26 February 2020
On Saturday we were at the Ustinov Studio at the Theatre Royal in Bath to see ‘The Realistic Joneses’ by Will Eno. Simon Evans’ production is the UK premiere of the play which was first seen in Yale in 2014. ‘The Realistic Joneses’ is a hugely enjoyable quirky battle of words between two couples, brilliantly played by Clare Foster, Corey Johnson, Jack Laskey and Sharon Small. John and Pony have just moved into the house next door to Jennifer and Bob in a village at the foot of mountains, somewhere in America. As the four of them get to know each other through a series of gentle conversations in their back yards, no-one seems to take anything that is said at face value, picking apart the sentences for hidden meanings. And it is hard to tell who is actually telling the truth. The result is an incredibly funny and often puzzling drama that never fully resolves its mysteries but is nevertheless extremely entertaining. The suggestion of something going on beneath the surface of the dialogue reminded me of plays by Sam Shepard and Caryl Churchill, and I wondered whether there was actually some underlying analogy, like the threat of nuclear war as the unnamed fear in Edward Albee’s ‘A Delicate Balance’. But if ‘The Realistic Joneses’ was no more than a witty entertainment it was great fun.
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Monday, February 17, 2020
'Alone in Berlin' by Hans Fallada, translated and adapted by Alistair Beaton
17 February 2020
I had heard of the true story of an ordinary German couple who developed a model for small-scale passive resistance to the Nazi regime in the early years of the Second World War – leaving postcards in public places across Berlin encouraging the people to question their Government’s actions. Hans Fallada’s novel ‘Alone in Berlin’, which fictionalises their story, was described by Primo Levi as “the greatest book ever written about German resistance to the Nazis”. The fact that this novel, originally published in 1947, entered the bestseller list again three years ago is a worrying commentary on our times. And watching Alistair Beaton’s new stage adaptation of ‘Alone in Berlin’ at the Royal Theatre in Northampton last Thursday, there was a noticeable audience reaction to lines about Nazi Germany which seemed equally applicable to Brexit Britain (“Nobody minds being lied to any more”). James Dacre’s production (for the Royal & Derngate Northampton, York Theatre Royal and Oxford Playhouse) features a wonderful rectilinear exaggerated-perspective set by Jonathan Fensom onto which Charles Balfour’s lighting and animated illustrations by Jason Lutes create stunning effects. It’s a bleak tale which explores the different ways people find to cope with a totalitarian system with which they disagree but have little chance of changing. Denis Conway and Charlotte Emmerson are excellent as Otto and Anna Quangel, showing how it is possible to be simultaneously brave, scared, naive, cowardly and determined.
I had heard of the true story of an ordinary German couple who developed a model for small-scale passive resistance to the Nazi regime in the early years of the Second World War – leaving postcards in public places across Berlin encouraging the people to question their Government’s actions. Hans Fallada’s novel ‘Alone in Berlin’, which fictionalises their story, was described by Primo Levi as “the greatest book ever written about German resistance to the Nazis”. The fact that this novel, originally published in 1947, entered the bestseller list again three years ago is a worrying commentary on our times. And watching Alistair Beaton’s new stage adaptation of ‘Alone in Berlin’ at the Royal Theatre in Northampton last Thursday, there was a noticeable audience reaction to lines about Nazi Germany which seemed equally applicable to Brexit Britain (“Nobody minds being lied to any more”). James Dacre’s production (for the Royal & Derngate Northampton, York Theatre Royal and Oxford Playhouse) features a wonderful rectilinear exaggerated-perspective set by Jonathan Fensom onto which Charles Balfour’s lighting and animated illustrations by Jason Lutes create stunning effects. It’s a bleak tale which explores the different ways people find to cope with a totalitarian system with which they disagree but have little chance of changing. Denis Conway and Charlotte Emmerson are excellent as Otto and Anna Quangel, showing how it is possible to be simultaneously brave, scared, naive, cowardly and determined.
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Northampton Symphony Orchestra concert
11 February 2020
Performing Bruckner’s ‘Symphony No 4’ for the first time is a landmark moment for a horn player and it was wonderful to have the chance to do so with the Northampton Symphony Orchestra last Saturday. The ‘Romantic Symphony’ is a mammoth work: it lasts 65 minutes and the 1st horn is playing for most of that time. It’s a major test of stamina and nerves – particularly the exposed solo at the beginning of the first movement. Having prepared myself carefully for the opening note I was slightly thrown by our conductor, John Gibbons, who gave a fascinating but lengthy description of the piece to the audience before we started playing. My first few notes were a little wobbly but once I got going I think the symphony went extremely well. It was brilliant to be part of a magnificent horn section: the final bars of the first movement, the hunting calls of the Scherzo and the end of the final movement felt thrilling. The whole orchestra rose to the challenge of the symphony very impressively with some lovely woodwind solos and stunning playing by the viola section. But, sorry guys, this time it really was mostly about the horns! The first half of the concert featured the rousing ‘Flying Dutchman Overture’ by Richard Wagner and the ‘Duet-Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon’ by Richard Strauss. This rarely heard work is a lovely miniature double concerto with the two solo instruments accompanied by strings and harp. Our soloists, Cathal Killeen on clarinet and William Gold on bassoon, were outstanding. I loved the theatricality of their performance as they reached across to page-turn for each other. At one point Cathal walked across to share William’s music stand during a passage of playful conversation between the two instruments. It was interesting to spot some themes in the final movement that also appear in another late work by Strauss – the 'Sonatina no. 2 for 16 Winds' ('From the Happy Workshop') which I played with the Heliotrope Chamber Ensemble in 2016 (reviewed here in April 2016). The NSO performance of the Duet-Concertino was excellent – delicate and extremely entertaining.
Performing Bruckner’s ‘Symphony No 4’ for the first time is a landmark moment for a horn player and it was wonderful to have the chance to do so with the Northampton Symphony Orchestra last Saturday. The ‘Romantic Symphony’ is a mammoth work: it lasts 65 minutes and the 1st horn is playing for most of that time. It’s a major test of stamina and nerves – particularly the exposed solo at the beginning of the first movement. Having prepared myself carefully for the opening note I was slightly thrown by our conductor, John Gibbons, who gave a fascinating but lengthy description of the piece to the audience before we started playing. My first few notes were a little wobbly but once I got going I think the symphony went extremely well. It was brilliant to be part of a magnificent horn section: the final bars of the first movement, the hunting calls of the Scherzo and the end of the final movement felt thrilling. The whole orchestra rose to the challenge of the symphony very impressively with some lovely woodwind solos and stunning playing by the viola section. But, sorry guys, this time it really was mostly about the horns! The first half of the concert featured the rousing ‘Flying Dutchman Overture’ by Richard Wagner and the ‘Duet-Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon’ by Richard Strauss. This rarely heard work is a lovely miniature double concerto with the two solo instruments accompanied by strings and harp. Our soloists, Cathal Killeen on clarinet and William Gold on bassoon, were outstanding. I loved the theatricality of their performance as they reached across to page-turn for each other. At one point Cathal walked across to share William’s music stand during a passage of playful conversation between the two instruments. It was interesting to spot some themes in the final movement that also appear in another late work by Strauss – the 'Sonatina no. 2 for 16 Winds' ('From the Happy Workshop') which I played with the Heliotrope Chamber Ensemble in 2016 (reviewed here in April 2016). The NSO performance of the Duet-Concertino was excellent – delicate and extremely entertaining.
