25 January 2007
I've really enjoyed the third series of the radio comedy 'Clare in the Community' by Harry Venning and David Ramsden which has just finished on BBC Radio 4. (You can still 'listen again' to the last episode at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/clareinthecommunity.shtml.) I've been a fan of Harry Venning's 'Clare in the Community' strip cartoon in the Guardian's Society section (on Wednesdays) for years (see http://society.guardian.co.uk/clare for recent examples). The radio version has been a really effective translation, retaining plenty of the three-frame format gags (set-up, emphasis, twist) while developing the characters, creating neat, rounded sit-com plots for each 30 minute episode as well as broader story arcs across each series, while keeping it light and very funny. Sally Phillips is great as social worker Clare and Alex Lowe wonderfully put-upon as her long-suffering partner Brian but my favourite is Nina Conti as Clare's former student, Megan (who transmuted from Welsh to Scottish in the radio version!). This is great observational humour which manages to create larger-than-life comic characters whose actions, opinions and behaviours are surprisingly recognisable from real life!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Friday, January 19, 2007
’13 Songs’ by Julie Feeney
19 January 2007
I’ve been listening to ’13 Songs’, the debut album from Irish singer-songwriter Julie Feeney who recently won the Irish equivalent of the Mercury Music prize. Classically trained (and a member of the National Chamber Choir), she has a great voice and writes delicate, quirky melodies with sparse accompaniment including good use of overlaid vocals. With harpsichord and recorders on some tracks she strays in pseudo-medieval territory (not unlike Joanna Newsom) but the mood is more contemporary classical than early music. Gentle, poignant, puzzling songs with more than a hint of Bjork or Laurie Anderson.
I’ve been listening to ’13 Songs’, the debut album from Irish singer-songwriter Julie Feeney who recently won the Irish equivalent of the Mercury Music prize. Classically trained (and a member of the National Chamber Choir), she has a great voice and writes delicate, quirky melodies with sparse accompaniment including good use of overlaid vocals. With harpsichord and recorders on some tracks she strays in pseudo-medieval territory (not unlike Joanna Newsom) but the mood is more contemporary classical than early music. Gentle, poignant, puzzling songs with more than a hint of Bjork or Laurie Anderson.
Friday, January 12, 2007
‘My Father and other Working-Class Football Heroes’ by Gary Imlach
12 January 2007
At three o’clock on Saturday afternoon, just as the teams should have been kicking off, Jeannie and I and Alistair Campbell (plus quite a few other Burnley fans) were beginning to make our way back down the steps of the South Stand at the Madjeski Stadium in Reading. Our 3-hour round trip to Reading had been in vain as Burnley’s FA Cup Third Round match was called off at the last minute because of a water-logged pitch, following a torrential downpour as we were making our way towards the ground. Soaked and despondent we consoled ourselves with the thought that at least Burnley would, rather unexpectedly, feature in the draw for the Fourth Round on Monday! And we were in home in time to hear of Macclesfield’s brave exploits at Chelsea and to see Liverpool’s demise at the hands of Arsenal – as well as Henrik Larsson’s inevitable and predictably brilliant debut goal for Manchester United on Sunday afternoon. I love the FA Cup – particularly the Third Round – always one of the cultural highlights of the year for me.
This week I have been reading ‘My Father and other Working-Class Football Heroes’ by Gary Imlach – the story of his father, Stewart Imlach, a professional footballer who played for Scotland in the 1958 World Cup and won the FA Cup with Nottingham Forest in 1959. Shortly after Stewart’s death, Gary decided to try to fill in the gaps in his knowledge of his father’s life. Through interviews with former playing colleagues, managers and friends and analysis of miles of archive newsprint, he reconstructs a fascinating story. This was an era where the players were often earning less than the factory-working fans who came to cheer them on and were very much part of the local working class community – usually combining their playing careers with part-time jobs as plumbers, builders or, as with Stewart Imlach, joiners.
Gary Imlach has produced a brilliant book that is biography, personal memoir, social history and sporting saga. It is wonderfully written – a non-linear narrative dripping with gorgeous phrases. Chapter Three, about Stewart Imlach’s arrival at Bury Football Club in 1952, starts: “Shortly after the residents of Colindale board the Northern Line for their morning commute south into central London, two groups of people set off the other way, into the past. Turn left out of the tube station for the RAF Museum (don’t forget the Airfix shop on the way back), turn right and cross the road for the British Newspaper Library. We had scrapbooks full of cuttings at home, but they were all highlights and headlines, sort of a director’s cut of my father’s career. Here’s where the rushes were stored.”
