Going to the Theatre: Oklahoma!

illustration borrowed from the web

 



Last week I went with three friends to see Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical "Oklahoma" at the local arts theatre and it was a great night out including a quick bite to eat before!

 

What a treat!

 

Even if you are not familiar with the musical (it was also made into a film), you surely are familiar with many of the songs - particularly "Oh, what a beautiful morning" - EVERYBODY must know it... See - I am sure you are singing it in your head as you are reading this...? It was hard not to sing along! (Ok, I 'hummed' a bit..)

 

"Oklahoma" was the first musical written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. It is based on a play from 1931 and set in a town called Claremore. It tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams. A typical boy-meets-girl-story in other words, but very well sung and played.

 

We all agreed we should do things like this more often! We are spoiled with accessible and affordable local events like this.

 

That should be classed as a "New Year's Resolution"!

Do you have any resolutions for 2015...?

 

 

 

Partial Truths and Confessions

I heard on the radio today that Barbra Streisand will be giving one of her rare concerts (apparently, she suffers from terrible stage fright so she doesn't give many concerts) in London this summer (1 June, if I am not wrong). The DJ on the radio said tickets cost £475(!) a piece, which is partially true, as they actually start from about £150.

Still a lot of money, I think and I don't think we will be going (actually I already know I am busy that day!). I am not a huge fan of Barbra, but I must say she sure can belt out a tune and this link above is to one of her more lovely songs: "The way we were..." And while we are on the topic of confessions, yes, I did once 'in my youth' own her album with Barry Gibbs from the BeeGees...

Still, you can buy an awful lot of CDs (or downloads) for the same amount of money as the cost of a concert ticket. Or have I become too sensible and grown up?

Would you have paid £150 for a concert ticket?

Have a great weekend!

♥

A Lovely Song...

I have found a new potential favourite song/singer

 

Melody Gardot - Baby I'm a Fool

Enjoy!

 

 

 

May Events... in June

Last night was the May Concert in St. John's College. The end of year events used to take place in May, but now they are always in June. It is still called May-week... 

The May Ball is the traditional end of year BIG party in the colleges. Each college has their own night and whilst Trinity's party was on next door, St. John's was also getting ready whilst our concert event took place for their party which is tonight.

What a great evening we had!

Lovely music in the Chapel and then gorgeous canapes and drinks outside. The weather had decided to be on our side and it was a lovely summers evening.

I have started using Instagram and kept taking pictures and putting up as the evening progressed.



Bridge of Sighs

And as we always do, at the end we piled out to the lawn, passing the Bridge of Sighs to see the fireworks from Trinity College.

Magical!





It Is Happening...

Spring is HERE!

We have enjoyed +18 degrees some days (not every day) and the crocuses are in full bloom along the Backs.

I didn't manage to get out and take pictures myself this weekend, so I have borrowed one from BBC, but this is what it really looks like now.

So lovely and much appreciated!

The concert on Friday with Joan Baez was even better than I had thought.

What a lady!

We were probably among the younger ones in the crowd, but the lady herself is 71 - amazing...

It was really nice to have a 'date' with The Professor!

♥

Ms Baez played many of the familiar, old time favourites, but also quite a few new ones. I particularly liked this one - 'Just the Way You Are' written by Dirk Powell who was accomanying her:

Different Taste...

Our Boy went to a concert in London on the weekend with Skrillex... 

Apparently, it was 'awesome' and phenomenal'. 

Not my cup of tea, I have to say

☺

The Professor is coming home next weekend and for his birthday earlier this month I got us tickets to see one of his favourites who is coming to town this coming Friday, Joan Baez.

Varied taste in music in our house...

♥

Never Too Late...

picture borrowed from http://stuffkit.com/50-cool-guitar-hd-wallpapers.htm

The Professor has decided to learn to play the guitar.

He has been watching Our Boy playing (who has been taking lessons for the last 5 years) and was convinced it can't be too hard...

Our Boy graciously let his father have a lesson with his guitar teacher.

He didn't have time for any more than this ONE lesson...

I think he agrees it isn't enough.

 

 

The Professor decided it was something wrong with the guitar - that the strings are too closely spaced. (He wouldn't accept that his fingers are too large for the strings nor that he needs to practise more.)

