Once upon a time medical and clerical textbooks moved into Latin when discussing sex and especially what has been called homosexuality. I guess the idea was to protect the innocent faithful laity from picking up ideas.
The practise has more or less disappeared but some versions of it, where euphemisms appear instead of plain speaking, linger on. In this week's Tablet there is a sad little story about a 26 year old gay man in a civil partnership getting elected to a parish council somewhere outside Vienna. The Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna, Dominican, clever and once considered a possible pope, had his spokesman tell us that active homosexuality is a grave sin.
I just want to think for a moment on what means "active homosexuality". Are we talking sex here, in who does what to whom? or are we talking "lifestyle" in the current patois? If we are talking sex is this a reference to anal sex? I think we should be told. If it is that ano-receptive sex deemed to be less of a grave sin. I think we should know. If it is the case that anal sex is always and everywhere out of court do we need to get on and tell heterosexual couples this as well. One final forensic point: does there have to be oral, anal, vaginal penetration for it to be deemed sex (as in the Clinton get out?).
Even though the Archbishop of Vienna is probably a nice man he really does need to spell out what he means by having words like "grave" sin used without clarity as to the meaning. To repeat if he is talking about sex then I think he should say so. Otherwise, we are left with vagaries like "lifestyle" which usually ends of meaning shopping at Waitrose and living in a minimalist house and having copies of gay novels, DVDs and newspapers actually visible in front of visitors,
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Third sunny day in a row
Just a few days of unseasonal sunlight and warmth seems to change the national psyche. I know the very idea of there being a national psyche is fictive but who cares on a day like this? People suddenly look different, not just burned, but more outgoing. Even strangers start talking to each other. brrrrr
I wonder what it would be like if we had a reliable 6 months of this weather every year?
I wonder what it would be like if we had a reliable 6 months of this weather every year?
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
From the door step
It is surprising what a few warm days do to people's mood and habits. Suddenly, the national mood is raised and I take to sitting out side of the house by the front door. People walking stop to talk, those driving sometimes wave and the value of the houses in the street do not fall by that much money.
The local version of the evening walk is quite swift but people do seem to like to stop and chat as well.
The local version of the evening walk is quite swift but people do seem to like to stop and chat as well.
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Two cities, two days, two operas
People ask sometimes, usually meaning to be sympathetic, "Do you get out much?" I try and be cheerful and tell them I do as much as I can. Friday, I was at Royal Opera in Covent Garden to see their new piece Miss Fortune. Well, notwithstanding a slating from the critics, it was not that bad. The singing was good, the sets were excellent, the orchestra as ever. Paul Daniels was in control, Emma Bell was the lead and the new rising star in the higher tenor range is Noah Stewart. NS is from Harlem, trained at the Julliard, loves his mother, gets lots of air time in the UK. Sang the best number in the show. Pity his kebab trailer goes up last summer's rioting flames. For me the only real problem was the break dancers. Oh what fun when the posh let their hair down (tip: don't). We had a meal afterwards at Les amis near by. Never again. Food mediocre, bill far too high. We ware joined by the delightful Noah. He is such good fun to be with. suspect we will be seeing a lot more of him Europe.
Saturday night, to Birmingam Community Opera doing a new Joanathan Dove Life is Dream. This really was opera perhaps because of it being done in a large, disused fo factory that stands as a monument to industrial britain now gone. This is the first visit to BCO although I have heard much of previous shows - especially Monteverdi.
I think last night was the best night at the opera I can ever remember. I kept getting reminded that the very word OPERA means 'the works' so here we were at a works having the works done before here eyes, Graham Vick directs. It is sometimes hard to know who is performer and who audience. Surreal surely but not to be missed,
Early warning, The same team are doing Stockhausen's unperformed six hour Mittwoch aus Licht (Wednesdsay from Light). This is the Olympic show piece by BCO but there are lots of events.
After all this a rest is indicated.
Saturday night, to Birmingam Community Opera doing a new Joanathan Dove Life is Dream. This really was opera perhaps because of it being done in a large, disused fo factory that stands as a monument to industrial britain now gone. This is the first visit to BCO although I have heard much of previous shows - especially Monteverdi.
I think last night was the best night at the opera I can ever remember. I kept getting reminded that the very word OPERA means 'the works' so here we were at a works having the works done before here eyes, Graham Vick directs. It is sometimes hard to know who is performer and who audience. Surreal surely but not to be missed,
Early warning, The same team are doing Stockhausen's unperformed six hour Mittwoch aus Licht (Wednesdsay from Light). This is the Olympic show piece by BCO but there are lots of events.
After all this a rest is indicated.