And when the working-class Nottingham Forest players are training in London ahead of the 1959 Cup Final, “The wives had to face the Savoy on their own. Plates of asparagus were set in front of them like straightened question marks to which they had no answer. The cutlery was a silver-plated trap set to go off if they dismantled it out of sequence. Waiters hell-bent on humiliating them sprinkled cheese on their soup.”
Like his father weaving past mesmerised defenders on the left wing, Gary Imlach negotiates a slalom around the unreliable memories of the remaining survivors of a black-and-white era. And throughout, the book is laced with poignant regret at the masses of questions he never thought to ask his father until it was too late to do so. This is a wonderful book – I urge you to read it even if you have no interest in football.
(On Tuesday evening Burnley lost the rearranged FA Cup match with Reading 3-2. Oh well, there’s always next year … )
Friday, January 05, 2007
‘Caroline or Change’ by Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori
5 January 2007
Last week we saw the new musical ‘Caroline or Change’ at the National Theatre in London. Written by Tony Kushner with music by Jeanine Tesori it was much praised by the critics and won the Evening Standard award for best musical. It is set in Louisiana in 1963 and looks at the civil rights movement through the story of a black maid working for a Jewish family on the day Kennedy was assassinated. The music was great – with plenty of numbers in a Tamla Mowtown style plus some klezmer clarinet – and the performances were very strong, particularly the children. But we found the overall experience a little disappointing. The plot was very subtle with little actually happening directly to the characters. There wasn’t much movement on the stage with most of the songs delivered without any element of dance. And few of the songs were given the chance to breathe – with a glimpse of each melody soon giving way to the next before it had had any opportunity to lodge in the memory.
'Merry Wives The Musical' by Gregory Doran, Paul Englishby and Ranjit Bolt, based on the play by William Shakespeare
5 January 2007
On the Saturday before Christmas we were in Stratford to see ‘Merry Wives The Musical’ – Shakespeare’s play adapted and directed for the RSC by Gregory Doran with new music by Paul Englishby and lyrics by Ranjit Bolt. It was good, silly fun – veering very close to pantomime – with Simon Callow as Falstaff and Judi Dench as Mistress Quickly. There were some great performances – particularly from the comedian/impressionist Alistair McGowan who demonstrated some wonderful physical comedy and a fine singing voice and from Alexandra Gilbreath and Haydn Gwynne as the wives, who both looked as if they were thoroughly enjoying themselves! We particularly liked the set with its rotating cottages/haystacks and exaggerated sense of perspective. Overall the show lacked a little spark but it was enjoyable and the three hours flew by.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
'Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra' by Kimmo Hakola
21 December 2006
This week I have been listening to the 'Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra' by the contemporary Finnish composer, Kimmo Hakola (a recording by Kari Kriikku - for whom the work was written - and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo). This is an amazing piece of music: the first movement is fast, spiky, serious, aggressive, contemporary classical music - fine but unremarkable - but then the work gets progressively stranger and more interesting. The second movement has some lovely gentle tunes and strays towards a film music sound. In the third and fourth movements we get a mixture of klezmer, blues, Balkan gypsy music and sounds from the Middle East as well as the orchestra muttering and mumbling to each other to create the sound of a crowd. When I first started to listen to the recording I soon drifted off to do something else leaving the music playing in the background but after a while found myself rushing back to find out what was going on! It must very exciting to it see performed live - and, I suspect, even more so to play it.
