Writing in his occasional blog in The Daily Telegraph, James Macmillan gives good reasons why the extension of blogging is a good thing. He feels some what sidelined by the cultural arbiters of taste in Scotland so he has his own blog in the DT and his own website. In the DT posting from early February he makes the point that so-called lay critics can often be just as insightful as the professionals. ENO's recent Borgia is an example where most critics laid into it - probably because Mike Figges dared to insert film into the opera - but all those around me in the stalls seemed to enjoy the evening because of the film not despite it.
What do others think?
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/jmacmillan/100051206/the-blogosphere-allows-me-to-shrug-off-the-orchestrated-venom-of-the-scottish-arts-media/
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Of Gods and Men
This is our Sunday treat at the no longer brand new Phoenix in Leicester.
| "Of Gods and Men |
| Causing a sensation at Cannes, Beauvois’ powerful drama reduced hardened journos to tears when premiered at the festival. When a civil war breaks out in Algeria, seven Cistercian monks are caught in the middle. Do they abandon their local Muslim community, or do they accept their fate and stay? This is bold, grown up filmmaking, anchored by a beautifully understated performance from Lambert Wilson." We will see. Sunday 13th March. Well we went to see it and know now that the above quotation is not over the top. If I did not know many Cistercian monks at first hand and over many decades I would have perhaps found the monks in the film rather odd. From my experiences with them they are actually, well some of them, ordinary human beings who wear woolly hats, swear occasionally and have the same conflicts internally as anyone else. I suppose the extra twist with these Cistercians is that they are French and French Catholicism, I have come to realise mainly from watching www.ktotv.com is sui generis. It tends not to look over its shoulder to see what Rome wants or not, it is independent and it is French. Some of the lines from the frere Christian are jewels and some up so much of what I think to be true. The comment above about being a "grown up" film are true in my opinion. Cinematographically, it is beautiful to watch. |
Thomas Ades and Steve Reich in Birmingham
Well the truth is that it is the music of Reich rather than the man himself in Birmingham. The other piece is a joint effort by Ades and a video artist http://www.thsh.co.uk/view/ades-conducts-ades-and-reich .
For those who enjoy Reich here is a You Tube snatch. Enjoy.
For those who enjoy Reich here is a You Tube snatch. Enjoy.
Monday, 7 March 2011
Norah Cox nee Ratigan + 3 March 2011 aged 98
The last remaining aunt in the generation above me died last week. She had been well-cared for in a nursing home in the same village in which she had lived most of her life. My understanding was that she was the second eldest child of her parents, Lawrence and Ellen, (my paternal grandparents). Her elder brother Lawrence and younger brothers Bernard (my father), John and Willie (a child) together with her sister Nellie, all pre-deceased her.
She married John Cox and they adopted Anthony, my cousin alongside whom I was brought up. Anthony, called Tony, was a school teacher and school head. His father was caretaker of Cardinal Langley School, Middleton. Tony married Dymphna Ryle and so my family was linked with the Murphy family who figured much in my childhood through the Ryle-Murphy link.
Tony and Dympna have four children, my second cousins, Gregory, Eleanor, Magdalene and Damian.
Norah has been well supported over the years since her beloved Tony died. Her daughter in law and her four grandchildren have been the best.
Norah worked with my mother Mary O'Brien from the mid 1920s. They attended the same parish church and school in Castleton. Norah was a deeply pious good woman who worked tirelessly for the church being sacristan for many years. She was a kind woman and the result of her and John Cox's love was manifest in Anthony and the marriage he had with Dympna.
Norah, having worked closely over decades with the clergy, had few illusions about their fallibility. She she served them and at times saved a number of them from the silliness that having a non married, six foot above contradiction, life can bring. Her piety was legendary and it was not false but genuine.
May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
"Bring flowers of the rarest
Bring blossom the fairest...."
Of that generation's children there remain,after my sister Margaret died in 1986, my cousins Cathryn Wardle nee Ratigan, Anne Stansfield nee Ratigan and myself Bernard the last of this branch of the Ratigan family.
She married John Cox and they adopted Anthony, my cousin alongside whom I was brought up. Anthony, called Tony, was a school teacher and school head. His father was caretaker of Cardinal Langley School, Middleton. Tony married Dymphna Ryle and so my family was linked with the Murphy family who figured much in my childhood through the Ryle-Murphy link.
Tony and Dympna have four children, my second cousins, Gregory, Eleanor, Magdalene and Damian.
Norah has been well supported over the years since her beloved Tony died. Her daughter in law and her four grandchildren have been the best.
Norah worked with my mother Mary O'Brien from the mid 1920s. They attended the same parish church and school in Castleton. Norah was a deeply pious good woman who worked tirelessly for the church being sacristan for many years. She was a kind woman and the result of her and John Cox's love was manifest in Anthony and the marriage he had with Dympna.
