Lunch and chat at the Barran-Pouleaupot's: Anna Longridge plus Jane and Johnno (Baz). Lovely weather (obviously) and old friends chatting animatedly about the sorts of things old friends chat about... (the Government, WWII, Johnny's music festival "Kew the Music", Jane's trip to China, etc etc, Polo.)
The 'Market' is a funny thing; kinda dominates a lot of thinking at the back of people's minds: more Vampire Calamari anyone?
It is inescapable for the time being, in that we have no alternative and stuff needs to keep sort of happening: but the love of money is a dangerous and terrible thing, even makes old friends get cross with each other (not in the instance above though: swift defuseage of that thought please!) Guess all forms of greed are cupiditastic: even greed for pomp and power and paternal influence and respect.
Radix malorum est cupiditas
(Evil stems from greed: I think I've used this tag before somewhere on the site. Don't have a lot of choice with my limited Latin! Sorry Dr Pratt. Mea maxima culpa...)
Good sermon on Sunday from The Rev. N.G. about friendship: if you want to make friends, show an interest in the other person. Secret of good conversation is the right questions. Like that. Not sure that all the friends I have ever made I would want to always keep - nor have I, nor have I been kept by - but Joyce writes about friendship for a reason and a season and a lifetime. Hear, hear.
I seem to remember hugging a tree with a friend called Marguerita, at a student party in about 1991 and thinking that life didn't get much better. (It has.)
One wants as ones friend, someone who gets you: who you are not frightened they are going to belittle or dismiss that which is important to you and to which one's being is intimately connected. One wants honesty. And one also wants kindness. In the end kindness is an honesty that takes everything into account, including one's feelings. Mercy, if you like, which triumphs over judgement.
'By mercy, mercy's yours.'
'The highest form of wisdom is kindness.'
Off on Monday morn, monastically early, to France, with Aviary to her Mum's house, plus Lulu and Charlie the ex-Monk and Al Verey and Noah (woof! woof!) First holiday abroad for 4 years, and while Amalfi would be lovely too (I suppose), Brittany will certainly do very nicely for the time being. Rare treat! Pray God it's a good trip and we are all still speaking three days later (well not Noah that is... be quite nice if he stays fairly quiet throughout!)
Molto grazie!
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Back in black: the return to Cafe Nero...
It's been a fairly hectic few weeks: apologies to any cyber stalkers waiting with baited mouse breath for a new posting - have hardly had time to think... let alone type!
Sunday: Mother's day... concert down in Barnes Wetlands for their lunchtime carvery... seemed to go quite well... pleasant and appreciative ripples of applause from a happy crew: nice to meet Verona Chard and excellent young (17!) pianist Chris Neill: lovely weather up in the tower of song, and technology that seemed to be working most clemently - thanks Keith (Chris' Dad).
That was after a morning service at St Ann's with Lulu Britton coming along to sing at our service - she did a nice Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod) and an excellent Benedictus from the Haydn Little Organ Mass, as featured the night before at the concert at Holy Trinity Clapham Common. (One or two more in the choir of 32 or so than in the audience - thanks to my guests for making the effort, especially Janey and Rondle).
Father Michael made Lulu and I collapse with guffaws in the car on the way to Barnes after the service... (thanks again for the lift Father)...
FM: "I apologise for the dirty state of my car"
JH: "Oh, don't worry you should see my parents'"
FM: (small pause...)"car?..."
Something about the timing just cracked us up!
Medici concert this Thursday at St Martin in the Fields: might get to conduct the men during the intoning in the Allegri and HAVE to start learning my solo...!!! NOTE TO SELF: (or N.T.S. if you're into T.L.A.'s - Three Letter Acronym's)
Well the harp practice is going well anyway...
Must dash: off to the Doc's this morn.
Grazie!
Sunday: Mother's day... concert down in Barnes Wetlands for their lunchtime carvery... seemed to go quite well... pleasant and appreciative ripples of applause from a happy crew: nice to meet Verona Chard and excellent young (17!) pianist Chris Neill: lovely weather up in the tower of song, and technology that seemed to be working most clemently - thanks Keith (Chris' Dad).
That was after a morning service at St Ann's with Lulu Britton coming along to sing at our service - she did a nice Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod) and an excellent Benedictus from the Haydn Little Organ Mass, as featured the night before at the concert at Holy Trinity Clapham Common. (One or two more in the choir of 32 or so than in the audience - thanks to my guests for making the effort, especially Janey and Rondle).