This week I have been listening to the 'Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra' by the contemporary Finnish composer, Kimmo Hakola (a recording by Kari Kriikku - for whom the work was written - and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo). This is an amazing piece of music: the first movement is fast, spiky, serious, aggressive, contemporary classical music - fine but unremarkable - but then the work gets progressively stranger and more interesting. The second movement has some lovely gentle tunes and strays towards a film music sound. In the third and fourth movements we get a mixture of klezmer, blues, Balkan gypsy music and sounds from the Middle East as well as the orchestra muttering and mumbling to each other to create the sound of a crowd. When I first started to listen to the recording I soon drifted off to do something else leaving the music playing in the background but after a while found myself rushing back to find out what was going on! It must very exciting to it see performed live - and, I suspect, even more so to play it.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Northampton Symphony Orchestra concert
13 December 2006
Last Sunday I played in the annual Northampton Symphony Orchestra 'Christmas Cracker' concert at Spinney Hill Theatre, Northampton. This is always a really enjoyable afternoon with a wide range of festive and film music (including Star Wars and Harry Potter this year), a narrated piece (Howard Blake's 'The Snowman') and carols for the audience to sing - plus the obligatory mulled wine and mince pies. And each year the orchestra seems to be slightly more festooned with tinsel, reindeer antlers and santa hats! The 'Christmas Cracker' is always a popular concert and this year we had an audience of more than 500 - that's a lot of mince pices! Part of the attraction might have been our compere, local actor Arnold Peters - perhaps better known as 'Jack Woolley' from 'The Archers'. As well as introducing the concert he gave a very creditable performance in conducting the orchestra in Walton's 'Popular Song' from 'Facade'. Our encore, somewhat inevitably was the maypole dance 'Barwick Green' from the suite 'My Native Heath' by Arthur Wood - better known as the theme to a certain long-running radio drama serial ("tum-ti-tum-ti-tum-ti-tum, tum-ti-tum-ti tum tum ..."). Billy Connolly once said that this tune should replace "God Save the Queen" as the national anthem. I notice that Archers Addicts can now download it as a ring tone ...
Last Sunday I played in the annual Northampton Symphony Orchestra 'Christmas Cracker' concert at Spinney Hill Theatre, Northampton. This is always a really enjoyable afternoon with a wide range of festive and film music (including Star Wars and Harry Potter this year), a narrated piece (Howard Blake's 'The Snowman') and carols for the audience to sing - plus the obligatory mulled wine and mince pies. And each year the orchestra seems to be slightly more festooned with tinsel, reindeer antlers and santa hats! The 'Christmas Cracker' is always a popular concert and this year we had an audience of more than 500 - that's a lot of mince pices! Part of the attraction might have been our compere, local actor Arnold Peters - perhaps better known as 'Jack Woolley' from 'The Archers'. As well as introducing the concert he gave a very creditable performance in conducting the orchestra in Walton's 'Popular Song' from 'Facade'. Our encore, somewhat inevitably was the maypole dance 'Barwick Green' from the suite 'My Native Heath' by Arthur Wood - better known as the theme to a certain long-running radio drama serial ("tum-ti-tum-ti-tum-ti-tum, tum-ti-tum-ti tum tum ..."). Billy Connolly once said that this tune should replace "God Save the Queen" as the national anthem. I notice that Archers Addicts can now download it as a ring tone ...
Buckinghamshire Chamber Orchestra concert
13 December 2006
On Saturday I was playing with Buckinghamshire Chamber Orchestra at a concert in St Peter and Paul's Church in Buckingham. I last played with the orchestra in its inaugural concert in June 2004 and I think they've made impressive progress (from what was actually a pretty good start). The programme this time included Beethoven's 2nd symphony and the Mozart concerto for flute and harp. I rarely play classical repertoire with such a small orchestra but I always find it extremely rewarding - and surprisingly hard work! Every note becomes immensely important and you need great attention detail and an exhausting degree on concentration. We opened the concert with the 'Siegfried Idyll' by Wagner. This piece was a surprise birthday present for Wagner's wife, Cosima - she awoke on her birthday on Christmas Day 1870 to hear the music she thought she had been dreaming wafting into her bedroom from an orchestra positioned on the stairs. It's a gorgeous work which I haven't played for many years and I really enjoyed rediscovering it.