Friday, February 07, 2020
'The Personal History of David Copperfield’ by Armando Iannucci
7 February 2020
On Sunday we were at the Odeon in Milton Keynes to see ‘The Personal History of David Copperfield’ - Armando Iannucci’s new film adaptation of the Dickens novel. It’s a sunny film that’s lots of fun. Dev Patel’s David Copperfield is an aspiring writer narrating the story of his life. He watches in on his own birth – reminding me of ‘A Cock and Bull Story’ - Michael Winterbottom’s 2005 film adaptation of ‘Tristram Shandy’. Armando Iannucci’s ‘David Copperfield’ is, unsurprisingly, very funny with some great comic cameos. There are a few nods to Dickens’ social commentary but this is primarily a jolly yarn. Dev Patel displays an impressive talent for accents and mimicry – as does Jairaj Varsani as the young David Copperfield. Peter Capaldi, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton and Ben Wishaw are all wonderful in their larger-than-life performances. I particularly liked Daisy May Cooper as Peggotty. And Morfydd Clark’s Dora Spenlow was infuriatingly lovely! But the most Armando Iannucci scenes were those in the Murdstone factory office with the words of Victor McGuire’s hoarse Creakle being parroted for clarity by Peter Singh’s Tungay – which could have been straight from ‘The Thick of It’.
On Sunday we were at the Odeon in Milton Keynes to see ‘The Personal History of David Copperfield’ - Armando Iannucci’s new film adaptation of the Dickens novel. It’s a sunny film that’s lots of fun. Dev Patel’s David Copperfield is an aspiring writer narrating the story of his life. He watches in on his own birth – reminding me of ‘A Cock and Bull Story’ - Michael Winterbottom’s 2005 film adaptation of ‘Tristram Shandy’. Armando Iannucci’s ‘David Copperfield’ is, unsurprisingly, very funny with some great comic cameos. There are a few nods to Dickens’ social commentary but this is primarily a jolly yarn. Dev Patel displays an impressive talent for accents and mimicry – as does Jairaj Varsani as the young David Copperfield. Peter Capaldi, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton and Ben Wishaw are all wonderful in their larger-than-life performances. I particularly liked Daisy May Cooper as Peggotty. And Morfydd Clark’s Dora Spenlow was infuriatingly lovely! But the most Armando Iannucci scenes were those in the Murdstone factory office with the words of Victor McGuire’s hoarse Creakle being parroted for clarity by Peter Singh’s Tungay – which could have been straight from ‘The Thick of It’.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
'The Body Lies' by Jo Baker
29 January 2020
Jo Baker’s wonderful novel ‘Longbourn’ (reviewed here in April 2014), which revisits characters and scenes from 'Pride and Prejudice' from the point of view of the Bennetts' servants, was beautifully written and cleverly constructed. Although her new novel ‘The Body Lies’ (which I have just finished reading as an unabridged audio book narrated by Julie Maisey, Deborah McBride, Sam Woolf, Simon Ludders and Imogen Church) has a completely different setting and theme, it similarly demonstrates her skill and craft as a writer. ‘The Body Lies’ is a contemporary story which uses the ‘campus novel’ approach to address some dark subjects, with a focus on violence against women. The book’s (unnamed) first-person narrator teaches a creative writing course and her story is interspersed with excerpts from her students’ work – often giving a variety of different perspectives on events they have all witnessed. Much of the book has the feel of a comic novel by David Lodge, but the underlying threat of sexual violence is carefully and sensitively handled. The novel is also about the act of writing, so the way it is written is an essential component of what it is saying. There’s a very clever, meta-textual strand running through the book but this never detracts from the way it works as an incredibly scary thriller.
Jo Baker’s wonderful novel ‘Longbourn’ (reviewed here in April 2014), which revisits characters and scenes from 'Pride and Prejudice' from the point of view of the Bennetts' servants, was beautifully written and cleverly constructed. Although her new novel ‘The Body Lies’ (which I have just finished reading as an unabridged audio book narrated by Julie Maisey, Deborah McBride, Sam Woolf, Simon Ludders and Imogen Church) has a completely different setting and theme, it similarly demonstrates her skill and craft as a writer. ‘The Body Lies’ is a contemporary story which uses the ‘campus novel’ approach to address some dark subjects, with a focus on violence against women. The book’s (unnamed) first-person narrator teaches a creative writing course and her story is interspersed with excerpts from her students’ work – often giving a variety of different perspectives on events they have all witnessed. Much of the book has the feel of a comic novel by David Lodge, but the underlying threat of sexual violence is carefully and sensitively handled. The novel is also about the act of writing, so the way it is written is an essential component of what it is saying. There’s a very clever, meta-textual strand running through the book but this never detracts from the way it works as an incredibly scary thriller.
‘Back to Bacharach’
29 January 2020
Burt Bacharach must rate amongst the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. Now 91 years old – and still going strong – his catalogue of hit songs over more than 50 years is amazing. Last Saturday we were at The Stables in Milton Keynes to see ‘Back to Bacharach’ - a touring show that celebrates his music. An excellent band, featuring three singers who share the lead role, play songs originally made famous by Dionne Warwick, Perry Como, Gene Pitney, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, Jack Jones, Herb Alpert, The Carpenters, Christopher Cross, Elvis Presley and many others. Much of this amazing back catalogue reflects Burt Bacharach’s long partnership with lyricist Hal David, but he also wrote some great songs with Carole Bayer Sager (who became his third wife). I’m not usually a fan of tribute bands, but ‘Back to Bacharach’ celebrate the composer, rather than imitating a particular artist. I always like a band that dances to its own music and ‘Back to Bacharach’ looked like they were having great fun on Saturday. And all their concerts raise money for the Breast Cancer Now charity.
