Culture and things

The flu jab provoked a less violent reaction than last year's, though I've been a bit groggy, stiff and sniffly for the past week.  Still, I managed a couple of days at the hobby, which I wouldn't have been able to do at this stage last year.

Nice treat yesterday.  Martyn treated us to tickets to the 'Grand Organ Gala' at the Albert Hall.  It was a nice programme of lollipops: the Saint-Saëns Symphony N°3, Parry's I was glad, the Hallelujah Chorus and the like.  The orchestra was a touch lacking in ensemble here and there, and a mistimed clash of cymbals was unfortunate, but it was all generally of a good standard.  The chorus was excellent, and the fanfare by six chaps from the army Logistics Corps was superb.  Of the solo organ pieces - yes, Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and Widor's Toccata from Symphony N°5 - mixed reports.  The organist, Philip Scriven, comes highly reputed, but I was sorry that he decided to play to the gallery of lollipop concert goers.  His tempi in the toccata were all over the place.  I know a toccata is a showing-off piece, but the expression 'fast and loose' came to mind early on.  Bum notes galore, and immoderate mud-and-razor-blades registrations throughout.  I thought he was going to treat the fugue with a bit of respect at first, but that too went crazy.  Oddly enough, his handling of the Widor was a little more disciplined.  Now that's a piece in which you can let rip with the reeds, and he duly did.  Shame he inflicted the same treatment on the Bach.

The two solo pieces are popular because they are good and well known.  Neither is its composer's best work, however, and it would be nice to hear a few different pieces from time to time.

The show was pretty well attended, though the audience was predominantly of a certain age.  The audience chorus in Land of Hope and Glory was somewhat less hearty than the Prommers', but respectable enough!

The travelling was not bad, though on a Sunday there are no direct trains to London from our preferred little country station, and that made for longish journeys.  Since we weren't going to be home until after 20:00, we got some microwave Ruby Murrays from M&S at Victoria, and they were actually quite good.

Today has been largely about the motor trade so far.  The Egg, over nine years old and altogether, was recalled for a warranty update to the ABS system, and has been fettled.  The one year old Ateca is in for its first oil change, and I'll collect it later.

My other date today is Mary's funeral.  It'll be interesting to see what sort of a gate she gets.  [Later]  Quite a good turn out of family, friends and six of us from the art class.  Unfortunately, the sky pilot was far too fond of the sound of her own voice, so the thing dragged on for rather a long time.  Oh well.

Thence to the Mall for a new watch battery.  It's surprising how much of the last few days I've spent looking by reflex at the pale strip on my left wrist.  On to round two with the motor trade, where I learn that the factory will not support a warranty claim to replace the spotty brightwork round some of the car's windows.  'We'll see about that!', responded yr obed servt, feigning litigiousness: the garage is hoping to get the customer care programme to pay.  Oh don't bother watching this space - it's just too trivial.