Norah, having worked closely over decades with the clergy, had few illusions about their fallibility. She she served them and at times saved a number of them from the silliness that having a non married, six foot above contradiction, life can bring. Her piety was legendary and it was not false but genuine.
May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
"Bring flowers of the rarest
Bring blossom the fairest...."
Of that generation's children there remain,after my sister Margaret died in 1986, my cousins Cathryn Wardle nee Ratigan, Anne Stansfield nee Ratigan and myself Bernard the last of this branch of the Ratigan family.
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Evensong New College Oxford Saturday 5th March 2011
As a teenager in the 1960s I was much influenced and helped by two people: Morley Dobson and his female partner Sue Fisher. Morley taught, or tried to teach, at Rochdale Technical School for Boys. He had, I understood been at Harvard and Cambridge, he wore a very threadbare Harris Tweed suit, his hair went everywhere and had pebble small glasses. His partner, though we did not use the word in those days, was a social worker. They were members of the Society of Recorder Players. They took me to many concerts. One day they took me to Choral Evensong in York Minister just after I started at the University there. It was a cold autumnal evening. The music was wonderful. I had no idea what it was all about. Afterwards, we had tea in Betty's tea rooms. We chatted and I spoke about the oddness of going to what I called a "Protestant" service. They put me right and casually they said they were agnostics (not atheists) and it was for them a purely an aesthetic experience - like going to any other concert but in rather a "smashing" building.
I sent many hours in the next three years sitting at Evensong in the Minster and it became one of the more important experiences of my undergraduate time in York. I also came to know some of the Minster clergy and the last thing they could be called was "Protestant".
Fast forward to now and there I was in New College Oxford hearing one of the finest choirs in any religious foundation that I know. My current favourite is their recording the J S Bach's St John Passion sung entirely by current and past members of the College choir including James Gilchrist http://www.newcollegechoir.com/cds/bachpassion.htm
They were not on top form last night but still very decent. What struck me again, as it did in York Minster all those decades ago, was that this was more liturgy as performance (as it always is to some extent) rather than liturgy as the common worship of the people of God present in the chapel.
I remain grateful to the cathedral and collegiate musical tradition of the anglican church. It has added so much to the musical life of the country. I would not be without it. However, my preference is for liturgy as the common worship of God of the people gathered together. I realise among my musical friends this view is not popular.
I sent many hours in the next three years sitting at Evensong in the Minster and it became one of the more important experiences of my undergraduate time in York. I also came to know some of the Minster clergy and the last thing they could be called was "Protestant".
Fast forward to now and there I was in New College Oxford hearing one of the finest choirs in any religious foundation that I know. My current favourite is their recording the J S Bach's St John Passion sung entirely by current and past members of the College choir including James Gilchrist http://www.newcollegechoir.com/cds/bachpassion.htm
They were not on top form last night but still very decent. What struck me again, as it did in York Minster all those decades ago, was that this was more liturgy as performance (as it always is to some extent) rather than liturgy as the common worship of the people of God present in the chapel.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
BBC Regional Audience Council
Last week I took part in a selection process for the BBC regional audience council -East Midlands. http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/ace/ Yesterday I was visited by two BBC Trust staffers checking that I understood that the task was to comment on output not run Radio 3 or even the BBC as a whole. They want certain boxes ticking. I seem to tick some but they expressed anxiety that I may not take some of the other council members' views seriously.
One of the requirements is being able to ask one's social network for opinions on BBC output: TV, radio, internet everything.
This is where you come in.
One of the requirements is being able to ask one's social network for opinions on BBC output: TV, radio, internet everything.
The BBC Royal Charter (Article 39) states:
• There shall be Audience Councils the purpose of which is to bring the diverse perspectives of licence fee payers to bear on the work of the Trust, through the Councils' links with diverse communities, including geographically-based communities and other communities of interest, within the UK.
• The Councils must use their engagement with and understanding of communities to advise the Trust on how well the BBC is promoting its Public Purposes from the perspective of licence fee payers, and serving licence fee payers, in different parts of the UK.
• There shall be Audience Councils the purpose of which is to bring the diverse perspectives of licence fee payers to bear on the work of the Trust, through the Councils' links with diverse communities, including geographically-based communities and other communities of interest, within the UK.
• The Councils must use their engagement with and understanding of communities to advise the Trust on how well the BBC is promoting its Public Purposes from the perspective of licence fee payers, and serving licence fee payers, in different parts of the UK.
This is where you come in.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Amplified communities of faith and belief in Leicester
Amplified communities of faith are holding a one hour event at the Phoenix on 23 March 7-8
http://ampleic.ning.com/events/amplified-communities-of-faith
It does not seem long for a chair and three speakers. We will see..
http://ampleic.ning.com/events/amplified-communities-of-faith
It does not seem long for a chair and three speakers. We will see..
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