A great day at the Watkinson/Biscoe wedding on Saturday (23rd April). Fine looking couple and lovely chuch at Laverstoke.
Considerable discussion about my book SURVIVAL and how the Ukrainian war has made it ,sadly, extremely topical. I hope fervently that the real life outcome is as good as the one in the book.
SURVIVAL - WAITING FOR THE PUB
What do you do when, in the afternoon, you are in the upstairs sitting room of a snug end-terrace cottage in the small Devon town of Bovey Tracey? You look out over the winter sodden landscape of Dartmoor with its endlessly changing colours. But as the afternoon wears on the landscape fades and darkens. What then – it is too early to go to the musical pub, the King of Prussia? You write a book or, at least, start writing …
First evening was a wonderful concert at 22 Mansfield Streeet by students of the RNCM hosted by the generous Bob and Elizabeth Boas. The following night I was at a recital of Schubert,s Schwangesang at the Wigmore Hall. Then a rollicking HMS Pinafore with the grandchildren at the ENO. Last ,on Sunday, was the Duerer Travels exhibittion at the Nationa Gallery followed by The Valkyrie at ENO with the exciting Tomasz Konieczny at the last minute singinging Wotan magnificently from the wings.
Planning session this morning with Jo Hill about the Yateley Christmas meeting on 15th December - stories about 60 years in Yateley and travels around Europe will feature as wll as the ideas behind SURVIVAL and the later books.. Should be an enjoyable evening.
I am working on the text editing of 'The Speed of a Flame', the second/third book in the Livonia series. It presents fewer problems than ,Survival' as it is a single book of normal length of about 300 pages. as opposed to 'Survival' which combines 'Walpurgis Night' and 'The Last Star Rising' . Enough to say that Bernadette's and Tamara's peaceful life turns out to have more problems than they expected.
Unfortunately I missed going to this production but, thanks to my authoritive friend, Frida Garrood, who reminded me about it, I caught up with it on OperaVision last night. I have run out of superlatives for this production. It has a fantastic cast with Miah Persson as a beautiful and moving Marshallin and Heather Hipp, the young Polish/English mezzo, as a most compelling Octavian. The production has a traditional feel |(no field guns at the Palazzo Faninal) but is unfussy, attactive and works well. The unsung heros were the TV team, as well as all the other good things, it was one …
I am arranging with Liz Carpenter and Jo Hill a Christmas meeting to talk about SURVIVAL and my back story. It should be fun - minced pies and mulled wine!
Sad news of the death of Lance Therkildsen. He was one of the group who talked music when we were all students at Bart's. A great loss