Ear (Holes)
Week from Monday 15th July 2024 - The BBC PROMS season has kicked off... I'm preferring NOT to plan ahead this year and taking each evening as it comes - maybe giving it an element of surprise and a chance to listen to it all without prejudice! But the first night had very little to offer.
Saturday was one of those (often naff) BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA theme nights, a tribute to DISCO! Now I have to confess, I quite like a lot of the original music. In the late seventies, I didn't count myself among the rockists who declared that "DISCO SUCKS!" (although, admittedly, some of it did!). Tonight's 'cover versions' were impressive. But whatever time, money and effort went into it, a 'covers' show like this only makes for a KARAOKE-LIKE experience for this radio listener ("Karaoke" DOES translate as "empty orchestra", I suppose). It certainly sounded like those assembled at the Albert'All were having a great time. I personally drew the line at the BONEY M medley and a rather screechy version of "I WILL SURVIVE". I'm sure that'll be my EARWORMS sorted for the next few days, anyway...
Week from Monday 22nd July 2024 - On Sunday, the Hallé Orchestra's rendering of MAHLER's FIFTH was a refreshing listen, maybe a little faster than I prefer it. But it should at least help chase away those DISCO EARWORMS! I didn't really care for (or care about?) Monday night's SCHOENBERG and ZEMLINSKY... Tuesday brings another opportunity to wallow in VERDI's "Requiem" (Crappy sound, compared to the version I listened to at the weekend)... As Jules Buckley's "Orchestral Celebrations Of Dead Pop Stars" projects go, the NICK DRAKE tribute concert was less embarrassing than certain previous efforts I could mention. Quite tasteful really... A couple of nights with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Ryan Wigglesworth: they did some more SCHOENBERG, BRAHMS and MAHLER, his "Kindertotenlieder" ("Dead Kiddy Ditties"), followed by a fairly pompous programme of BENJAMIN BRITTEN and EDWARD ELGAR, and a new cello concerto by CHERYL FRANCES-HOAD. I got bored with it after a while and watched some of the PARIS OLYMPICS Opening Ceremony instead. "Ah! the French..." I saw a bunch of female impersonators putting on a mock fashion show, lots of cacky dancing to continental 'hits' of the '90s and someone warbling "Imagine" in front of a burning piano, then I concluded that Elgar was probably the better option after all! CLICK!
Not being a driver, I've never really shared other people's concerns about POTHOLES. But having to ride on rickety PUBLIC TRANSPORT while wearing a back brace, I SORDA GEDDIT now. The state of our urban roads has become painfully apparent! Hopefully, the recent trip ORF UP THE HORSE PICKLE to have a CT scan means that I won't have to wear it for much longer...
I've now reached the end of CYCLE SIX of my chemo regime and I'm wondering what happens next? I have some 'review' telephone appointments scheduled for the distant future, but nothing seems to be happening any time soon. I think they've given me August off! I went for yet another BLOOD TEST during the week, so I expect the data is currently being passed around, unless the recent M****soft out(r)age slowed things down too much!
Saturday was one of those (often naff) BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA theme nights, a tribute to DISCO! Now I have to confess, I quite like a lot of the original music. In the late seventies, I didn't count myself among the rockists who declared that "DISCO SUCKS!" (although, admittedly, some of it did!). Tonight's 'cover versions' were impressive. But whatever time, money and effort went into it, a 'covers' show like this only makes for a KARAOKE-LIKE experience for this radio listener ("Karaoke" DOES translate as "empty orchestra", I suppose). It certainly sounded like those assembled at the Albert'All were having a great time. I personally drew the line at the BONEY M medley and a rather screechy version of "I WILL SURVIVE". I'm sure that'll be my EARWORMS sorted for the next few days, anyway...
Week from Monday 22nd July 2024 - On Sunday, the Hallé Orchestra's rendering of MAHLER's FIFTH was a refreshing listen, maybe a little faster than I prefer it. But it should at least help chase away those DISCO EARWORMS! I didn't really care for (or care about?) Monday night's SCHOENBERG and ZEMLINSKY... Tuesday brings another opportunity to wallow in VERDI's "Requiem" (Crappy sound, compared to the version I listened to at the weekend)... As Jules Buckley's "Orchestral Celebrations Of Dead Pop Stars" projects go, the NICK DRAKE tribute concert was less embarrassing than certain previous efforts I could mention. Quite tasteful really... A couple of nights with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Ryan Wigglesworth: they did some more SCHOENBERG, BRAHMS and MAHLER, his "Kindertotenlieder" ("Dead Kiddy Ditties"), followed by a fairly pompous programme of BENJAMIN BRITTEN and EDWARD ELGAR, and a new cello concerto by CHERYL FRANCES-HOAD. I got bored with it after a while and watched some of the PARIS OLYMPICS Opening Ceremony instead. "Ah! the French..." I saw a bunch of female impersonators putting on a mock fashion show, lots of cacky dancing to continental 'hits' of the '90s and someone warbling "Imagine" in front of a burning piano, then I concluded that Elgar was probably the better option after all! CLICK!
Not being a driver, I've never really shared other people's concerns about POTHOLES. But having to ride on rickety PUBLIC TRANSPORT while wearing a back brace, I SORDA GEDDIT now. The state of our urban roads has become painfully apparent! Hopefully, the recent trip ORF UP THE HORSE PICKLE to have a CT scan means that I won't have to wear it for much longer...
I've now reached the end of CYCLE SIX of my chemo regime and I'm wondering what happens next? I have some 'review' telephone appointments scheduled for the distant future, but nothing seems to be happening any time soon. I think they've given me August off! I went for yet another BLOOD TEST during the week, so I expect the data is currently being passed around, unless the recent M****soft out(r)age slowed things down too much!
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