Czech songs

This being belated notice of a musical outing to the Temple Church, with the last such having been noticed at reference 1, a bit less than a year ago. Dvořák and Janáček songs given by Kozelj (from Slovenia rather than from the Czech republic), Spence and Drake.

Concert programme

A cool and overcast evening and I started off on the wrong foot by forgetting to take my senior persons railcard with me, so being a generally honest person, I had to pay the full fare. The man behind the window helpfully explained that if I brought ticket and railcard in the next day, I could claim a refund. An offer I have not yet taken up.

Helicopter hovering over somewhere to the south of Waterloo Station; something I always find a little intimidating, even when it is over Court Recreation Ground of an evening and we are safely indoors.

Outside

Inside

Found a pleasant house for our aperitif, the Edgar Wallace in Essex Street, presumably named for the writer Edgar Wallace, whom I now known to have been a writer on the same scale as Simenon. The walls inside were covered with old advertisements for cigarettes, cigars and tobacco generally, while the ceilings were reserved for bar mats. Quite busy, probably more from the back room boys from the local legal outfits, rather than the fee earners, who presumably have their own, more private arrangements in their Inns of Court. Pleasant atmosphere; wine satisfactory. I forgot to ask whether they actually sold tobacco as well as celebrating the stuff.

On into (Inner?) Temple, where we were able to admire the Cambridge quad-like arrangements, which they quite possibly predated.

Not full in the church itself, although quite respectably busy. Various celebrities, including the Czech ambassador, sufficiently relaxed to take a picture with his telephone at the end of the proceedings. We opted for pew seats, at right angles to the action, rather than the gangway seats which faced it. On the other hand, we were less than three meters away from the action.

Music all new to me and, as usual, I opted for looking at the musicians rather than looking at the words, which meant that I only had a very sketchy idea what the songs were about. Nevertheless, they were very good and I was very taken with both the Mezzo and the Tenor.

The pianist opted for scores throughout, with a page turner, although there was a suggestion that the latter had not got the turning quite right. The singers opted for scores for the first half but not for the second. I wondered how an English tenor managed with Czech words. Perhaps not so bad for a Slovenian. I also wondered how the Mezzo managed with an off the shoulder dress - it not being warm at all in the church. Perhaps all that singing warms you up? Certainly they both had very strong voices, to the point of there being the hint of an echo.

On the way back to Temple tube, we noticed that at least some of the Temple gas lights mentioned in the P. D. James story noticed at reference 5 were still up and running. Perhaps the heritage people had had a word with someone about it.

BAT building

We also noticed what might have been the headquarters of British American Tobacco, so perhaps all the advertisements in the 'Edgar Wallace' were a promotional gift from them and a good proportion of the customers were bat-people rather than lawyers clerks.

And the rather fancy looking Two Temple Place, already scored for a fake at reference 6. Marked down for a visit in the New Year, when they have a public exhibition about something or other.

A good concert. I am on their mailing list and no doubt we will be back.

Ramadan programme

Somewhere along the way I acquired a Ramadan programme, shared here for the benefit of any readers who may need it. If I read it aright, no eating between around 0300 and 2100 - rather a long day for nil-by-mouth. I wondered about what happened if a Muslim went to the North Pole - something which presumably happens from time to time - when the sun might not set for the whole of the Ramadan period. Perhaps they have to get an exemption certificate from their local mosque's office.

PS: I am reminded today that Chrome support for Blogger is rather better than that offered by Edge, which is what I am using today. Fair enough, I suppose, given that Google own Blogger.

Reference 1: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2018/07/winterreise.html.

Reference 2: http://www.barbarakozelj.com/.

Reference 3: https://www.askonasholt.com/artists/nicky-spence/.

Reference 4: http://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/05/piano-7.html. With a real Steinway being brought in for this concert.

Reference 5: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2016/09/knights-in-armour.html.

Reference 6: http://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/05/fake-69.html.