Burt Bacharach must rate amongst the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. Now 91 years old – and still going strong – his catalogue of hit songs over more than 50 years is amazing. Last Saturday we were at The Stables in Milton Keynes to see ‘Back to Bacharach’ - a touring show that celebrates his music. An excellent band, featuring three singers who share the lead role, play songs originally made famous by Dionne Warwick, Perry Como, Gene Pitney, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, Jack Jones, Herb Alpert, The Carpenters, Christopher Cross, Elvis Presley and many others. Much of this amazing back catalogue reflects Burt Bacharach’s long partnership with lyricist Hal David, but he also wrote some great songs with Carole Bayer Sager (who became his third wife). I’m not usually a fan of tribute bands, but ‘Back to Bacharach’ celebrate the composer, rather than imitating a particular artist. I always like a band that dances to its own music and ‘Back to Bacharach’ looked like they were having great fun on Saturday. And all their concerts raise money for the Breast Cancer Now charity.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
NMPAT Sinfonietta concert
23 January 2020
I
last played in one of Trevor Dyson’s charity orchestral concerts in
Northampton two years ago when we performed the Tchaikovsky Violin
Concerto and Beethoven’s ‘Symphony No 3 (Eroica)’ (reviewed
here in February 2017). On Saturday I was delighted to be asked again
to join the NMPAT Sinfonietta – a scratch orchestra made up mostly
of instrumental music teachers from Northamptonshire Music and
Performing Arts Trust and conducted by Trevor – to raise funds for
the Spinal Injuries Association. Like last time, the afternoon
rehearsal was fairly worrying as we struggled to pull together a
substantial and challenging programme in a very limited time. But
this resulted in extreme levels of concentration in the evening
performance which went really well and was great fun. We opened with
the ‘Roman Carnival Overture’ by Berlioz – a thrilling piece
that is rarely played as fast as should be in my opinion, but we
managed to maintain an impressive pace! We followed this with ‘Peter
and the Wolf’ by Prokofiev, narrated by Alan Bell, which featured
stunning performances by the four woodwind soloists: Graham Tear on
flute, Peter Dunkley on clarinet, Frank Jordan on bassoon and Iona
Walker on oboe (who also played the lovely cor anglais solo in the
Roman Carnival overture beautifully). The concert closed with the
epic ‘Symphony No 6 (Pathétique)’ by Tchaikovsky. This was an
ambitious undertaking on a single rehearsal but I think our
performance was pretty impressive (if a little unrestrained in the
faster, louder sections!). Usually when you play the Pathétique
Symphony the triumphant march of the third movement fools anyone who
hasn’t heard the piece before into thinking it has finished, and
it’s not uncommon to get applause at this false ending, before the
sting-in-the-tail of the angst-laden final slow movement. On Saturday
our breathtaking romp through the third movement was greeted by a
stunned silence punctuated simply by someone on the front row of the
audience spontaneously and gloriously shouting ‘wow!’.
Thankfully, the devastating ending of the final movement also
elicited an enthusiastic reaction: it was an exciting and
entertaining concert which managed to raise a substantial amount of
money for the SIA.
Friday, January 17, 2020
'This Classical Life'
17 January 2020
I first encountered the brilliant young saxophonist Jess Gillam (who comes from Ulverston in Cumbria) through the 2016 BBC Young Musician competition (reviewed here in May 2016). In 2017 I was lucky enough to play in two concerts with Jess with the Northampton Symphony Orchestra (reviewed here in March and July 2017). As well as developing into an outstanding musician Jess Gillam is proving herself to be a consummate broadcaster: in 2018 she presented the BBC Young Musician podcast (reviewed here in April 2018). And now I have (slightly belatedly) discovered her wonderful BBC Radio 3 programme and podcast ‘This Classical Life’. Each week Jess welcomes a different guest – usually another young professional musician – and they take turns to share pieces of music with each other. The music is mostly classical, with some jazz and pop. In the manner of BBC Radio 4’s ‘A Good Read’ they politely comment on each other’s choices – only occasionally admitting that they really don’t like something the other person has chosen. Jess is a very natural interviewer and is very good at teasing out what it is about each piece of music that makes it enticing. Her approach is very accessible and unpretentious. The show is great fun in itself but it has also sent me to listen to loads of great music I was previously unaware of. Each weekly episode is less than half an hour, and there is now a back catalogue of 32 episodes to catch up with. Subscribe to ‘This Classical Life’ wherever you get your podcasts or find it on BBC Radio 3, on BBC Sounds or at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00040ch
I first encountered the brilliant young saxophonist Jess Gillam (who comes from Ulverston in Cumbria) through the 2016 BBC Young Musician competition (reviewed here in May 2016). In 2017 I was lucky enough to play in two concerts with Jess with the Northampton Symphony Orchestra (reviewed here in March and July 2017). As well as developing into an outstanding musician Jess Gillam is proving herself to be a consummate broadcaster: in 2018 she presented the BBC Young Musician podcast (reviewed here in April 2018). And now I have (slightly belatedly) discovered her wonderful BBC Radio 3 programme and podcast ‘This Classical Life’. Each week Jess welcomes a different guest – usually another young professional musician – and they take turns to share pieces of music with each other. The music is mostly classical, with some jazz and pop. In the manner of BBC Radio 4’s ‘A Good Read’ they politely comment on each other’s choices – only occasionally admitting that they really don’t like something the other person has chosen. Jess is a very natural interviewer and is very good at teasing out what it is about each piece of music that makes it enticing. Her approach is very accessible and unpretentious. The show is great fun in itself but it has also sent me to listen to loads of great music I was previously unaware of. Each weekly episode is less than half an hour, and there is now a back catalogue of 32 episodes to catch up with. Subscribe to ‘This Classical Life’ wherever you get your podcasts or find it on BBC Radio 3, on BBC Sounds or at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00040ch
Friday, January 10, 2020
‘Mame’ by Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee and Jerry Herman
10 January 2020
I’ve only ever played in the band for a handful of stage musicals. It’s an odd experience being part of the orchestra in the pit: by the end of the run you know the show off-by-heart (both the music and most of the dialogue!) but, having never actually seen what is happening on the stage, my grasp of the plot of most of the musicals I have played in remains rather vague. One of my rare appearances in the orchestra pit was for a production of ‘Mame’ by the excellent amateur Westwood Musical Society at the Key Theatre in Peterborough in 1992. This production was particularly memorable as the actor playing Auntie Mame fell on stage during the second performance and broke her leg. That evening’s performance was abandoned but, after some hasty adjustments to the script, our star returned the following night – with leg in plaster – to complete the run. The Peterborough Evening Telegraph headline for these dramatic events was, somewhat inevitably, ‘Mamed!’. So it was great, nearly 30 years later, to finally get the chance to see ‘Mame’ at the Royal Theatre in Northampton on Thursday in a new production from Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. ‘Mame’ has a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, based on the novel by Patrick Dennis and the play ‘Auntie Mame’ by Lawrence and Lee. It’s set in Jazz Age New York, with the flimsiest of plots (and some dated sexual politics) providing an excuse for a joyous feel-good dance musical. This is the first professional staging of ‘Mame’ in the UK since the original 1969 West End production, which starred Ginger Rogers. Director and Choreographer Nick Winston has ingeniously compressed the action for the tiny Hope Mill Theatre, squeezing a cast of 18 onto a small stage without losing any of the big dance numbers. The music was arranged by Jason Carr who did the amazing four-piano arrangement of ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ for the Young Vic production starring Jane Horrocks (reviewed here in December 2009). Tracie Bennett (who we last saw singing ‘I’m Still Here’ in the National Theatre production of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Follies’, reviewed here in November 2017) is wonderful as Mame. Her singing is impressive but her dancing is really outstanding – as is that of the whole cast. ‘Mame’ is a dancers’ musical and the Hope Mill Theatre production boasts a stunning ensemble of dancers. Harriet Thorpe almost steals the show as Mame’s wise-cracking, permanently inebriated, best friend, Vera. And Lochlan White is amazing as the young Patrick (one of three boys alternating the role). But ‘Mame’ is Tracie Bennett’s show and it is hard now to imagine anyone else in the role. It’s a brilliant production that left me beaming. You can get a flavour of the show from this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nQjDMsx5xY