On Saturday I was playing with Buckinghamshire Chamber Orchestra at a concert in St Peter and Paul's Church in Buckingham. I last played with the orchestra in its inaugural concert in June 2004 and I think they've made impressive progress (from what was actually a pretty good start). The programme this time included Beethoven's 2nd symphony and the Mozart concerto for flute and harp. I rarely play classical repertoire with such a small orchestra but I always find it extremely rewarding - and surprisingly hard work! Every note becomes immensely important and you need great attention detail and an exhausting degree on concentration. We opened the concert with the 'Siegfried Idyll' by Wagner. This piece was a surprise birthday present for Wagner's wife, Cosima - she awoke on her birthday on Christmas Day 1870 to hear the music she thought she had been dreaming wafting into her bedroom from an orchestra positioned on the stairs. It's a gorgeous work which I haven't played for many years and I really enjoyed rediscovering it.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Danesborough Chorus concert
8 December 2006
On Saturday we made the short journey through the deer park to Woburn Church for a carol concert by our local choral society, Danesborough Chorus. The choir was joined by the brass section from the Milton Keynes City Orchestra for a lovely mixture of festive fare. The highlight for me was Monteverdi’s ‘Deus in Adiutorium’, for which the brass were placed behind the audience at the opposite end of the church to the choir – recreating the magnificent effect of 17th century surround sound!
Thursday, November 30, 2006
'Margrave of the Marshes' by John Peel and Sheila Ravenscroft
30 November 2006
John Peel had only completed the first part of his autobiography before he died suddenly in Peru in October 2004. ‘Margrave of the Marshes’ was completed by his wife, Sheila, and is very much ‘a game of two halves’. After reading the introduction by their four children I was worried I was going to find the whole experience too sad and tearful but once you get into the book it is fascinating, entertaining and very funny. You can really hear Peel’s distinctive voice in his writing and his rambling style and constant digressions mean that, although his part of the narrative finishes in 1964 (as he heads towards a Mexican brothel!), he manages to include many more recent anecdotes. It is actually quite refreshing and revealing to then get Sheila’s perspective – embellished with quotes from John’s diary. There are some great ‘Zelig’ moments – with John standing in the background at various historic events. There are also some very familiar old friends – like the story of the Bay City Rollers on an island in a lake in Mallory Park. This is the story of popular music through the second half of the twentieth century. This is the story of the development of music broadcasting. This is the story of the trials and tribulations of Liverpool Football Club. This is the story of a slightly portly, bearded, balding gentleman in a comfortable pullover. But above all this is the story of an enduring, loving marriage.
John Peel had only completed the first part of his autobiography before he died suddenly in Peru in October 2004. ‘Margrave of the Marshes’ was completed by his wife, Sheila, and is very much ‘a game of two halves’. After reading the introduction by their four children I was worried I was going to find the whole experience too sad and tearful but once you get into the book it is fascinating, entertaining and very funny. You can really hear Peel’s distinctive voice in his writing and his rambling style and constant digressions mean that, although his part of the narrative finishes in 1964 (as he heads towards a Mexican brothel!), he manages to include many more recent anecdotes. It is actually quite refreshing and revealing to then get Sheila’s perspective – embellished with quotes from John’s diary. There are some great ‘Zelig’ moments – with John standing in the background at various historic events. There are also some very familiar old friends – like the story of the Bay City Rollers on an island in a lake in Mallory Park. This is the story of popular music through the second half of the twentieth century. This is the story of the development of music broadcasting. This is the story of the trials and tribulations of Liverpool Football Club. This is the story of a slightly portly, bearded, balding gentleman in a comfortable pullover. But above all this is the story of an enduring, loving marriage.
Monday, November 20, 2006
'Ys' by Joanna Newsom
20 November 2006
There has been a lot of praise in the press for ‘Ys’ – the second album by Joanna Newsom – the 24-year old harpist/singer/songwriter from California. I caught up with her first CD ‘The Milk-Eyed Mender’ earlier this year. It’s a bizarre but strangely uplifting experience. Newsom sings beautiful melodies with incomprehensibly pretentious lyrics with an often squealing, screeching voice, accompanying herself on the harp. Impossible to categorise, she blends elements of folk with the pomposity of prog rock in an atmosphere more like classical chamber music. At first, her music can seem almost completely unlistenable but perseverance opens up a captivating beauty. ‘Ys’ builds on the remarkable experience of ‘The Milk-Eyed Mender’ by lengthening the songs (the CD contains just 5 long tracks) and added gorgeous string arrangements by Van Dyke Parks. The result is hard to describe but the word ‘masterpiece’ springs to mind: Joanna Newsom is an acquired taste – but one well worth acquiring!
