Aston Abbotts was the destination last Friday, 2nd Aug. Having had the car in for an MOT, a (much needed) service and repair to the exhaust I was able to take Mum and Dad to Mum’s friend who lives there. After a few spots of rain during the morning the weather was good and, as I have often found this year, the traffic reasonably light there and back. This picturesque village is in Aylesbury vale in Bucks and always worth the visit, and a wander around the garden of said friend which is large and well laid out - almost worth paying for imho…
Sunday just gone (4th) was my latest day in church and all went well with Karl doing his usual good job on the Organ. Although it was just two hymns that had my trumpet accompaniment, the general congregation were appreciative of the music that ‘helps the service along’. I have penciled in the next appearance there to be the 1st Sept. or perhaps the Bank Hol (25th Aug) and will hopefully get to run through some of my preferred trumpet/organ voluntaries with Karl before then.
So, with Thursday 1st August seeing the highest temp of the year - 34.1o C - it really was Hotter Than July (see 15th July post). According to the Met Office this high was recorded at Heathrow and topped the previous high of 33.5o C that was noted at both Heathrow and Northolt (less than a mile from where I live) on the 22nd July. It seems unlikely that we will see such highs in the coming weeks with the weather now retuning to a more ‘normal’ English summer which I find more comfortable than the rather extreme heat that was around.
Although I hinted last time - “Too long, the symphony” - that I would be listening to earlier orchestral works, I find myself drawn to Mahler’s first one which he entitled Titan. This is a fairly long one but usually under the hour mark, depending on the performance preferences of the conductor. I don’t, yet, have copy of this but am spending a fair amount of time ‘in’ the Naxos Music Library attempting to assess the many recordings of this symphony to be found there. With an interesting side effect of my recent listening to Bruckner and Mahler symphonies being that I now find more to enjoy when listening to Dvorak’s second symphony which was, originally, not one of my favourites of his symphonies.
…the unintended consequences of (as ever)
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Mozart
I like musica vivace. The Marriage of Figaro is a favourite.New comment
Hello Patricia,
Although a keen musician I have to admit to being unaware of “musica vivace” - a group of musicians, perhaps?
As you may have noticed I play the trumpet, but my only ‘public’ is the local church congregation! Having studied the TA212 module (The technology of Music) last year, my interest in things ‘brass-like’ has recently been re-kindled.
So my current liking for 19th Century music, especially the symphonies of Dvorak (and others), is heightened by the fact that composers from this era were more adventurous when writing parts for brass instruments. I do like a bit of Mozart as well - Piano music and The Magic Flute come to mind - but I wouldn’t class myself as an opera buff!
When not playing the trumpet for the hymns in church I don’t then sing along with the other musical sections/ hymns as my singing is not so good.