I’ve only ever played in the band for a handful of stage musicals. It’s an odd experience being part of the orchestra in the pit: by the end of the run you know the show off-by-heart (both the music and most of the dialogue!) but, having never actually seen what is happening on the stage, my grasp of the plot of most of the musicals I have played in remains rather vague. One of my rare appearances in the orchestra pit was for a production of ‘Mame’ by the excellent amateur Westwood Musical Society at the Key Theatre in Peterborough in 1992. This production was particularly memorable as the actor playing Auntie Mame fell on stage during the second performance and broke her leg. That evening’s performance was abandoned but, after some hasty adjustments to the script, our star returned the following night – with leg in plaster – to complete the run. The Peterborough Evening Telegraph headline for these dramatic events was, somewhat inevitably, ‘Mamed!’. So it was great, nearly 30 years later, to finally get the chance to see ‘Mame’ at the Royal Theatre in Northampton on Thursday in a new production from Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. ‘Mame’ has a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, based on the novel by Patrick Dennis and the play ‘Auntie Mame’ by Lawrence and Lee. It’s set in Jazz Age New York, with the flimsiest of plots (and some dated sexual politics) providing an excuse for a joyous feel-good dance musical. This is the first professional staging of ‘Mame’ in the UK since the original 1969 West End production, which starred Ginger Rogers. Director and Choreographer Nick Winston has ingeniously compressed the action for the tiny Hope Mill Theatre, squeezing a cast of 18 onto a small stage without losing any of the big dance numbers. The music was arranged by Jason Carr who did the amazing four-piano arrangement of ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ for the Young Vic production starring Jane Horrocks (reviewed here in December 2009). Tracie Bennett (who we last saw singing ‘I’m Still Here’ in the National Theatre production of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Follies’, reviewed here in November 2017) is wonderful as Mame. Her singing is impressive but her dancing is really outstanding – as is that of the whole cast. ‘Mame’ is a dancers’ musical and the Hope Mill Theatre production boasts a stunning ensemble of dancers. Harriet Thorpe almost steals the show as Mame’s wise-cracking, permanently inebriated, best friend, Vera. And Lochlan White is amazing as the young Patrick (one of three boys alternating the role). But ‘Mame’ is Tracie Bennett’s show and it is hard now to imagine anyone else in the role. It’s a brilliant production that left me beaming. You can get a flavour of the show from this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nQjDMsx5xY
Friday, January 03, 2020
‘The Cthulhu Casebooks: Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows’ by James Lovegrove
3 January 2020
New Year is traditionally a time for revelations as previously secret government documents are released under the thirty-year rule. So it felt seasonally appropriate this week to be discovering hitherto undisclosed shocking secrets about the life and work of Sherlock Holmes that suggest everything you thought you knew about the great consulting detective was actually a fiction. ‘The Cthulhu Casebooks: Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows’ by James Lovegrove (which I have just finished reading as an unabridged audio book, narrated by Dennis Kleinman) is the first of three novels apparently written by Dr John Watson in 1928. The three books depict events 15 years apart – in 1880, 1895 and 1910 respectively – starting with the first meeting between Holmes and Watson, which the Doctor reveals did not happen as he had previously recounted it in print. ‘The Cthulhu Casebooks’ are a mashup of Conan Doyle and the fantastical science fiction horror of H.P. Lovecraft (who was also the inspiration for Ned Beauman’s wonderful novel 'The Teleportation Accident', reviewed here in July 2013). In ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows’ Watson explains how a young Holmes was drawn into a world of magic, monsters, aliens and gods – and how he carefully obscured this side of the detective’s character in his original accounts in The Strand Magazine. James Lovegrove has produced a painstakingly meticulous recreation of Conan Doyle’s style – homage rather than pastiche. It’s very engaging but less schlocky fun than I had expected: I had anticipated something more like the steampunk aesthetic of George Mann’s Victorian detective/fantasy/science fiction novel ‘The Affinity Bridge’ (reviewed here in June 2019). This is a much more serious tale and feels closer to ‘The House of Silk’ by Anthony Horowitz (reviewed here in January 2012) which was also supposed to be written an elderly Dr Watson, many years after Holmes himself has passed away. Both books are are lovingly reverential to the original Sherlock Holmes stories and knowingly playful with the genre – though the Shadwell Shadows has more lizard-men!
New Year is traditionally a time for revelations as previously secret government documents are released under the thirty-year rule. So it felt seasonally appropriate this week to be discovering hitherto undisclosed shocking secrets about the life and work of Sherlock Holmes that suggest everything you thought you knew about the great consulting detective was actually a fiction. ‘The Cthulhu Casebooks: Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows’ by James Lovegrove (which I have just finished reading as an unabridged audio book, narrated by Dennis Kleinman) is the first of three novels apparently written by Dr John Watson in 1928. The three books depict events 15 years apart – in 1880, 1895 and 1910 respectively – starting with the first meeting between Holmes and Watson, which the Doctor reveals did not happen as he had previously recounted it in print. ‘The Cthulhu Casebooks’ are a mashup of Conan Doyle and the fantastical science fiction horror of H.P. Lovecraft (who was also the inspiration for Ned Beauman’s wonderful novel 'The Teleportation Accident', reviewed here in July 2013). In ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows’ Watson explains how a young Holmes was drawn into a world of magic, monsters, aliens and gods – and how he carefully obscured this side of the detective’s character in his original accounts in The Strand Magazine. James Lovegrove has produced a painstakingly meticulous recreation of Conan Doyle’s style – homage rather than pastiche. It’s very engaging but less schlocky fun than I had expected: I had anticipated something more like the steampunk aesthetic of George Mann’s Victorian detective/fantasy/science fiction novel ‘The Affinity Bridge’ (reviewed here in June 2019). This is a much more serious tale and feels closer to ‘The House of Silk’ by Anthony Horowitz (reviewed here in January 2012) which was also supposed to be written an elderly Dr Watson, many years after Holmes himself has passed away. Both books are are lovingly reverential to the original Sherlock Holmes stories and knowingly playful with the genre – though the Shadwell Shadows has more lizard-men!
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
'The Secret Commonwealth' by Philip Pullman
11 December 2019
It must have been daunting for Philip Pullman to attempt to follow his acclaimed trilogy of ‘His Dark Materials’ novels with a similarly ambitious trio, ‘The Book of Dust’. But, so far, this second series of books about Lyra Silvertongue and a parallel-world Oxford populated by people with animal daemons is shaping up to surpass the original. Some are saying the latest novel, ‘The Secret Commonwealth’ (the middle volume of ‘The Book of Dust’), is the best of all. It’s hard to compare it with ‘Northern Lights’ which felt like an instant classic of children’s literature but ‘The Secret Commonwealth’, which I’ve just finished reading as an unabridged audio book narrated by Michael Sheen, is a stunning thriller. Lyra is now 20 years old and although the events in this novel happen after her journey to the North (and beyond) in the ‘His Dark Materials’ books, ‘The Secret Commonwealth’ has more in common with the prequel ‘La Belle Sauvage’ (reviewed here in November 2017), with the events of the great flood that happened when Lyra was a baby coming back to affect the adult Lyra. ‘The Book of Dust’ takes Spenser's ‘The Faerie Queene’ as its underlying theme and ‘The Secret Commonwealth’ starts to take us further into the faerie realm. This is a much more grown-up book with some scenes of extreme violence and sexual assault. It has the feeling of a cold war spy thriller, with the action moving across Europe and into Central Asia. The stakes seem even higher than in the previous novels and no character feels entirely safe. Pullman is very good at the high-level political scheming and his targets here include multi-national corporations and people-trafficking as well as organised religion. I really enjoyed ‘The Secret Commonwealth’. It ends rather abruptly with ‘to be continued’ and I can’t wait for the final volume of ‘The Book of Dust’.