Father Michael made Lulu and I collapse with guffaws in the car on the way to Barnes after the service... (thanks again for the lift Father)...
FM: "I apologise for the dirty state of my car"
JH: "Oh, don't worry you should see my parents'"
FM: (small pause...)"car?..."
Something about the timing just cracked us up!
Medici concert this Thursday at St Martin in the Fields: might get to conduct the men during the intoning in the Allegri and HAVE to start learning my solo...!!! NOTE TO SELF: (or N.T.S. if you're into T.L.A.'s - Three Letter Acronym's)
Well the harp practice is going well anyway...
Must dash: off to the Doc's this morn.
Grazie!
Saturday, 3 March 2012
POETRY 'N THAT
We scuttled basementward, we three, we happy three, and merrily did we poem of the garments of God and Turkey Messiahs and spoke of booty like the night of cloudless climes and Clapham fires...
Barnaby and Joey came along to support me last night at the Living Room Cafe at Green's Court in Soho. (So handy...) THANKS GUYS!
Barn's got a gig on Friday 24th March at the Half Moon in South London, near Herne Hill BR. Supporters and fanz v.welcome.
Rollo Hoop (yes: that's correct!) sang very well last night: intimate, beautiful singing with a good lyric or two. Check him out on the usual sites.
Managed to beat my swimming length record this morning which was gratifying, although I vaguely remember swimming further when I was 10 - hey, things looked bigger in those days! Bumped into Bruce MacInnes plus 3 out of 4 munchkins at the pool... oh, village life!
Works at St Anthony's Harpertage continue apace: this arvo sees another attempt at the bedroom shelves and the new door handles. Project S.C.S. is gathering momentum - watch this space!
Lesson with new pupil from Medici Choir shortly.
Grazie!
Barnaby and Joey came along to support me last night at the Living Room Cafe at Green's Court in Soho. (So handy...) THANKS GUYS!
Barn's got a gig on Friday 24th March at the Half Moon in South London, near Herne Hill BR. Supporters and fanz v.welcome.
Rollo Hoop (yes: that's correct!) sang very well last night: intimate, beautiful singing with a good lyric or two. Check him out on the usual sites.
Managed to beat my swimming length record this morning which was gratifying, although I vaguely remember swimming further when I was 10 - hey, things looked bigger in those days! Bumped into Bruce MacInnes plus 3 out of 4 munchkins at the pool... oh, village life!
Works at St Anthony's Harpertage continue apace: this arvo sees another attempt at the bedroom shelves and the new door handles. Project S.C.S. is gathering momentum - watch this space!
Lesson with new pupil from Medici Choir shortly.
Grazie!
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Leap Year's day been and gone...
AAAAAAARGH! Been kind of busy - apols to anyone thinking since 20th February: "I wonder if he's put up any new posts?"
It's been refurbishing time at St Anthony's - one or two little additions to the fixtures and fittings, including 'Bluebell', my new, 34 string Clarsach Harp, delivered a week ago, via the back seat of Caroline's car, with self and Stella variously seated underneath it.
She's a real beaut, is Bluebell: have been trying to get in a few minutes practise in the morning before heading to Mass and sporadically during the day.
The harp is a very forgiving instrument - even complete beginners can still make a decent noise - rather different to my abortive attempts to learn the violin about 10 years ago... in the end I was thankful to have learnt a scale.
Talking of violin, Regina the nanny at Chez Menuet, (where I teach the three French munchkins), brought her lovely instrument along yesterday and we busked - (sorry!... I busked - she played beautifully and from memory,) the first movement of a Mozart Concerto. What a joy!
Meanwhile HJ-F was jumping from the bookshelf again at the end of his piano lesson - he puts on the automatic song on the keyboard which has a little introduction and as the tune gets going - and you're going to like this - he does a star jump into the air as the piano and orchestra play 'HAllelujah!'
(No comment about the enjoyment of his piano lesson I'm hoping...)
Lulu Britton and Aviary ventured to St Ann's on Sunday - Lu to road test her Faure Requiem Pie Jesu and Aviary to lend support in the choirloft. Lu sang so well, and Kally pulled out all the stops on the Mander - thank you Kally! - 10 in the choir and a lovely sunny day, which meant a drive through Richmond Park and lunch (lite) in the Red Cafe in the area. Then another lovely drive and to Gloucester Road, shopping with Lu.
Ah me!
If anyone's around, I've got a poem or two going on at the Living Room Cafe on Friday 2nd March at Greens Court, Soho, 8pm. Free entry and cafee und kuchen to buy.
