My Beloved dragged me to a "musical experience" in Upper Hutt last week. It was a recital from the "Only Fiddle Music School in the Southern Hemisphere"
Being used to the usual Kiwi hype of "World famous in New Zealand" (see L & P) I arrived. expecting the worst.
But, before I get started on the performance, let me describe the precursor.
Regular readers of m'Blog will know that I don't like going out.
I'm really happy at home, reading, eating, drinking or even watching the "goddamned babble box" (R.A.Heinlein., Stranger from a Strange Land., Jubal Harshaw). And the "Machine of Satan", otherwise known as the PC.
So when my Beloved
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| Style |
My Beloved dressed in evening dress triusers, a sequined top, matching handbag and the most f*cking outragous pair of purple shoes with gold lamé bows I've ever seen.
I hesitantly asked if she thought she might be a tad overdressed,but the withering
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| Overdressed, Moi? |
Once we arrived at the venue (Expressions, Upper Hutt) I could see that I blended in perfectly with the usual Kiwi blokes, perhaps a shade overdressed as I wasn't wearing shorts and jandals, whilst my Beloved was definitely a bit over the top. I didn't make a comment. I've learned.
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| Definitely underdressed |
Now I have been to quite a few Kiwi "entertainments", and for the most part they've been pretty bad, but this was excellent.
A combination of massed fiddle music, mostly Scottish, Irish and Cape Breton from Nova Scotia in Canada, and some superb individual pieces from Catherine Fraser (Australia - fiddle), Hanneke Cassel (USA - fiddle), Stan Chapman (Canada - fiddle), Ariel Friedman (USA - cello) and Duncan Smith (Australia/USA - piano/guitar).
I was especially taken by a piece from Catherine Fraser, composed by her and dedicated to her Mum, who was also playing Cello.
I was really, really taken by a young Cello player who had the most amazing legs, and which, when grasping her Cello, gleamed in the spotlights.
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| Not quite as exposed as this, but absolutely delightful. If I remember The Curnudgeon likes this image. |
This was REAL entertainment.
I can't wait for the next one in 2013.
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| No Idea, but great pic. |
Well, I've just taken my bow in to be rehaired and changed over to a more fiddle style bow. There you go.
ReplyDeleteA night out is good for what ails ya.
ReplyDeleteLove the Python quote. ;)
Richard: There's nothing like a rehaired bow I always say.
ReplyDeleteAustan: Yes,probably.
What Python quote?
Was that a reference to Lemon and Paeroa? I haven't tasted that in twenty years.
ReplyDeleteMiddle Earth suffers from the same problem as OZ, we dont have any real traditions,music,style of our own so we have to borrow it from 'the old country' (or anywhere else)
ReplyDeleteFor this reason we suffer the cultural cringe whereby we retreat to this olde style crap and pretend we like it...no really..we do!
PS: That quote on the hovercraft is an old Monty Python/John Cleese comment (modified somewhat)
nursemyra: Yes it was. I never tasted the stuff until we reached NZ. It's curiously refreshing, and of course, world famous in New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteTempo: Please, we're not Middle Earth anymore. We're now officialy the Shire. Cringe is mutual. Never heard that Python quote before.
ReplyDeleteWait, I remember, the Hungarian phrasebook.
Excellent.
The hovercraft eel thing was a fad some years back to try and learn that in as many languages as you could - no idea why - although my mate got laid when he said it to a young Japanese lady in Japanese whilst in NYC once...
ReplyDeleteFurtheron: Never heard of that before, nice to know it worked for your mate.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the young lady had some sort of fetish for eels. Or hovercraft.
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ReplyDeleteThere really is nothing that makes fiddle music better than some crucial, critically impressive, female nudity!
ReplyDeleteLaoch: My thoughts (and actions) exactly.
ReplyDelete