It must have been daunting for Philip Pullman to attempt to follow his acclaimed trilogy of ‘His Dark Materials’ novels with a similarly ambitious trio, ‘The Book of Dust’. But, so far, this second series of books about Lyra Silvertongue and a parallel-world Oxford populated by people with animal daemons is shaping up to surpass the original. Some are saying the latest novel, ‘The Secret Commonwealth’ (the middle volume of ‘The Book of Dust’), is the best of all. It’s hard to compare it with ‘Northern Lights’ which felt like an instant classic of children’s literature but ‘The Secret Commonwealth’, which I’ve just finished reading as an unabridged audio book narrated by Michael Sheen, is a stunning thriller. Lyra is now 20 years old and although the events in this novel happen after her journey to the North (and beyond) in the ‘His Dark Materials’ books, ‘The Secret Commonwealth’ has more in common with the prequel ‘La Belle Sauvage’ (reviewed here in November 2017), with the events of the great flood that happened when Lyra was a baby coming back to affect the adult Lyra. ‘The Book of Dust’ takes Spenser's ‘The Faerie Queene’ as its underlying theme and ‘The Secret Commonwealth’ starts to take us further into the faerie realm. This is a much more grown-up book with some scenes of extreme violence and sexual assault. It has the feeling of a cold war spy thriller, with the action moving across Europe and into Central Asia. The stakes seem even higher than in the previous novels and no character feels entirely safe. Pullman is very good at the high-level political scheming and his targets here include multi-national corporations and people-trafficking as well as organised religion. I really enjoyed ‘The Secret Commonwealth’. It ends rather abruptly with ‘to be continued’ and I can’t wait for the final volume of ‘The Book of Dust’.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Northampton Symphony Orchestra concert
10 December 2019
As regular readers will remember, the official start of Christmas is the annual Northampton Symphony Orchestra Christmas Cracker concert. After last year’s Victorian-themed concert (as part of our 125th anniversary season) on Sunday afternoon we finally got to play the ‘Heroes and Villains’ concert that we had to cancel at the last minute two years ago because of snow. A large, enthusiastic audience of all ages joined us at the Spinney Theatre in Northampton – many of them dressed as their favourite heroes or villains. There were some amazing costumes on display in the orchestra as well – a few of which were quite disturbing! Alongside the usual Christmas carols and festive medleys, we saluted heroes and villains with music including John Williams’ ‘Superman March’, the ‘Overture to The Crimson Pirate’ by William Alwyn, ‘Men of Sherwood Forest’ by Doreen Carwithen (which we had played at our concert in Clifton Cathedral in Bristol in November), ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’ arranged by Jerry Brubaker and ‘Music from Frozen’ by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, arranged by Bob Krogstad. ‘Frozen’ was a particular hit with the younger members of our audience, and featured a beautiful violin solo by Scott Blundell. Scott had been called in at the eleventh hour to deputise for NSO leader Stephen Hague after Stephen was suddenly taken ill last Thursday. He is now recovering well but Scott did a wonderful job as leader in his absence. The centrepiece of the concert was Carl Nielsen's ‘Aladdin’ suite, originally written 100 years ago in 1919 as incidental music for a production of ‘Aladdin’ at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. For the NSO Christmas Cracker concert Graham Tear wrote a new narration which was woven into Nielsen’s music with the help of NSO conductor John Gibbons and theatrically performed by our compère, Alan Bell. It was great fun and a clear highlight of the concert for many members of our audience.
As regular readers will remember, the official start of Christmas is the annual Northampton Symphony Orchestra Christmas Cracker concert. After last year’s Victorian-themed concert (as part of our 125th anniversary season) on Sunday afternoon we finally got to play the ‘Heroes and Villains’ concert that we had to cancel at the last minute two years ago because of snow. A large, enthusiastic audience of all ages joined us at the Spinney Theatre in Northampton – many of them dressed as their favourite heroes or villains. There were some amazing costumes on display in the orchestra as well – a few of which were quite disturbing! Alongside the usual Christmas carols and festive medleys, we saluted heroes and villains with music including John Williams’ ‘Superman March’, the ‘Overture to The Crimson Pirate’ by William Alwyn, ‘Men of Sherwood Forest’ by Doreen Carwithen (which we had played at our concert in Clifton Cathedral in Bristol in November), ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’ arranged by Jerry Brubaker and ‘Music from Frozen’ by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, arranged by Bob Krogstad. ‘Frozen’ was a particular hit with the younger members of our audience, and featured a beautiful violin solo by Scott Blundell. Scott had been called in at the eleventh hour to deputise for NSO leader Stephen Hague after Stephen was suddenly taken ill last Thursday. He is now recovering well but Scott did a wonderful job as leader in his absence. The centrepiece of the concert was Carl Nielsen's ‘Aladdin’ suite, originally written 100 years ago in 1919 as incidental music for a production of ‘Aladdin’ at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. For the NSO Christmas Cracker concert Graham Tear wrote a new narration which was woven into Nielsen’s music with the help of NSO conductor John Gibbons and theatrically performed by our compère, Alan Bell. It was great fun and a clear highlight of the concert for many members of our audience.