There has been a lot of praise in the press for ‘Ys’ – the second album by Joanna Newsom – the 24-year old harpist/singer/songwriter from California. I caught up with her first CD ‘The Milk-Eyed Mender’ earlier this year. It’s a bizarre but strangely uplifting experience. Newsom sings beautiful melodies with incomprehensibly pretentious lyrics with an often squealing, screeching voice, accompanying herself on the harp. Impossible to categorise, she blends elements of folk with the pomposity of prog rock in an atmosphere more like classical chamber music. At first, her music can seem almost completely unlistenable but perseverance opens up a captivating beauty. ‘Ys’ builds on the remarkable experience of ‘The Milk-Eyed Mender’ by lengthening the songs (the CD contains just 5 long tracks) and added gorgeous string arrangements by Van Dyke Parks. The result is hard to describe but the word ‘masterpiece’ springs to mind: Joanna Newsom is an acquired taste – but one well worth acquiring!
Milton Keynes Sinfonia concert
20 November 2006
Another week, another Shostakovich symphony … On Saturday I was playing with Milton Keynes Sinfonia in a concert including Shostakovich’s 9th Symphony – a shorter, lighter and less angry work than the 10th – Shostakovich more in music theatre mode – with wonderful solos in the 2nd and 4th movements for clarinet and bassoon (wonderfully played on this occasion!). But the concert was dominated by an amazing performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto by Bálint Székely. Bálint was born in 1977 in Marosvásárhely (Tg.-Mures), Transylvania and came to London in 1993 to study at the Purcell School of Music and the Royal College of Music. He is a very quiet, bashful young man but a jaw-droppingly brilliant violinist. At our rehearsal last Thursday he played the virtuoso passages of the concerto with ease, effortlessly improvising and trying a host of different approaches as we tried to raise our game to keep up. I have never known a rehearsal where an orchestra applauded a soloist so often and with such fervour! His performance on Saturday was stunning – particularly a mesmerising cadenza in the 1st movement. The Sibelius Violin Concerto was already one of my favourite pieces of music but I’ve fallen in love with it all over again in the last week – the slow movement must be one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. It was a real privilege to accompany Bálint Székely – note the name and watch out for him!
Friday, November 17, 2006
'Gulag Orkestar' by Beirut
17 November 2006
I am grateful to reviews of the CD 'Gulag Orkestar' by Beirut that caught my attention in both the Observer and the Guardian. Beirut is 20-year-old Zach Condon from Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 'Gulag Orkestar' he has taken the raucous but controlled mayhem of the Balkan brass sound (a particular favourite of mine), added an odd assortment of instruments including ukulele, accordion and primitive Casio keyboard, and created a great album of pop songs. There are traces of the quirky vocals of David Byrne and the swirling repetitive melodies of The Blue Nile - with the omnipresent Balkan mixture of upbeat dance music tinged with melancholic foreboding. But the sum of these parts is like nothing you've heard before. Wonderful.
I am grateful to reviews of the CD 'Gulag Orkestar' by Beirut that caught my attention in both the Observer and the Guardian. Beirut is 20-year-old Zach Condon from Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 'Gulag Orkestar' he has taken the raucous but controlled mayhem of the Balkan brass sound (a particular favourite of mine), added an odd assortment of instruments including ukulele, accordion and primitive Casio keyboard, and created a great album of pop songs. There are traces of the quirky vocals of David Byrne and the swirling repetitive melodies of The Blue Nile - with the omnipresent Balkan mixture of upbeat dance music tinged with melancholic foreboding. But the sum of these parts is like nothing you've heard before. Wonderful.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Northampton Symphony Orchestra concert
14 November 2006
Our latest Northampton Symphony Orchestra concert on Saturday included the Dvorak Cello Concerto - one of the great romantic concertos - and Symphony No. 10 by Shostakovich - a long, dark and angry work which reflects on the reality of living in Stalinist Russia. I suspect some Shotakovich symphonies are much more fun to play than to listen to - the 10th is certainly not easygoing for an audience - but it is an exciting and impressive work and we had a substantial and enthusiastic audience for it on Saturday.
