Equal marriage begins at midnight in England and Wales, and the first same-sex ceremonies will be starting as I post this. I can't stop smiling ( Read more... )

This evening I keep finding myself singing this verse of a hymn (by Isaac Watts, 1674-1748 ( Read more... )

A happy birthday to mraltariel! I hope it's a very special one, with an extra card ( Read more... )

Happy Birthday to matildabj!

It's also Benjamin Britten's 100th birthday, and of course St Cecilia's Day. So here's his Hymn to St Cecilia (with lyrics, which I find amusing, by W. H. Auden). I wish I had a recording of oracne's choir singing it last Sunday, but I haven't, so this is King's College Cambridge.

( Hymn to St Cecilia )

Further to Primary Colours on the South Bank, may I present Secondary Colours on Salford Quays, where I went to hear Death in Venice tonight (and Alan Oke was indeed excellent as von Aschenbach, and so was Peter Savidge as nearly everyone else).

( Secondary Colours on Salford Quays )

I went to see Peter Grimes at the Lowry last night, part of Opera North's week of Britten's operas there for the centenary. Surprised to find I knew Mrs Sedley...

There's a rather expensive programme - £7 - though it's better value if you're going to all three operas (I'm skipping the Dream but going to Death in Venice tomorrow). And it's full ( Read more... )

Well, I enjoyed The Aztecs, which I hadn't seen before. I was particularly fascinated by the scene where Ian and Ixta are fighting to the death, or possibly not - there was some argument about whether death should be involved - on a set of matting we used to have in our kitchen, though the Aztecs had got a bit more of it as their temple was bigger ( Read more... )

Adieu and danke, Ray Manzarek.

Also posted on Dreamwidth, with
( Read more... )

"On musical grounds, I'd rather people were snapping up downloads of Shipbuilding..." - Dorian Lynskey ( Read more... )

Happy Birthday, mraltariel! I hope you're having a good day. Thinking of you has reminded me that I ought to go and cook dinner. The past couple of nights I've been experimenting with gram flour, in pancakes, natch, on Tuesday, and cauliflower cheese yesterday. But tonight I am planning fennel risotto ( Read more... )