There's to be another Literary Lunch very soon: watch this space!
Grazia!
It's been refurbishing time at St Anthony's - one or two little additions to the fixtures and fittings, including 'Bluebell', my new, 34 string Clarsach Harp, delivered a week ago, via the back seat of Caroline's car, with self and Stella variously seated underneath it.
She's a real beaut, is Bluebell: have been trying to get in a few minutes practise in the morning before heading to Mass and sporadically during the day.
The harp is a very forgiving instrument - even complete beginners can still make a decent noise - rather different to my abortive attempts to learn the violin about 10 years ago... in the end I was thankful to have learnt a scale.
Talking of violin, Regina the nanny at Chez Menuet, (where I teach the three French munchkins), brought her lovely instrument along yesterday and we busked - (sorry!... I busked - she played beautifully and from memory,) the first movement of a Mozart Concerto. What a joy!
Meanwhile HJ-F was jumping from the bookshelf again at the end of his piano lesson - he puts on the automatic song on the keyboard which has a little introduction and as the tune gets going - and you're going to like this - he does a star jump into the air as the piano and orchestra play 'HAllelujah!'
(No comment about the enjoyment of his piano lesson I'm hoping...)
Lulu Britton and Aviary ventured to St Ann's on Sunday - Lu to road test her Faure Requiem Pie Jesu and Aviary to lend support in the choirloft. Lu sang so well, and Kally pulled out all the stops on the Mander - thank you Kally! - 10 in the choir and a lovely sunny day, which meant a drive through Richmond Park and lunch (lite) in the Red Cafe in the area. Then another lovely drive and to Gloucester Road, shopping with Lu.
Ah me!
If anyone's around, I've got a poem or two going on at the Living Room Cafe on Friday 2nd March at Greens Court, Soho, 8pm. Free entry and cafee und kuchen to buy.
There's to be another Literary Lunch very soon: watch this space!
Grazia!
Monday, 20 February 2012
Bottoming out...
Well, Lulu Britton's surprise birthday party on Friday night ended in a bouncer powered exit from Bar Italia at 0330h Saturday morning - Joey Dreycott, Aviary and I being the last men and '10 year-old' standing... it wasn't big and it wasn't clever, but it WAS to do with a paper airoplane and a circular takeaway cup top or two...
Then Saturday, with Aviary to Lower Marsh in Waterloo and the Grumpy Cafe - ubercool! AND there's a resident cafe cat... pub with Rosanna and McDondle and finally, after a quick nap in the chair under the duvet, to band practise and supsups at the McInnesses...
THEN, Sunday morning, to Norbers for Organers (thanks for the lift Delores) and back to Brixton for brekker with the Rev Blackley and the Hotlips Gospel Singers - Cammie Day, Lulu and Aviary makes 3...
THEN, Sunday arvo, to HTCC for Connect rehearsal and service with Rev. Kit... Liked his praying with your ears thing and also the Five Finger prayer pointer - THUMBS UP: thanks for the good. Forefinger: point the way please Lord. Big strong middle finger: praying for those in power. Ring finger: pray for those you love. Weak little finger: pray for those in need.
THEN, home for delish smoked Haddock and lentils and singing practise in prep for todays shenanigans: Aviary, Nick the Bapvic and I met for Mass and prayer followed by brekker at Neros: then bumped into Lawrence (Rosanna's son), Dom (from Connect), had a hot drink at Puppet Planet Lesley's place, and headed to the basement of the dodgy massage parlour on Lavender Hill to try and release some of that back tension that's accumulated over the past 2 months since my visit to Dr Song and co. (Funnily enough, 'Dr Song and the Massage of Joy' is one of the most visited of my blog pages).
Moni put me through half an hour of skeleto-muscular pain but managed to sort things out to the extent that I was able to find my bottom A at the studio with Aaron - Emma Dain had forwarded me a link to the search for a singer able to sing a bottom E0, (it was on the ONE Show or something similar) so I managed - thanks to Aaron's Basstone kindness - to lay down a weird track or two of me singing EXTREMELY low. It's not big and it's not clever, but it does feature me singing the lowest 'note' (and I use the term advisedly) on the piano - E0 is 7 semitones higher. At last, a use for my spare octave of growl!
So it's been a quiet weekend at Lavender Cross...
Then Saturday, with Aviary to Lower Marsh in Waterloo and the Grumpy Cafe - ubercool! AND there's a resident cafe cat... pub with Rosanna and McDondle and finally, after a quick nap in the chair under the duvet, to band practise and supsups at the McInnesses...