A new guitar has thus been acquired.

I will report back in due course about possible progress.

In the meantime darling, 

please don't give up the day job and join the band,

not just yet...

;-)

ROCK ON!

Slowly does it..

I am back home in England again after an intense break in Norway. 

It was good to be 'home', seeing friends and family and familiar places, 

even if things were changed in many ways.

Apart from a lot of practical things to attend to, 

I managed to squeeze in a nice evening with an 'old' friend of mine and we went to one of the television recordings of the annual sing-alongs in the old fortress in my home town.

It was great fun particularly since they had some old timers performing like Carola, Ingrid Bjornov, Bjarne Brondbo and Blue (from England!). It made it easier for me who has lived outside the country so long and don't really feel familiar with the 'new' artists...

;-)

This was the last performance this summer, 

but I hope to catch another sing-along like this next year. 

Here is a clip from Blue's performance (the only one I found on YouTube)

Rock On!

last minute practise while waiting for the exam

Throughout the years, Our Boy has tried out numerous hobbies.

The interest for some only lasted a term, some lasted longer.

We were never bothered about how long they lasted.

Our views were

'this is life - you've got to try out various things before you know what is for you'.

:-)

 So in line with this philosophy we bought Our Boy an acoustic guitar a few years ago (neither of us are particularly musical although I used to sing in a choir many moons ago - I definitely have a 'choir voice').

We have been happy to take him to lessons (he has a very cool and patient teacher), but we never pressured him to practice. There are so many other areas of his more formal education where we have had a much stricter view, so the guitar has been his choice to take more seriously if he liked it.

The first year he hardly touched the guitar between each lesson, but there seemed to be progression...

He then passed the Entry Exam in the Rock School's examination system.

It was as if something loosened and we started hearing him playing in his room.

He saved up money and bought his first electric guitar and an amplifier.

He has even built two electric guitars himself which he regularly plays on (one of them is pictured above!).

Do I sound proud?

Yes, I am!

I can't play any instrument properly and

 would certainly not entertain the idea of building my own guitar.

As I mentioned previously, Our Boy just completed Grade 3 in Rock School's examination system.

Rockschool is Europe's No. 1 rock music exam board offer rock musicians the opportunity to get the same qualifications that classical musicians can get.

Our Boy's current aim is to complete Grade 5 by the time he goes off to University in a few years time as you can apparently get extra credits for having taken a grade 5 exam on an instrument.

I am just glad he has found a hobby for life!

Music: Hugh Laurie - Let Them Talk

I am a big fan of Hugh Laurie. 

I first became aware of him when he played the eccentric and dipsy Bertie Wooster along with Stephen Fry in Jeeves and Wooster. 

He showed even then that he had a good voice and could 'tinkle the ivory' rather well. 

He has since gone on to being a big TV star in the USA ('House' - a series I have not seen). 

I am very pleased that he has come out with an album called 'Let Them Talk'. 

The songs are a glorious celebration of New Orleans blues and he is collaborating with some big blues names.

A Good Time To ....

These quiet days of Easter is a good time to update the music on my Iphone...

My music taste is rather mixed 

- anything from Mozart to Meat Loaf, really!

:-)

September morn'

I know it is already Tuesday (!),

but I wanted to show some pictures taken on Saturday as a reminder of how lovely September can be.

The hedge beside the house is now vibrant with orange/red berries. Makes a real difference to a normally very boring green hedge.

The "No Parking Please" sign is almost drowning in the ivy,

while the spiders are busy making the most beautiful webs glistening in the morning sunshine.

And I...

was "busy" biking over to the bakery filling my basket with lovely GI bread.

Yes, Neil Diamond was right

September Morning

is special...

Mid Week Humour for Ryanair Travellers

Three very funny ladies!

Particularly their song about "Cheap Flights"...

I think many of us can relate to this

although I have to say Ryanair has been a great way of travelling for me ;-)

You can see their song "Cheap Flights" here on YouTube

Summer memories...

Summer memories from Antibes we will remember for a long time...

From the farmers market...

Rambling aimlessly around the Old Town with not a care in the world...

Enjoying this little daily street music parade during the 50th annual jazz festival in Juan les Pins.

We even got to see Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette in concert by the ocean.

What a treat!

Here is a clip of them worth listening to...