Thursday, 22 March 2012
End of season of Thursday lunchtime concerts in Leicester
Those who think that first-rate high culture stops at the M25 or, worse, is confined to single digit London post codes zone one on the Tube, it must come as a terrible shock to learn that for under a tenner the very best of chamber music is available in Leicester. Leicester is just over an hour from St Pancras with four trains an hour. The Queen came visiting last week to start her Jubilee tour and saying yes to this multi racial reasonably harmonious city, by going to Church for a multi faith service, by visiting the increasingly impressive De Montfort University and by meeting the (elected) major, Sir Peter Soulsby, with the citizens and denizens gathered in the streets to greet her.
To return to music. The Leicester International Music Festival provides us with the Thursday lunchtime concerts, summer celeb recitals and every September a long weekend of non-stop chamber music. Nicholas Daniels, recently honoured by the Queen, directs the whole and brings the best of the rising generation up here.
One of the special treats of the concerts are the intelligent programme notes (Mr Wheeler, step forward and thanks for the extended internet version) and the pithy intros by Mr Mike Baker.
Many concerts now sell out and the queues are to behold. Hint: get the value season tickets. The season ended today with the triumphant return of the Sitkovetsky trio playing Haydn's piano trio in C major Hob. XV: 27 and Beethoven's Archduke trio Op.97. I thought the speed of the last movement of the Haydn was possibly reckless but all worked out well in the end. The Archduke was, er, er, archducal. Very moving and authoritatively played. I thought I knew both trios well but this so gifted group of musicians brought altogether new insights to me.
One suggestion for improvement: in a city with such a rich cultural heritage as Leicester it really is a pity that some efforts are not made by the organisers to include at least some of Indian classical music. All it needs is the same bravery shown by them in including contemporary western classical music. The other sad lack is jazz. Yet when one recent performer shifted from the classical canon into jazz the audience seem to love it. This audience is up for stretching I think. As Alex Ross shows in his ground breaking book 'The rest is noise' the categories (of classical, jazz, folk, popular) that used to separate increasingly fall to bits in one's hands when examined carefully. Pragmatically, although I do not know if the Festival gets City Council funding, but if it does, it really does need to think about the wisdom of not including some classical music from the non western traditions. This is not just to appease those who check the demographics of any publicly funded event (old, bourgeois and white mainly) but a wish to widen the audience for nonwestern classical music. I realise we are someway from having a Leicester Gamelan but if we can have a Fazioli piano up at the DMH, why not think big.
Gripes apart this is written by a punter who is deeply grateful for what we get. Special thanks to Catherine and Tim Watt for the care they provide for the disabled. Much appreciated.
The man in the red hoodie with a yellow chaise roulant says thanks.
To return to music. The Leicester International Music Festival provides us with the Thursday lunchtime concerts, summer celeb recitals and every September a long weekend of non-stop chamber music. Nicholas Daniels, recently honoured by the Queen, directs the whole and brings the best of the rising generation up here.
One of the special treats of the concerts are the intelligent programme notes (Mr Wheeler, step forward and thanks for the extended internet version) and the pithy intros by Mr Mike Baker.
Many concerts now sell out and the queues are to behold. Hint: get the value season tickets. The season ended today with the triumphant return of the Sitkovetsky trio playing Haydn's piano trio in C major Hob. XV: 27 and Beethoven's Archduke trio Op.97. I thought the speed of the last movement of the Haydn was possibly reckless but all worked out well in the end. The Archduke was, er, er, archducal. Very moving and authoritatively played. I thought I knew both trios well but this so gifted group of musicians brought altogether new insights to me.
One suggestion for improvement: in a city with such a rich cultural heritage as Leicester it really is a pity that some efforts are not made by the organisers to include at least some of Indian classical music. All it needs is the same bravery shown by them in including contemporary western classical music. The other sad lack is jazz. Yet when one recent performer shifted from the classical canon into jazz the audience seem to love it. This audience is up for stretching I think. As Alex Ross shows in his ground breaking book 'The rest is noise' the categories (of classical, jazz, folk, popular) that used to separate increasingly fall to bits in one's hands when examined carefully. Pragmatically, although I do not know if the Festival gets City Council funding, but if it does, it really does need to think about the wisdom of not including some classical music from the non western traditions. This is not just to appease those who check the demographics of any publicly funded event (old, bourgeois and white mainly) but a wish to widen the audience for nonwestern classical music. I realise we are someway from having a Leicester Gamelan but if we can have a Fazioli piano up at the DMH, why not think big.
Gripes apart this is written by a punter who is deeply grateful for what we get. Special thanks to Catherine and Tim Watt for the care they provide for the disabled. Much appreciated.
The man in the red hoodie with a yellow chaise roulant says thanks.
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