Tuesday, December 03, 2019
‘Constitution Street' by Jemma Neville
3 December 2019
In 2017 Jemma Neville took a 9-month sabbatical from her role as Director of Voluntary Arts Scotland to write her first book. Responding to issues raised by both the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, and drawing on her own background in human rights law, Jemma wanted to explore the potential for a rights framework in the form of a written constitution. She did so, rather brilliantly, by looking at the national (and international) picture through a very local lens, setting out from her home in Constitution Street in Leith to walk and talk with her neighbours – literally taking a constitutional. The resulting book ‘Constitution Street: finding hope in an age of anxiety’ is a compelling read. Through 60 interviews with residents of Constitution Street Jemma examines the reality of human rights in our everyday lives. The stories of the people she gets to know are beautifully told. The structure of the book follows the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but the focus is always on the individual people, with the underlying message subtly in the background. Jemma is an incredibly generous narrator, giving ample room even to views she clearly doesn’t share. ‘Constitution Street’ is a deeply personal work, taking the reader through Jemma’s own moments of joy, confusion and grief. Although the book draws mainly on Jemma’s expertise in human rights law it was good to spot some small influences from Voluntary Arts – both in a focus on ‘the commons’ and on the use of exploratory ‘open conversations’. At this worryingly unsettling time in national and international politics ‘Constitution Street’ is an important book, gently persuasive and refreshingly human. It’s also a fascinating social history of a particular community and a really entertaining and enjoyable read. Last Thursday, having almost finished reading the book, I found myself walking along Constitution Street to visit Jemma in the new Voluntary Arts Scotland office on Customs Lane. I had walked down Constitution Street many times before, but now I was seeing it differently, recognising particular buildings from the book and imagining particular individuals behind the doors. The street itself is currently closed to traffic during the construction of the extension to Edinburgh’s tram system. With the road surface inaccessible behind high metal fences along the edge of the pavement and subject to excavation and resurfacing, and the closing chapters of the book fresh in my mind, Constitution Street felt like a film set being dismantled after shooting had finished. Or maybe a community being prepared for the next chapter in its history. ‘Constitution Street’ is an amazing achievement: if you haven’t bought your copy yet go straight to: https://www.404ink.com/store/constitution-street-jemma-neville
In 2017 Jemma Neville took a 9-month sabbatical from her role as Director of Voluntary Arts Scotland to write her first book. Responding to issues raised by both the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, and drawing on her own background in human rights law, Jemma wanted to explore the potential for a rights framework in the form of a written constitution. She did so, rather brilliantly, by looking at the national (and international) picture through a very local lens, setting out from her home in Constitution Street in Leith to walk and talk with her neighbours – literally taking a constitutional. The resulting book ‘Constitution Street: finding hope in an age of anxiety’ is a compelling read. Through 60 interviews with residents of Constitution Street Jemma examines the reality of human rights in our everyday lives. The stories of the people she gets to know are beautifully told. The structure of the book follows the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but the focus is always on the individual people, with the underlying message subtly in the background. Jemma is an incredibly generous narrator, giving ample room even to views she clearly doesn’t share. ‘Constitution Street’ is a deeply personal work, taking the reader through Jemma’s own moments of joy, confusion and grief. Although the book draws mainly on Jemma’s expertise in human rights law it was good to spot some small influences from Voluntary Arts – both in a focus on ‘the commons’ and on the use of exploratory ‘open conversations’. At this worryingly unsettling time in national and international politics ‘Constitution Street’ is an important book, gently persuasive and refreshingly human. It’s also a fascinating social history of a particular community and a really entertaining and enjoyable read. Last Thursday, having almost finished reading the book, I found myself walking along Constitution Street to visit Jemma in the new Voluntary Arts Scotland office on Customs Lane. I had walked down Constitution Street many times before, but now I was seeing it differently, recognising particular buildings from the book and imagining particular individuals behind the doors. The street itself is currently closed to traffic during the construction of the extension to Edinburgh’s tram system. With the road surface inaccessible behind high metal fences along the edge of the pavement and subject to excavation and resurfacing, and the closing chapters of the book fresh in my mind, Constitution Street felt like a film set being dismantled after shooting had finished. Or maybe a community being prepared for the next chapter in its history. ‘Constitution Street’ is an amazing achievement: if you haven’t bought your copy yet go straight to: https://www.404ink.com/store/constitution-street-jemma-neville
Monday, December 02, 2019
‘The Season’ by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan
2 December 2019
On Saturday we were at the Royal Theatre in Northampton to see ‘The Season’ – a new chamber musical by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan. This lovely two-hander features Tori Allen-Martin and Alex Cardall as an odd couple, meeting in New York on Christmas Eve, discussing all the terrible clichés of New York Christmas romcom movies and then proceeding to act out those same clichés. It’s a very knowing take on the schmaltzy Christmas romance which manages to rise above the cynicism to be genuinely charming. The story of the musical’s development is also heart-warming, with Barnes and Buchan getting their break to stage their first musical after winning the 2018 Stiles & Drewe mentorship award which gave them a year’s mentorship from the successful musicals writing partnership George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (whose works include 'Betty Blue Eyes', reviewed here in July 2011). ‘The Season’ – a Royal & Derngate, Northampton and New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich co-production, directed by Tim Jackson – is witty, sweet, moving and great fun. It has been playing to packed houses in Northampton and Saturday’s audience gave the show an enthusiastic standing ovation.
On Saturday we were at the Royal Theatre in Northampton to see ‘The Season’ – a new chamber musical by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan. This lovely two-hander features Tori Allen-Martin and Alex Cardall as an odd couple, meeting in New York on Christmas Eve, discussing all the terrible clichés of New York Christmas romcom movies and then proceeding to act out those same clichés. It’s a very knowing take on the schmaltzy Christmas romance which manages to rise above the cynicism to be genuinely charming. The story of the musical’s development is also heart-warming, with Barnes and Buchan getting their break to stage their first musical after winning the 2018 Stiles & Drewe mentorship award which gave them a year’s mentorship from the successful musicals writing partnership George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (whose works include 'Betty Blue Eyes', reviewed here in July 2011). ‘The Season’ – a Royal & Derngate, Northampton and New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich co-production, directed by Tim Jackson – is witty, sweet, moving and great fun. It has been playing to packed houses in Northampton and Saturday’s audience gave the show an enthusiastic standing ovation.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
'The Portage' by RANT
28 November 2019
I’ve been enjoying ‘The Portage’ – the new album from Scottish fiddle quartet Rant. This is chamber folk – somewhere between Trad and classical. Rant are four young female fiddle players, two from Shetland and two from the Highlands. The album, which was recorded over four days at the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Church in Glasgow, is a nicely varied collection of tunes ranging from frantic fiddling to haunting melancholy ballads that reminded me of the albums by Duncan Chisholm (reviewed here in December 2010). And like Duncan Chisholm, Rant have played with Julie Fowlis, providing the strings for her album 'Gach Sgeul (Every Story)' (reviewed here in May 2014). There is a beautiful simplicity to the music of ‘The Portage’ precisely because it is played so precisely and sensitively.
I’ve been enjoying ‘The Portage’ – the new album from Scottish fiddle quartet Rant. This is chamber folk – somewhere between Trad and classical. Rant are four young female fiddle players, two from Shetland and two from the Highlands. The album, which was recorded over four days at the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Church in Glasgow, is a nicely varied collection of tunes ranging from frantic fiddling to haunting melancholy ballads that reminded me of the albums by Duncan Chisholm (reviewed here in December 2010). And like Duncan Chisholm, Rant have played with Julie Fowlis, providing the strings for her album 'Gach Sgeul (Every Story)' (reviewed here in May 2014). There is a beautiful simplicity to the music of ‘The Portage’ precisely because it is played so precisely and sensitively.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Northampton Symphony Orchestra concert
19 November 2019
I’ve been a member of Northampton Symphony Orchestra for 19 years but last Saturday was the first time I’ve played with the orchestra outside Northamptonshire as we performed a concert in Clifton Cathedral in Bristol. It was really enjoyable being ‘on tour’ with the orchestra (if only for one night!) and getting the chance to play in a truly unique venue. Clifton Cathedral is a modern, hexagonal Cathedral – winner of the 1974 Concrete Society Award – and an amazing space in which to perform. It was also great to have a second opportunity to play some of the pieces from our October concert in Northampton. We usually rehearse a work for weeks but only get one chance to perform it. Revisiting Tchaikovsky’s ‘Fantasy Overture: Romeo and Juliet' I think we gave a more exciting performance second time around. And it was fascinating to play the ‘Piano Concerto No 2’ by Rachmaninov with a different soloist, so soon after our performance in Northampton with Rhythmie Wong. In Bristol we were joined by the amazing Latvian pianist Arta Arnicane – a favourite of the orchestra following our previous performances with her of the 'Rhapsody in Blue' and the 'I Got Rhythm' Variations for piano and orchestra by Gershwin (reviewed here in June 2014) and the ‘Piano Concerto No 3’ by Bela Bartok (reviewed here in May 2017). Arta’s performance of the Rachmaninov Second Concerto was thrilling and incredibly romantic (and featured an outstanding clarinet solo by Christine Kelk in the second movement). Arta also joined us to play the ‘Piano Concerto No 1’ by William Alwyn (which the orchestra had played in a concert I missed in March 2018). NSO conductor John Gibbons is a champion of the Northampton-born 20th century composer and it’s a lovely concerto with some achingly beautiful moments. Our programme also featured the ‘Overture: Men of Sherwood Forest’ by Doreen Carwithen, which we will get another chance to perform as part of the NSO Christmas Cracker ‘Heroes and Villains’ concert at Spinney Theatre in Northampton on 8 December. It was great fun playing at Clifton Cathedral and I think it was one of our best recent performances.