Our latest Northampton Symphony Orchestra concert on Saturday included the Dvorak Cello Concerto - one of the great romantic concertos - and Symphony No. 10 by Shostakovich - a long, dark and angry work which reflects on the reality of living in Stalinist Russia. I suspect some Shotakovich symphonies are much more fun to play than to listen to - the 10th is certainly not easygoing for an audience - but it is an exciting and impressive work and we had a substantial and enthusiastic audience for it on Saturday.
Friday, November 10, 2006
'NewsBiscuit'
10 November 2006
I've just discovered the new British spoof news website, 'Newsbiscuit':
newsbiscuit.com
They add at least one new story each day which means there's some very topical stuff - I liked the piece 'Euphoria fades as British observers unsure what US results actually mean'. You can also see breaking news stories (or even add them yourself if you like). As an Archers enthusiast I was shocked to see that "Fans have been stunned by the revelations that the new plot line will see members of the cast involved in activities such as farming, both agricultural and horticultural, and other countryside issues." Newsbiscuit is not quite the Framley Examiner (still my favourite) but very promising and well worth a look.
I've just discovered the new British spoof news website, 'Newsbiscuit':
newsbiscuit.com
They add at least one new story each day which means there's some very topical stuff - I liked the piece 'Euphoria fades as British observers unsure what US results actually mean'. You can also see breaking news stories (or even add them yourself if you like). As an Archers enthusiast I was shocked to see that "Fans have been stunned by the revelations that the new plot line will see members of the cast involved in activities such as farming, both agricultural and horticultural, and other countryside issues." Newsbiscuit is not quite the Framley Examiner (still my favourite) but very promising and well worth a look.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
'Follies' by Stephen Sondheim
2 November 2006
We’ve been really looking forward to the reopening of our favourite local theatre – the Royal Theatre in Northampton. Just after we moved to the area in 1999 the Royal – a small but lovely Victorian proscenium arch theatre was taken into joint ownership with the Derngate (a large 1970s concert hall/theatre immediately next door). This enabled the company to maintain an eclectic mix of theatrical productions and concerts, with large scale commercial productions subsidising the more experimental. The Royal and Derngate was one of the few places in the country to be able to stage Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘House’ and ‘Garden’ – two interlinked plays performed simultaneously with the same cast – actors running between the two theatres to make sure they made their cues.
We enjoyed the development of a programme of innovative in-house productions at the Royal over the last few years under the guidance of the exciting artistic director Rupert Goold. These included a great ‘Othello’, ‘Paradise Lost’ and an amazing interpretation of ‘Doctor Faustus’ which interwove the Marlowe text with a contemporary story about the Britart enfants terribles, the Chapman brothers, defacing Goya paintings. When the theatre closed for a major refurbishment 18 months ago the final production was ‘Hamlet’ set in a disused theatre – the curtain opening to reveal a set which was the precise mirror image of the actual Royal auditorium. During the closure they were unfortunately unable to hang on to Goold (Northampton’s loss was Oxford’s gain and he recently made his directorial debut at the RSC in Stratford) but his place has been taken by Laurie Sansom (who was previously at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough).
After 18 months the Royal and Derngate opened again (on time!) a couple of weeks ago. We made our first visit last Saturday and it’s a fantastic transformation. The public spaces (foyer, bars etc) of the two theatres have been completely combined to create a huge, lofty and open entrance hall with numerous levels and raised walkways. There is a new education/outreach centre (with its own children’s entrance). Both auditoria have been completely refurbished while preserving their distinctly different characters. The Royal has been restored to its 1884 glory – providing a breathtaking contrast when entering from the very modern foyer. It all looks lovely and it was very exciting rediscovering the building after its transformation.
Sansom’s opening production in the Royal is Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Follies’ – a musical about an old theatre about to be demolished. This tale of a reunion of the Follies girls 30 years on was an ambitious undertaking – requiring a huge cast. There are numerous ‘ladies of a certain age’ who revisit the dilapidated theatre and perform their party pieces one last time – shadowed by their younger selves. The masterstroke in this production was to cast local amateurs as the aging Follies girls (with a professional cast playing the leads and the ‘ghosts’). They had a dozen of the stars of the amateur dramatic and operatic societies from Northampton and Kettering – each of whom was fantastic. They each got their moment in the spotlight as the musical gives each ‘girl’ a showpiece number (including ‘Broadway Baby’ and ‘I’m Still Here’). Talking with friends in the interval I was delighted to discover that they had not realised some of the cast were amateurs and could not see the joins.