THEN, Sunday morning, to Norbers for Organers (thanks for the lift Delores) and back to Brixton for brekker with the Rev Blackley and the Hotlips Gospel Singers - Cammie Day, Lulu and Aviary makes 3...
THEN, Sunday arvo, to HTCC for Connect rehearsal and service with Rev. Kit... Liked his praying with your ears thing and also the Five Finger prayer pointer - THUMBS UP: thanks for the good. Forefinger: point the way please Lord. Big strong middle finger: praying for those in power. Ring finger: pray for those you love. Weak little finger: pray for those in need.
THEN, home for delish smoked Haddock and lentils and singing practise in prep for todays shenanigans: Aviary, Nick the Bapvic and I met for Mass and prayer followed by brekker at Neros: then bumped into Lawrence (Rosanna's son), Dom (from Connect), had a hot drink at Puppet Planet Lesley's place, and headed to the basement of the dodgy massage parlour on Lavender Hill to try and release some of that back tension that's accumulated over the past 2 months since my visit to Dr Song and co. (Funnily enough, 'Dr Song and the Massage of Joy' is one of the most visited of my blog pages).
Moni put me through half an hour of skeleto-muscular pain but managed to sort things out to the extent that I was able to find my bottom A at the studio with Aaron - Emma Dain had forwarded me a link to the search for a singer able to sing a bottom E0, (it was on the ONE Show or something similar) so I managed - thanks to Aaron's Basstone kindness - to lay down a weird track or two of me singing EXTREMELY low. It's not big and it's not clever, but it does feature me singing the lowest 'note' (and I use the term advisedly) on the piano - E0 is 7 semitones higher. At last, a use for my spare octave of growl!
So it's been a quiet weekend at Lavender Cross...
Friday, 17 February 2012
Plucking and Clipping...
Sophie nee Parmenter very kindly invited the Harper up to the snowy Notts village of Car Colston. Last minute impulse pack at the Batt(ersea) cave being.... yes, you haven't guessed it... my toy harp.
Hey presto, on arrival at Rose Cottage a few hours plus tard, exhibit 1, looming large in the sitting room, a 3/4 size harp, as given to Sophs as a wedding present or similar by Mr and Mrs Parm.
Rather odd. She seemed grateful for the present of the 1/12th size toy version: I had no idea she played the harp.
Naynyhow, coincidences aside, I did my first harp recital that eve to Sam n Sophs and the critics agreed that it was a true rendition...
Which brings me to the subject of Nasal Hair Clippers.
No good home should be without them. 'Tusker' used to be my nickname among the dormitory corridors of Rigauds, but no more! Ever since purchasing my first pair of NHC's I have dispelled the dark clouds of nasal hair shame. I am free, free as a nostril, open to life, to love, to air...
Spotted the advert (see photo) in Jermyn street: sounds like one of those embarassing MP's expense items that the Telegraph dug up a couple of years ago...
'PM in £47 Nasal Hair Clipper scandal'
Hmmm. Got a sort of ring to it.
My dear friend Rob commented that it's a good job the ones shown are the luxury version. At that price I should flumping well hope so!)
Aviary locked herself out of her flat this morning and headed to Clapjunc for retail therapy diversion tactics. If she lived off Piccadilly do you think there's a chance that it would be Nasal Hair Clippers for Christmas?
Non grazie!
Hey presto, on arrival at Rose Cottage a few hours plus tard, exhibit 1, looming large in the sitting room, a 3/4 size harp, as given to Sophs as a wedding present or similar by Mr and Mrs Parm.
Rather odd. She seemed grateful for the present of the 1/12th size toy version: I had no idea she played the harp.
Naynyhow, coincidences aside, I did my first harp recital that eve to Sam n Sophs and the critics agreed that it was a true rendition...
Which brings me to the subject of Nasal Hair Clippers.
No good home should be without them. 'Tusker' used to be my nickname among the dormitory corridors of Rigauds, but no more! Ever since purchasing my first pair of NHC's I have dispelled the dark clouds of nasal hair shame. I am free, free as a nostril, open to life, to love, to air...
Spotted the advert (see photo) in Jermyn street: sounds like one of those embarassing MP's expense items that the Telegraph dug up a couple of years ago...
'PM in £47 Nasal Hair Clipper scandal'
Hmmm. Got a sort of ring to it.
My dear friend Rob commented that it's a good job the ones shown are the luxury version. At that price I should flumping well hope so!)