I’ve been a member of Northampton Symphony Orchestra for 19 years but last Saturday was the first time I’ve played with the orchestra outside Northamptonshire as we performed a concert in Clifton Cathedral in Bristol. It was really enjoyable being ‘on tour’ with the orchestra (if only for one night!) and getting the chance to play in a truly unique venue. Clifton Cathedral is a modern, hexagonal Cathedral – winner of the 1974 Concrete Society Award – and an amazing space in which to perform. It was also great to have a second opportunity to play some of the pieces from our October concert in Northampton. We usually rehearse a work for weeks but only get one chance to perform it. Revisiting Tchaikovsky’s ‘Fantasy Overture: Romeo and Juliet' I think we gave a more exciting performance second time around. And it was fascinating to play the ‘Piano Concerto No 2’ by Rachmaninov with a different soloist, so soon after our performance in Northampton with Rhythmie Wong. In Bristol we were joined by the amazing Latvian pianist Arta Arnicane – a favourite of the orchestra following our previous performances with her of the 'Rhapsody in Blue' and the 'I Got Rhythm' Variations for piano and orchestra by Gershwin (reviewed here in June 2014) and the ‘Piano Concerto No 3’ by Bela Bartok (reviewed here in May 2017). Arta’s performance of the Rachmaninov Second Concerto was thrilling and incredibly romantic (and featured an outstanding clarinet solo by Christine Kelk in the second movement). Arta also joined us to play the ‘Piano Concerto No 1’ by William Alwyn (which the orchestra had played in a concert I missed in March 2018). NSO conductor John Gibbons is a champion of the Northampton-born 20th century composer and it’s a lovely concerto with some achingly beautiful moments. Our programme also featured the ‘Overture: Men of Sherwood Forest’ by Doreen Carwithen, which we will get another chance to perform as part of the NSO Christmas Cracker ‘Heroes and Villains’ concert at Spinney Theatre in Northampton on 8 December. It was great fun playing at Clifton Cathedral and I think it was one of our best recent performances.
Ruth Notman
19 November 2019
I remain eternally grateful to our good friend Steve Heap for introducing me to the music of young Nottingham folk singer Ruth Notman. In 2008 Steve's label, Mrs Casey Music, released ‘Threads’ - the debut album by the 18-year-old Ruth Notman (reviewed here in February 2008) and in 2009 I saw her perform most of the songs from the album at The Stables in Wavendon (reviewed here in April 2009). Ruth took an extended break from music to complete a degree in Medical Science followed by postgraduate studies as a Physician Associate. Ten years after I saw her at The Stables she returned to the folk scene with a new album of duets with Sam Kelly, ‘Changeable Heart’ (reviewed here in March 2019). And last Friday we returned to The Stables to see the 30-year-old Ruth Notman. It was wonderful to hear her distinctive voice again, with its remarkable quivering vibrato making even solo unaccompanied songs sound like an ensemble. She sang songs from ‘Threads’ – still one of my favourite albums – and spoke about how it felt to revisit songs she had written as a teenager. It was great to see her really enjoying performing: she was relaxed, chatty and smiley – a more polished performer now. We had a lovely evening: my highlights included the jaunty story-song ‘Limbo’ (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlcM17Jc3Lw) and the beautiful ballad ‘The Lonely Day Dies’ (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Tc7n0MPKE). And, with apologies to every Scottish singer who has recorded it, I think Ruth Notman’s version of Dougie Maclean’s ‘Caledonia’ is unbeatable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4xREBu9-XE
I remain eternally grateful to our good friend Steve Heap for introducing me to the music of young Nottingham folk singer Ruth Notman. In 2008 Steve's label, Mrs Casey Music, released ‘Threads’ - the debut album by the 18-year-old Ruth Notman (reviewed here in February 2008) and in 2009 I saw her perform most of the songs from the album at The Stables in Wavendon (reviewed here in April 2009). Ruth took an extended break from music to complete a degree in Medical Science followed by postgraduate studies as a Physician Associate. Ten years after I saw her at The Stables she returned to the folk scene with a new album of duets with Sam Kelly, ‘Changeable Heart’ (reviewed here in March 2019). And last Friday we returned to The Stables to see the 30-year-old Ruth Notman. It was wonderful to hear her distinctive voice again, with its remarkable quivering vibrato making even solo unaccompanied songs sound like an ensemble. She sang songs from ‘Threads’ – still one of my favourite albums – and spoke about how it felt to revisit songs she had written as a teenager. It was great to see her really enjoying performing: she was relaxed, chatty and smiley – a more polished performer now. We had a lovely evening: my highlights included the jaunty story-song ‘Limbo’ (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlcM17Jc3Lw) and the beautiful ballad ‘The Lonely Day Dies’ (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Tc7n0MPKE). And, with apologies to every Scottish singer who has recorded it, I think Ruth Notman’s version of Dougie Maclean’s ‘Caledonia’ is unbeatable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4xREBu9-XE
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
'The Pitmen Painters' by Lee Hall
12 November 2019
Lee Hall’s 2007 play ‘The Pitmen Painters’, which tells the story of the miners who learn to paint at a Workers Education Association art appreciation class at Ashington in Northumberland, quickly became a valuable shorthand for everything Voluntary Arts is about. Writing about the National Theatre/Live Theatre touring co-production featuring the original cast from the premiere at the Live Theatre, Newcastle (reviewed here in October 2009), I described the play as “entertaining, thought-provoking, moving and extremely funny”. It was wonderful, last Saturday, to revisit the play 10 years later in a brilliant amateur production by Company of Ten at the Abbey Theatre in St Albans. Jenny Kilcast’s production has a great set by Alison Pagan which features three enormous easels at the back of the stage holding large blank canvases onto which the pictures being discussed are projected. The projections (by Matt Harker) are slickly timed, creating triptych studies, both of the classic paintings the miners are studying and their own works. The amateur actors were excellent, particularly Peter McEntee who was earnest, humble and entirely believable as Oliver Kilbourn. Above all it was wonderful to rediscover Lee Hall’s brilliant comic script which was impressively handled by Company of Ten. The script is full of quotable lines that extol the importance of everyday creativity and the value of having a go. As the Pitmen Painters say (in a moving Greek chorus section at the end of the first half of the play) “we saw that art was not about the privileged. It wasn't about money or doing things a right way or a wrong way. Art was a gift ... Art doesn't really belong to anybody – not to the artist or the owner or the people who look at it. Real art is something that's shared. Real art belongs to everyone.”