There were some wonderful song and dance numbers and the choreography where the young ‘ghosts’ shadow the performance of the aging stars was really slick (particularly in the tap routine ‘Mirror, mirror’). I was very pleased to see that the show got a four star review from Michael Billington in The Guardian (on a rare excursion outside London). Overall it was an excellent example of professional/amateur collaboration, a wonderful demonstration of the quality and strength of local amateur theatre and a super way to relaunch the venue. It was great!
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
'Burlesque' by Bellowhead
24 October 2006
There are exciting things happening in English folk music. My latest enthusiasm is for Bellowhead - the folk 'big band' created by two of the stars of the new wave of folk musicians, John Spiers and Jon Boden. I first encountered Bellowhead through their showstopping performance at the 2005 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. I saw them live at WOMAD in July 2006. Now I am enjoying their first album, 'Burlesque'. In Bellowhead the fiddle and accordion of Spiers & Boden are augmented by a host of musicians including a great brass section featuring that quintessential English folk instrument, the sousaphone! Their take on a range of traditional tunes is fast, furious and funky - great stuff.
There are exciting things happening in English folk music. My latest enthusiasm is for Bellowhead - the folk 'big band' created by two of the stars of the new wave of folk musicians, John Spiers and Jon Boden. I first encountered Bellowhead through their showstopping performance at the 2005 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. I saw them live at WOMAD in July 2006. Now I am enjoying their first album, 'Burlesque'. In Bellowhead the fiddle and accordion of Spiers & Boden are augmented by a host of musicians including a great brass section featuring that quintessential English folk instrument, the sousaphone! Their take on a range of traditional tunes is fast, furious and funky - great stuff.
Monday, October 23, 2006
'Past Half Remembered' by NIE
23 October 2006
We nearly saw the play 'Past Half Remembered' at the Edinburgh Fringe in August where it was well reviewed. Last Saturday we got another chance as its tour reached the Hat Factory in Luton. 'Past Half Remembered' is the tale of a 100-year old Russian woman reflecting on her life - including experiences of the First World War and the 1917 revolution. But the show is more about how the story is told - as 6 actors compete with each other to act out the tale. The company, NIE (New International Encounter), specialises in bringing together actors from across Europe and this production was performed in Czech, French, English, Norwegian and Russian. The multi-lingualism is seemlessly done and extremely entertaining. The playful approach to storytelling - with great slapstick, live music and hilarious crosstalk - is extremely theatrical. A really enjoyable evening - added to by being serenaded into the theatre at the beginning after we had been plied with complementary vodka and Russian tea poured from a samovar. It was just a shame there wasn't a bigger audience: this was very much an Edinburgh fringe show - close, intimate, with a minimal set and lasting just over an hour - but out of the fringe context it seems difficult to draw sufficient audiences for this kind of work. If you have a chance to catch the current tour please do.
We nearly saw the play 'Past Half Remembered' at the Edinburgh Fringe in August where it was well reviewed. Last Saturday we got another chance as its tour reached the Hat Factory in Luton. 'Past Half Remembered' is the tale of a 100-year old Russian woman reflecting on her life - including experiences of the First World War and the 1917 revolution. But the show is more about how the story is told - as 6 actors compete with each other to act out the tale. The company, NIE (New International Encounter), specialises in bringing together actors from across Europe and this production was performed in Czech, French, English, Norwegian and Russian. The multi-lingualism is seemlessly done and extremely entertaining. The playful approach to storytelling - with great slapstick, live music and hilarious crosstalk - is extremely theatrical. A really enjoyable evening - added to by being serenaded into the theatre at the beginning after we had been plied with complementary vodka and Russian tea poured from a samovar. It was just a shame there wasn't a bigger audience: this was very much an Edinburgh fringe show - close, intimate, with a minimal set and lasting just over an hour - but out of the fringe context it seems difficult to draw sufficient audiences for this kind of work. If you have a chance to catch the current tour please do.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
'Kafka on the Shore' by Haruki Murakami
19 October 2006
I first discovered the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami through David Mitchell whose novel 'number9dream' (a favourite of mine) was heavily influenced by Murakami's 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'. I've just finished reading Murakami's latest novel 'Kafka on the Shore' (translated by Philip Gabriel). Like most of his books it centres on a young protagonist in contemporary Japan (in this case a 15-year old boy running away from home to try to escape an oedipal prohecy) but the modern, urban, commercial setting is gently invaded by hints of surrealism, magical-realism or maybe the spirit-world. There are many explicit and hidden references to popular and classical music as well as elements of Greek tragedy. Two apparently disconnected plots gradually (and satisfyingly) converge with a strong underlying momentum of fate and destiny. I can see why Murakami is seen as a hip, cool writer but I also find him compelling, immensely entertaining and very funny. He creates some wonderfully quirky comic characters - bits of this novel reminded me of Douglas Adams' 'Dirk Gently' novels. I love Murakami's style, playfulness and mystery - even if I'm not sure I always understand him. 'Kafka on the Shore' is 500 pages long but I would have liked 500 more!
