Yuja Wang

I was looking for pieces by Mendelssohn but I kept surfing once I'd found Yuja Wang playing his Scherzo from Midsummer Night's Dream. This eventually took me to the video below. I have to admit that it is so impressive I uttered a 4 letter expletive when her hands seem to move faster than I thought humanly possible.

Peter Skellern

I am sad that Peter has passed away. I didn't know he was ill and neither did I know he had been ordained.

I have a couple of his CD albums but the song which I like best doesn't appear to be on Youtube. It is his arrangement of "Where do we go from here?". From the outset the brass writing, tone and gradually 'unfolding' of the sonority gives me goosebumps.

The words are, of course, sad in themselves and I have often found they resonate with me. Having separated from my wife (with a divorce happening in the next 12 months) the words do not quite upset me as much as they did: I do now know where we are going - our separate ways. When we still living together and there was hope (of a kind) and the lyrics seemed to hit the spot being about two people who do not know what the future holds. But it was all over for us several years ago.

Now it is over for Peter. R. I. P. old chap.

Accompaniments

Having had my piano tuned by a chap who actually knows what he is doing - thus making it playable - I was suddenly asked to accompany a Grade 8 clarinet exam in March; so I have been working on the piano parts. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto (3rd mvt.) should be OK but I am a little concerned about Finzi's "Fughetta" even though the girl is playing it slower than marked in the copy.

Battle of Britain

I caught a programme on TV today which told of the Battle of Britain Flypast.

What I really cannot understand about Britain in 2015 is this. Given that men and women gave their lives to defend this country from invasion in two world wars, why is it that there are plenty of English people who are happy for us to be invaded by all those people who wish to enter the country 'for a better life'?

I understand the humanitarian obligations of giving help and support to genuine refugees. Those who are fleeing atrocities are wise to do so and I expect I would do the same. Of course we need to help them.

It is the situation at Calais which I cannot accept. People are trying to enter this country illegally!!

Why is Britain such a soft touch? Our Welfare State cannot cope. Our hospitals (NHS) and infrastructure cannot cope. Where is all the money coming from?

I feel so sorry for the families of those who lost loved ones in the Second World War; they will be wondering why so many soldiers, seamen, and pilots died to keep this island secure when our safety is being compromised by our politicians.

There is plenty of debate about this on Facebook and elsewhere.

If somebody could explain I would not be so worried about the future.

RIP

Thank you, Patrick Macnee, for all the entertainment you gave me over the years, especially whilst I was growing up.

Sheer beauty

The music of Bach, (with the obbligato oboe part so well played) and the focussed clear-as-a-bell tone of  Inmaculada Férez (and her good looks) is a recipe for perfect bliss.

Kate Davis

I have just become a fan of Kate Davis - what a voice and what double bass technique (especially if you look for her other videos)