Lee Hall’s 2007 play ‘The Pitmen Painters’, which tells the story of the miners who learn to paint at a Workers Education Association art appreciation class at Ashington in Northumberland, quickly became a valuable shorthand for everything Voluntary Arts is about. Writing about the National Theatre/Live Theatre touring co-production featuring the original cast from the premiere at the Live Theatre, Newcastle (reviewed here in October 2009), I described the play as “entertaining, thought-provoking, moving and extremely funny”. It was wonderful, last Saturday, to revisit the play 10 years later in a brilliant amateur production by Company of Ten at the Abbey Theatre in St Albans. Jenny Kilcast’s production has a great set by Alison Pagan which features three enormous easels at the back of the stage holding large blank canvases onto which the pictures being discussed are projected. The projections (by Matt Harker) are slickly timed, creating triptych studies, both of the classic paintings the miners are studying and their own works. The amateur actors were excellent, particularly Peter McEntee who was earnest, humble and entirely believable as Oliver Kilbourn. Above all it was wonderful to rediscover Lee Hall’s brilliant comic script which was impressively handled by Company of Ten. The script is full of quotable lines that extol the importance of everyday creativity and the value of having a go. As the Pitmen Painters say (in a moving Greek chorus section at the end of the first half of the play) “we saw that art was not about the privileged. It wasn't about money or doing things a right way or a wrong way. Art was a gift ... Art doesn't really belong to anybody – not to the artist or the owner or the people who look at it. Real art is something that's shared. Real art belongs to everyone.”
Wednesday, November 06, 2019
The Open Ears Project
6 November 2019
I'm really enjoying listening to the Open Ears Project – a daily bite-sized podcast of classical music recommendations from WNYC Studios in New York. There are 30 episodes available to download. In each a different person talks about a particular piece of classical music that means something special to them. The guests include famous musicians, writers and actors alongside a firefighter and a yoga teacher. Each podcast consists of just a couple of minutes of the guest talking about the music, followed by a full uninterrupted recording of the relevant piece. It’s nice to be introduced to some unfamiliar music but also to reflect on the role music plays in our lives. You could binge-listen to the entire series but I am enjoying listening to one-a-day: each episode is really short but it's a great way to start the day. https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/open-ears-project/episodes
I'm really enjoying listening to the Open Ears Project – a daily bite-sized podcast of classical music recommendations from WNYC Studios in New York. There are 30 episodes available to download. In each a different person talks about a particular piece of classical music that means something special to them. The guests include famous musicians, writers and actors alongside a firefighter and a yoga teacher. Each podcast consists of just a couple of minutes of the guest talking about the music, followed by a full uninterrupted recording of the relevant piece. It’s nice to be introduced to some unfamiliar music but also to reflect on the role music plays in our lives. You could binge-listen to the entire series but I am enjoying listening to one-a-day: each episode is really short but it's a great way to start the day. https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/open-ears-project/episodes
Friday, October 18, 2019
'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by William Shakespeare
18 October 2019
On Thursday we made a second visit to the Curzon Cinema at Milton Keynes Gallery to see a screening of Nicholas Hytner’s production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', filmed live at the Bridge Theatre in London. This is an immersive promenade performance with the actors moving amongst a standing audience, in a similar way to Hytner’s spectacular production of ‘Julius Caesar’ at the Bridge Theatre (reviewed here in April 2018). Once again the crowd control, by discreetly positioned stewards within the audience, was very slick – with the audience parting at just the right moment to let the actors through. Nicholas Hytner sets the opening Athens scenes of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' in a fiercely patriarchal society clearly modelled on the TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. And once the action moves into the forest he references Peter Brook’s legendary 1970 RSC production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by deploying a team of aerial gymnasts on trapezes above the audience. The production is great fun with a multitude of clever gimmicks and additions (maybe too many). Nicholas Hytner’s main innovation – which works wonderfully – is to swap the roles of Oberon and Titania, making the sexual politics of the dream funnier and much less creepy. Gwendoline Christie is magnificent as Titantia/Hippolyta but Oliver Chris threatens to steal the show as Oberon/Theseus. David Moorst is very funny and incredibly athletic as Puck and the lovers are excellent, particularly Tessa Bonham Jones as Helena. The rude mechanicals are also extremely funny – led by Felicity Montagu as Quince and featuring a brilliantly vulnerable performance by Hammed Animashaun as Bottom. The end of the first half of the play and the finale both turn the auditorium into a massive party and it looked like great fun to be part of the promenading audience in the pit. My only criticism was that some of the added tricks and business distracted a little from what are usually the funniest scenes of the play. I don’t think it quite matched the cinema screening of Julie Taymor's amazing 2014 production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at the Theater for a New Audience in Brooklyn, New York (reviewed here in August 2015) but the Bridge Theatre performance was incredibly enjoyable and left me beaming.
On Thursday we made a second visit to the Curzon Cinema at Milton Keynes Gallery to see a screening of Nicholas Hytner’s production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', filmed live at the Bridge Theatre in London. This is an immersive promenade performance with the actors moving amongst a standing audience, in a similar way to Hytner’s spectacular production of ‘Julius Caesar’ at the Bridge Theatre (reviewed here in April 2018). Once again the crowd control, by discreetly positioned stewards within the audience, was very slick – with the audience parting at just the right moment to let the actors through. Nicholas Hytner sets the opening Athens scenes of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' in a fiercely patriarchal society clearly modelled on the TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. And once the action moves into the forest he references Peter Brook’s legendary 1970 RSC production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by deploying a team of aerial gymnasts on trapezes above the audience. The production is great fun with a multitude of clever gimmicks and additions (maybe too many). Nicholas Hytner’s main innovation – which works wonderfully – is to swap the roles of Oberon and Titania, making the sexual politics of the dream funnier and much less creepy. Gwendoline Christie is magnificent as Titantia/Hippolyta but Oliver Chris threatens to steal the show as Oberon/Theseus. David Moorst is very funny and incredibly athletic as Puck and the lovers are excellent, particularly Tessa Bonham Jones as Helena. The rude mechanicals are also extremely funny – led by Felicity Montagu as Quince and featuring a brilliantly vulnerable performance by Hammed Animashaun as Bottom. The end of the first half of the play and the finale both turn the auditorium into a massive party and it looked like great fun to be part of the promenading audience in the pit. My only criticism was that some of the added tricks and business distracted a little from what are usually the funniest scenes of the play. I don’t think it quite matched the cinema screening of Julie Taymor's amazing 2014 production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at the Theater for a New Audience in Brooklyn, New York (reviewed here in August 2015) but the Bridge Theatre performance was incredibly enjoyable and left me beaming.
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