeping us all on our toes.  Here he is with a splendid “T” shirt   reflecting his hobby of bird watching…

I think, at this juncture it’s appropriate to offer a huge thank you to our Associate Leader Zoe Beyers, who took over all the leading duties when Laurence was taken ill early last Summer.  Zoe took on a huge workload, doing all her own concerts as leader as well as Laurence’s. She only missed one, in Aldebrugh  that had already been, for programming reasons, due to be led by someone else.  Not only did she take on this job, but did it superbly, so hats off to Zoe, and thank you!!

Now back to today.

Today was a new (for this tour) programme and the new pieces  engendered a couple of lovely Andris “comments” worth passing on.

Tonight’s concert included Strauss’ Don Juan, regarded as what we professionally refer to as “A Roast Up” (bloody hard) for everybody in the orchestra, and particularly for the Horn Section. We have a guest first horn, Andrew, with us, since Elspeth is on maternity leave. During the rehearsal of the Strauss Andris asked him, obviously not intending to rehearse much, had he played it as first horn before? “Not really”.  “Ah, you’ll love it”, Andris replied, before we turned to the Brahms Symphony!!

At the end of the third movement of the Brahms Second Symphony, is a lovely little passage marked “dolce” in the score. It’s a moment of nostalgia.  Andris said it should be like walking along on an ordinary day, and suddenly smelling something beautiful for a second, only to lose it to the ordinary again. What a poet!

Tomorrow we are taking the train to Barcelona for our final concert.

Here’s a picture of the lovely, sunny Retiro Park.  More pictures from today can be found on the CBSO Flickr page.

Tonight’s entry is going to be short and sweet!

First a quick word of thanks for all your comments and encouragement. I may not often have time to answer them all individually but I WILL try harder to do so. Thank you!

On with today ( well yesterday actually!!)

It’s not often we do concerts starting at 10:30 PM, the last one I remember was in 1984 in Bologna. That was even later if I recall, and was VERY VERY hot. Tonight was hot too, but not only due to the temperature of the hall. It’s a remarkable fact, but orchestras seem to play at their best in some ways when put on the spot, either because of tiredness or long days of travel, or bad halls. I guess it’s a matter of pride that we always try to do our best, especially when in foreign places. We are, after all, ambassadors of our art, our country and of course our home city! Tonight was no exception, the playing may have been a little rough around the edges, but the huge spirit of the Tchaikovsky fifth symphony was there in abundance. Andris has a “take” on Tchaikovsky which owes much to his friend and mentor Maris Janssons. It is stripped of all sentimentality, and of the many layers old traditional interpretational “paint”. What is revealed is visceral, direct and telling. It still has the emotional depth but without the added sucrose.

We only had about an hours rehearsal, but it was enough to remind us how we can play it. It’s typical of Andris to trust us and also to still look for new details in the sound. Rehearsing one violin passage in the first movement he made them play just one note, until the sound was exactly what he required for the piece and for tonight’s hall, the Madrid National concert hall.

I will leave you with his comment as near as I can remember it. When satisfied with the violins timbre he said -

“That’s it- what you had before was an Easy Jet sound, now it’s Lufthansa”!!!!

Here are a few pictures from today, the grumpy looking gent at the end is not me at the end of the concert at 00:05 am but a snap of one of the many famous artists who have played at the hall, and whose photos adorn the walls backstage.

If you can guess who it it is, I think you will forgive his grim mien, he was a very private person and in later years would perform only in small darkened concert halls with a small light on the score, so as to allow the audience to focus on the music, not the performer.

Good night (at 01:36 am) and God bless

Julian

Today has been very gentle day, I got up late having caught up on some sleep, and, with my friend Liz set out for a gentle amble around Madrid. We walked from the hotel through the Retiro Park, a beautiful partly manicured, partly wild space, very near the centre of Madrid. It’s a huge park and I imagine it was laid out at some point probably on the 18th or 19th century as a refuge to the citizens of Madrid from the summer heat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buen_Retiro_Park

We then passed near to the Prado, Madrid’s premier art gallery where there are famous Goya’s, Velázquez and many other spectacular works of art. I may well call in there tomorrow; I haven’t been for some years. Some lunch in the Plaza Santa Anna, a stroll around the Plaza Major, and then a gentle walk back through the park to the hotel, with a stop for refreshment by the boating lake completed the afternoon.

After a little bit of rest we set out again, this time by Metro back to the opera, and then a short walk to the old “Mercado de San Miguel”.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/travel/26heads.html

A beautiful old wrought iron structure, full, as you will see from the photographs of many different chances to sample food and drink!

Now all this sounds rather pleasant I’m sure, and it certainly was. It was a day off in a busy 10 days, as you have already seen. I started musing tonight, on the way one tends to spend one’s time off when on tour. When I was somewhat younger, and when touring was much less part of our lives than it is these days, anywhere that we went was a new and exciting opportunity to explore, culturally, architecturally and gastronomically!

As the years have passed I have learned to pace myself somewhat. I now know that if I rush around when there is free time, trying to pack in as much as possible, that I will get too tired to function properly when the concerts come round. So these days I take it easy, as I have today. I know that some of the places that I might miss, like art galleries, special buildings, special eateries etc, etc, will still be there for me to savour on another occasion. Now that other occasion may well be, for instance, as I mentioned about Toulouse, the opportunity for a holiday visit. Or, it may be if it’s somewhere like Madrid, a large and important capital city, that it’s a fair bet that we will be back here with the orchestra again on a subsequent tour.

Anyhow, without more ramblings on my part here are my photographs of the day, enjoy!

Good night and God bless see you tomorrow, after a late night concert!!

Julian

Just a short offering today. Travelling from Toulouse to Madrid was uneventful, apart from a slight hiccup cause by a broken down car on the ramp to Toulouse airport, the cause of much Gallic horn blowing of the motorised variety, by our Lady coach driver.

Here are a few shots of the day, starting with a composite picture of the view from my hotel window-

Toulouse’s “Hippodrome”, no horses this morning though!

On the way out for a coffee and a little breakfast

I meet with our harpist Robert, who I asked to pose especially for his sister in Scotland!

He is ably assisted by Jenny and Liz.

At the airport is Amy, celebrating her (21st) birthday in true low key CBSO fashion!

The rest, taken this evening in Madrid, I think are self explanatory, starting, experimentally with a video of an unusual busker.

Madrid Glass Harmonica

Tomorrow is a day off, so I shall probably take a leisurely amble around Madrid, visit the Prado or the Museum of modern art and generally take in the atmosphere of España’s Capital City and and sample some of its gastronomic delights!

Be sure that I shall report in full later.

Good night and God bless

Julian