I first discovered the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami through David Mitchell whose novel 'number9dream' (a favourite of mine) was heavily influenced by Murakami's 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'. I've just finished reading Murakami's latest novel 'Kafka on the Shore' (translated by Philip Gabriel). Like most of his books it centres on a young protagonist in contemporary Japan (in this case a 15-year old boy running away from home to try to escape an oedipal prohecy) but the modern, urban, commercial setting is gently invaded by hints of surrealism, magical-realism or maybe the spirit-world. There are many explicit and hidden references to popular and classical music as well as elements of Greek tragedy. Two apparently disconnected plots gradually (and satisfyingly) converge with a strong underlying momentum of fate and destiny. I can see why Murakami is seen as a hip, cool writer but I also find him compelling, immensely entertaining and very funny. He creates some wonderfully quirky comic characters - bits of this novel reminded me of Douglas Adams' 'Dirk Gently' novels. I love Murakami's style, playfulness and mystery - even if I'm not sure I always understand him. 'Kafka on the Shore' is 500 pages long but I would have liked 500 more!
Monday, October 09, 2006
Helsinki
9 October 2006
I've had a really enjoyable few days in Helsinki at the European Forum for the Arts and Heritage conference - my first trip to Finland. Helsinki is a wonderful city - beautiful buildings, a harbour right in the centre of the city, fishing boats selling herring on the quayside, a wide tree-lined esplanade, a mixture of Russian and Scandinavian influences, and polite, helpful people. Culturally, the towering figure of Jean Sibelius (one of my favourite composers) seems omnipresent: as I came up the escaltaor at the Central Railway Station (itself an amazing cultural icon) I gradually became aware of the faint strains of a busker playing something vaguely familar on a recorder - by the time I reached the top I realised it was the slow, gentle Finnish folk tune that Sibelius used in 'Finlandia'. At the conference we were treated to a performance by a local choir representing Kassandra - an organisation that brings together immigrants to Finland from different cultural backgrounds. The choir sang in a wide variety of styles including Bulgarian and South African songs which it had learned from members from those countries. Finally, in Helsinki Airport awaiting my return flight I picked up a DVD of my favourite Finnish folk/rock group, Värttinä. I'm looking forward to returning to Helsinki for a longer visit sometime soon.
I've had a really enjoyable few days in Helsinki at the European Forum for the Arts and Heritage conference - my first trip to Finland. Helsinki is a wonderful city - beautiful buildings, a harbour right in the centre of the city, fishing boats selling herring on the quayside, a wide tree-lined esplanade, a mixture of Russian and Scandinavian influences, and polite, helpful people. Culturally, the towering figure of Jean Sibelius (one of my favourite composers) seems omnipresent: as I came up the escaltaor at the Central Railway Station (itself an amazing cultural icon) I gradually became aware of the faint strains of a busker playing something vaguely familar on a recorder - by the time I reached the top I realised it was the slow, gentle Finnish folk tune that Sibelius used in 'Finlandia'. At the conference we were treated to a performance by a local choir representing Kassandra - an organisation that brings together immigrants to Finland from different cultural backgrounds. The choir sang in a wide variety of styles including Bulgarian and South African songs which it had learned from members from those countries. Finally, in Helsinki Airport awaiting my return flight I picked up a DVD of my favourite Finnish folk/rock group, Värttinä. I'm looking forward to returning to Helsinki for a longer visit sometime soon.
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