Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Reading, Writing, Music and Chocolate

Another pretty active week has passed, and I'm thinking of getting this down and then going for a walk. I just had a chocolate biscuit, courtesy of Irene, so perhaps I'd better walk some extra steps.

Since my last posting (that's better than blog, surely) I have been to another meeting of those against returning our local woodland to heathland. I haven't changed my mind on this; there are places where heath is fine; I just don't think our little woodland is one of them. We have a public meeting arranged for a couple of weeks' time, when more people hopefully will have taken an interest.

We at Goldenford Publishers arranged a musical evening in Guildford last Saturday night, using the prestigious Guildhall for an event which featured the Erato Consort singers and the Minstrels Gallery players. Jay Margrave gave readings of her novels, The Gawain Quest, Luther's Ambassadors and The Nine Lives of Kit Marlowe, all of which feature Priedeux, a hero who moves from century to century, rather like Blackadder, only without the humour, I've always thought, but the author has suggested Virginia Woolf's Orlando is more appropriate.

On Monday, Irene and I raced up to London to see Lucia di Lammermoor at the Imax by Waterloo Station. A wonderful experience, featuring Natalie Dessay as Lucia and Joseph Calleja as Edgardo. Also interesting was the filming of the work behind the scenes in the intervals, at Metropolitan Opera, which showed the placing on stage and removals of the sets - a Scottish moor and Lammermoor Castle, including a two-storey high spiral staircase. This starred the Chief Carpenter -but perhaps 40 minutes of him was a bit long, and if the lights had come on during the intervals, we could, more easily, have wandered off for drinks and icecream.

I was out yesterday, for a pub lunch with friends, and in the evening, to Guildford Writers, where having averaged 7 or 8 for some months, 12 people were suddenly present, and a great deal of talent was showcased. I have added a little more to my novel, but not enough to read out this time; just as well, as 5 minutes per person was about all we had time for, for of course, we needed time for comments and our usual break. Hot chocolate was back on the menu at the Institute after about 2 months. Just as well, as the cafe at the Imax was out of it. Has someone cornered the market in hot chocolate, I wonder.

I now have a formal invitation to speak at a local reading circle in May, so will shortly start preparing my script for this event. Must also soon start on the next book for my own reading circle - The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver.

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