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selenayI've spent most of the day buried in the novel. Yay me :-)
New words (handwritten) today: approx. 1250
Total words handwritten: approx. 11,350
Did not type up anything today, but I'm feeling slightly stunned to have already got over ten thousand words on paper.
It's a tradition in my house to watch the Last Night of the Proms on the BBC every year. We've been doing it ever since I can remember and I credit the fun atmosphere for making sure that I didn't hate classical music after GCSE music attempted to drain all the fun out of music. The Last Night always tries to choose some music to echo the season's themes (hence the Dvorjak and Vaughn Williams) and also have some fun (hence the presence of some classic musical tunes) as well as the more raucous, fun final section that many people are familiar with. This year's was a particularly fine concert and you can listen to it through the wonders of Internet here.
My parents are on holiday at the moment so I watched the Prom on my own this year. I also watched it on my own three years ago - my parents were in Canada and it was only a few days since September 11th 2001. The Last Night that year was rather somber and sad, more of a memorial than the usual party atmosphere. The program was changed to be more appropriate for the occasion and Leonard Slatkin's first Last Night as the conductor of the BBC Symphony was possibly the most difficult you could choose. Try to imagine writing the speech he has to make in celebration of the Prom season at that time.
9/11 is etched on my memory and I hope that I never forget a moment of that day. I may disagree with many of the decisions Bush and Blair have made since, but I still can't watch the footage from New York and the Pentagon without choking and I know that it was a day that changed the world. I also keep thinking of one thing: when I was a kid, I used ask Mom where she was when Kennedy was assassinated. She could tell me every detail of where she was, what she was doing and who told her what had happened. In twenty years, there will probably be kids who will ask me where I was when the planes went into the Twin Towers and hopefully I'll be able to tell them with as much detail and they'll understand why this day is remember the way it is.
This year's Last Night has been on the third anniversary of 9/11. Mention was made of the date, but it wasn't the focus. Instead the concert was a celebration of music and I loved it.
The first half was fairly serious and reflective, but lovely. The second half was great fun and you have to listen to it if you can. There was a short piece by Sir Peter Maxwell Davis and the Humming Chorus from Madame Butterfly. Then Sir Thomas Allen appeared, walking casually down one of the staircases as he sang 'Oh What A Beautiful Morning' from Oklahoma and he was superb. He followed this with a Cole Porter song from Kiss Me Kate. The highlight of this part was his final song, a modern updating of 'I've Got A Little List' from The Mikado by Gillbert and Sullivan including texting, emailing and jokes about the Prommers :-) The last part of the non-traditional program was a piece that Leonard Slatkin had requested: Libery Bell by Sousa. It was supposed to have been played in 2001's Last Night, but was taken out because it is, admittedly, an very upbeat march that had everyone in the audience clapping in time and laughing.
And then there was the traditional section with Elgar's March of Pomp and Circumstance (AKA 'Land of Hope and Glory'), Slatkin's speach, Henry Wood's (now much expanded) Fantasia on British Sea-Songs (including the audience-participation Hornpipe and Rule Brittania), Jerusalem and finally the National Anthem followed by the Prommers singing Auld Lang Syne. One day I would love to be in that audience because they're all having such fun; it transmits through the screen so that I looked like a very daft person, grinning and mouthing the words to the songs. I love the Last Night and this was a wonderful one :-)
If you're ever in London during the Prom season, go along to the Albert Hall and take one in. They don't have the wackiness of the Last Night, but the atmosphere at them is always warm, welcoming and fun. For a truly wonderful time, join the Prommers in the arena - it's only a few pounds and it's the best section of the house.
New words (handwritten) today: approx. 1250
Total words handwritten: approx. 11,350
Did not type up anything today, but I'm feeling slightly stunned to have already got over ten thousand words on paper.
It's a tradition in my house to watch the Last Night of the Proms on the BBC every year. We've been doing it ever since I can remember and I credit the fun atmosphere for making sure that I didn't hate classical music after GCSE music attempted to drain all the fun out of music. The Last Night always tries to choose some music to echo the season's themes (hence the Dvorjak and Vaughn Williams) and also have some fun (hence the presence of some classic musical tunes) as well as the more raucous, fun final section that many people are familiar with. This year's was a particularly fine concert and you can listen to it through the wonders of Internet here.
My parents are on holiday at the moment so I watched the Prom on my own this year. I also watched it on my own three years ago - my parents were in Canada and it was only a few days since September 11th 2001. The Last Night that year was rather somber and sad, more of a memorial than the usual party atmosphere. The program was changed to be more appropriate for the occasion and Leonard Slatkin's first Last Night as the conductor of the BBC Symphony was possibly the most difficult you could choose. Try to imagine writing the speech he has to make in celebration of the Prom season at that time.
