Canada

Last week to the Wigmore Hall, the first time for a while, to hear a brace of north Americans give us some Beethoven violin sonatas, James Ehnes from Brandon, Manitoba on the violin and Andrew Armstrong from New Canaan, Connecticut on the piano. Op.24; Op.30, No.1; Op.30, No.2; and, for the encore, the allegro vivace from Op.30, No.3, handily worked up for the next concert in June. At least that is what I think he said it was. It looks as if I first heard Ehnes around six years ago, noticed at reference 1, and maybe three times since then. Armstrong not at all.

The programme

Overcast and cold. Sun just vanishing but no moon to be seen.

The cones

But there was a fine set of cones on West Hill, guarding an apparently open and intact stretch of road. No workmen to be seen, but there were lights keeping the rush hour traffic under control.

The hole in Station Approach was still blocked with its upturned cone so that was all right. And there were a couple of trolleys which I was able to pick up the following morning - noticed at reference 2.

Some young ladies having animated conversation most of the way to Vauxhall across the aisle from us. Including a discussion of the pros and cons of the various days of the week for a first date. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays were out as it was harder to cop out early on those days. Mondays were out for some other reason, which got us down to three. I lost the thread at this point.

Given seats almost immediately on the tube. The trick seems to be that BH looks a bit dithery and then some young man quickly gets the idea and stands up. Then the person next to him sees that I am there too and stands up for me. It seems to work surprisingly often - not that I really want to sit down. Not a bit of it.

Out at Oxford Circus and onto to our regular bench at the corner of Cavendish Square for our picnic and my warfarin. Onto the Hall where there was some bit of art by the stairs, a modest model of the hall with aural trimmings, with a fulsome young usher to tell me all about it. All I can remember now is that it was something to do with accessibility and outreach - mandatory requirements for any self respecting arts venue these days. Or perhaps more to the point, public grant receiving arts venue. In any event, I believe that the Wigmore Hall does quite a lot of it. A quick picpoul downstairs - a change from my usual sauvignon blanc - and on into the fairly full hall.

Just four mikes to do the live streaming, not up to BBC standards at all, who would, I am sure, need at least eight. I remembered that we had not spotted any luvvies - indeed anybody we could put a name to at all - for some time - but this particular evening was no better. The musicians were conservatively turned out in lounge suits and ties and we liked their subdued stage manners. And we liked the sonatas a lot, having somehow forgotten how much we like this particular combination.

Quick visit to a quiet Cock & Lion at half time. A bar at which one usually gets served faster than in the Wigmore basement and which provides an opportunity for a quick leg stretch. After which whoever had appropriated one of our usual seats - I5 - still failed to show.

Roosting pigeons

Out to pause at Raynes Park to check the platform library, where BH turned up a few children's books. While I admired a couple of roosting pigeons, all fluffed up against the cold. Are pigeons like humans and turn off their temperature regulation machinery when they roost?

Still no moon.

The only downside to the otherwise successful evening was the amount of inconsiderate standing in and about stairways. Some people seem to be remarkably dim or remarkably thoughtless in such matters.

Main Street, New Canaan

PS: New Canaan boasts a rather grander public library than one would expect to see in a town of this size in the UK. This despite large chunks of the US being run by government and public service hating Republicans.

Reference 1: http://psmv2.blogspot.com/2014/01/bach-not-brahms.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/02/trolleys-391-and-392.html.