Aviary locked herself out of her flat this morning and headed to Clapjunc for retail therapy diversion tactics. If she lived off Piccadilly do you think there's a chance that it would be Nasal Hair Clippers for Christmas?
Non grazie!
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Requiescat in Pace, dear Giles.
Folk from JCFL spent three hours at the Basstone studio yesterday laying down a version of Beautiful Flower, poem and piano by Peter Kingsley, music and singing by me, 12-string guitar playing by Robert Enoch. The Harper's early guitar track didn't survive the edit...
Well... the song survived the process and I still rather like it: not always the case when you're recording something. Peter's got the master copy for internet purps and I'm really looking forward to hearing it on the stereo at home - away from the over sensitive (and accurate!) speakers of Aaron's studio.
Beautiful Flower/Gentle and kind... Mother of God and Mother of mine...
Teach me the way to the Heart of your son... your way of compassion/till the battle is won
It sort of rocks backwards and forwards and it's quite lyrical and very melifluous.
Ah! Bless!
Funeral today for Giles Wintle of Liz and Giles fame from Medici Choir, an old Westminster, solicitor and a Mary Magdalene congra man for 40 years and much loved by his family and many friends. Very gentle, thoughtful man, and a wonderful husband. Of course, everyone had expected Liz to predecease him (she's got throat cancer and is wheel-chair bound) - death has this funny way of happening - one week someone's pushing his wife around at a City of London concert, the following month he's being carried out of the church with the Nunc Dimittis being sung.
Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.
How many of us would pray the following though...?
Lord, let me know mine end, and the number of my days
that I be made sure how long I have to live...
(Psalms? Ecclesiastes? Ecclesiasticus?)
I suppose the World ticks by, partly because - as a general rule - we don't plan the date of our death. We build for a future we almost always won't witness, pension pots we won't entirely use up, food in the cupboard that will still be there (rotting) when our Alsation nibbled corpse is found a few weeks overdue of the best before date of the milk in the fridge...
For some reason, a snippet of trivia that has come my way over the years is that dogs (Alsations? Jack Russell Harmer's?) will balk at eating a man's hands or feet... maybe they'll find Jack or Jack's successor looking fairly well fed at my flat one day and just a pair of hands on the piano keyboard, and a pair of surprisingly heavy shoes on the pedals and maybe a hollowed out set of clothes...
This is less than savoury - apols!
But the truth of the matter is that we have to learn to start dying daily. Dying to oneself is something we have to begin doing this side of the crematorium curtain...
Guess that means I should start doing some guitar practise now, not later!
Grazie!
Well... the song survived the process and I still rather like it: not always the case when you're recording something. Peter's got the master copy for internet purps and I'm really looking forward to hearing it on the stereo at home - away from the over sensitive (and accurate!) speakers of Aaron's studio.
Beautiful Flower/Gentle and kind... Mother of God and Mother of mine...
Teach me the way to the Heart of your son... your way of compassion/till the battle is won
It sort of rocks backwards and forwards and it's quite lyrical and very melifluous.
Ah! Bless!
Funeral today for Giles Wintle of Liz and Giles fame from Medici Choir, an old Westminster, solicitor and a Mary Magdalene congra man for 40 years and much loved by his family and many friends. Very gentle, thoughtful man, and a wonderful husband. Of course, everyone had expected Liz to predecease him (she's got throat cancer and is wheel-chair bound) - death has this funny way of happening - one week someone's pushing his wife around at a City of London concert, the following month he's being carried out of the church with the Nunc Dimittis being sung.
Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.
How many of us would pray the following though...?
Lord, let me know mine end, and the number of my days
that I be made sure how long I have to live...
(Psalms? Ecclesiastes? Ecclesiasticus?)
I suppose the World ticks by, partly because - as a general rule - we don't plan the date of our death. We build for a future we almost always won't witness, pension pots we won't entirely use up, food in the cupboard that will still be there (rotting) when our Alsation nibbled corpse is found a few weeks overdue of the best before date of the milk in the fridge...
For some reason, a snippet of trivia that has come my way over the years is that dogs (Alsations? Jack Russell Harmer's?) will balk at eating a man's hands or feet... maybe they'll find Jack or Jack's successor looking fairly well fed at my flat one day and just a pair of hands on the piano keyboard, and a pair of surprisingly heavy shoes on the pedals and maybe a hollowed out set of clothes...
This is less than savoury - apols!
But the truth of the matter is that we have to learn to start dying daily. Dying to oneself is something we have to begin doing this side of the crematorium curtain...
Guess that means I should start doing some guitar practise now, not later!
Grazie!
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