9/11 is etched on my memory and I hope that I never forget a moment of that day. I may disagree with many of the decisions Bush and Blair have made since, but I still can't watch the footage from New York and the Pentagon without choking and I know that it was a day that changed the world. I also keep thinking of one thing: when I was a kid, I used ask Mom where she was when Kennedy was assassinated. She could tell me every detail of where she was, what she was doing and who told her what had happened. In twenty years, there will probably be kids who will ask me where I was when the planes went into the Twin Towers and hopefully I'll be able to tell them with as much detail and they'll understand why this day is remember the way it is.
This year's Last Night has been on the third anniversary of 9/11. Mention was made of the date, but it wasn't the focus. Instead the concert was a celebration of music and I loved it.
The first half was fairly serious and reflective, but lovely. The second half was great fun and you have to listen to it if you can. There was a short piece by Sir Peter Maxwell Davis and the Humming Chorus from Madame Butterfly. Then Sir Thomas Allen appeared, walking casually down one of the staircases as he sang 'Oh What A Beautiful Morning' from Oklahoma and he was superb. He followed this with a Cole Porter song from Kiss Me Kate. The highlight of this part was his final song, a modern updating of 'I've Got A Little List' from The Mikado by Gillbert and Sullivan including texting, emailing and jokes about the Prommers :-) The last part of the non-traditional program was a piece that Leonard Slatkin had requested: Libery Bell by Sousa. It was supposed to have been played in 2001's Last Night, but was taken out because it is, admittedly, an very upbeat march that had everyone in the audience clapping in time and laughing.
And then there was the traditional section with Elgar's March of Pomp and Circumstance (AKA 'Land of Hope and Glory'), Slatkin's speach, Henry Wood's (now much expanded) Fantasia on British Sea-Songs (including the audience-participation Hornpipe and Rule Brittania), Jerusalem and finally the National Anthem followed by the Prommers singing Auld Lang Syne. One day I would love to be in that audience because they're all having such fun; it transmits through the screen so that I looked like a very daft person, grinning and mouthing the words to the songs. I love the Last Night and this was a wonderful one :-)
If you're ever in London during the Prom season, go along to the Albert Hall and take one in. They don't have the wackiness of the Last Night, but the atmosphere at them is always warm, welcoming and fun. For a truly wonderful time, join the Prommers in the arena - it's only a few pounds and it's the best section of the house.
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no subject
Date: 2004-09-11 11:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-11 11:56 pm (UTC)Here the 'Proms' are the Henry Wood Promenade concerts - a season of classical music concerts held during the summer in the Royal Albert Hall in London. Many of the world's best orchestras and soloists (you must have heard of Yo Yo Ma - he played a couple of concerts this year) perform at the Proms. You can buy seats in the stalls, circle or boxes, but the best (and cheapest) tickets are standing in the arena in front of the orchestra - the Promenaders or Prommers. Check out the link I gave to go to the BBC's Prom website. The Proms have been running for over a hundred years with the idea of allowing ordinary people to enjoy wonderful music at affordable prices and, happily, it's still affordable. The concerts are also broadcast on BBC Radio and quite a number have been shown on BBC Four this year. The Last Night of the Proms is the final concert of the season and it's bascially a big knees up - fabulous fun. Everyone dresses up (most Prommers at normal concerts are in jeans rather than evening wear) and waves flags. You have to be put into a draw for tickets to the Albert Hall event, but recently they've been putting on 'Proms in the Park'. These offer slightly lighter (but still excellent) programs taking place in major cities (Hyde Park in London is the biggest) in Britain and joining the Albert Hall celebrations for the final traditional section.
The traditional section begins with Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance. The audience joins in with the singing (there are usually at least a couple of enchores of each song when the conductor tells the audience they weren't loud enough *g*) and many of them have horns and whistles to toot at appropriate moments during the Hornpipe. It's rather British and slightly silly, but enormous fun.
So, completely different from an American school Prom :-) Some schools here hold Proms with your meaning, but if you're talking about the Proms here it's the concerts. We're strange :-)
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 04:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 04:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 04:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 05:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 05:11 pm (UTC)I don't think it's possible to go on holiday anywhere and not have it rain at least once.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 05:20 pm (UTC)Holidays and rain seem to have an attractive force thing going on. Just can't have the first without getting the second, too.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 06:54 pm (UTC)It doesn't help that Federer is really good, but as the commentators were pointing out last night, he's 31. If he was going to be that good, he would have done it by now.
But on the bright side, he did reach the semis of the French as well, so at least he's being consistently quite good. And he is in the top ten in the world, which is good, when you think about it.
We're going to be so stuffed for Davis Cup when he retires though.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 09:20 pm (UTC)Oh, yeah. This country is rotten at supporting any sport other than football so it's no wonder we're short of decent tennis players. Henman is the only half-decent player we've had in years and there doesn't seem to be anyone of his calibre coming through the ranks. Grrr.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 09:34 pm (UTC)Of course, it doesn't help that every little boy wants to grow up to be David Beckham, because football is the only sport worth playing. Or watching on TV. It's more important than any other program on TV. And it goes on all year, as far as most people are concerned tennis is only two weeks a year.