RWCMD in concert

Despite falling asleep the way I did last night before getting ready for bed, I slept through until seven, put the radio on to listen to the news, and then fell asleep again for another hour. I must have needed it. After breakfast, Clare went off to school, and I walked to St John's to celebrate the Eucharist with nine others, then returned to cook lunch.

I made a bereavement phone call but the next of kin I spoke with had handed over responsibility to three of his nieces to organise. He told me they were going to visit Pidgeons funeral office some time today to finalise the plans, so I emailed John the funeral arranger and asked him to pass my phone number over to whoever was taking the lead on this. 

Mid afternoon, I walked over to the crab apple trees in Llandaff Fields, whose branches are packed and heavily laden with fruit, and in half an hour picked over four pounds to turn into jelly. The most densely packed branches were out of reach with no walking stick or grabber to bring them into reach, so I only got the relatively low hanging fruit, bit it was a good start. The question is, do we have enough empty jam jars to fill? A call came in while I was out from one of the nieces, and I returned it and gathered information I needed for next Thursday's funeral. Area Dean Fr Dyfrig rang up to confirm with me the St German's duty rota for the next couple of months, so now I can put more dates in my diary. 

We had supper early, then walked into town to attend the Royal Welsh College Symphony Orchestra's first public concert since lock-down started at the St David's Hall. Beforehand there was a drinks reception for RWCMD members in the upper lounge, where we we delighted to meet Sir Norman Lloyd Edwards, one of the College patrons I think. How goo to do nomral social things again, even if we were popping masks on and off when we moved around or sat in the concert hall.

The second half of the concert was taken with a Tchaikovsky symphony, and the first half ended with Mozart's clarinet concerto, played by the winner of the College's concerto prize last year. The soloist was a young man who was beautifully expressive in his playing. Before his first entry he stood and listened to the orchestra in the attentive way a singer would. It was as if he was singing the whole piece through his instrument. So impressive. It's a piece we both know well but this is the first time we recall hearing it live in concert, which brings home its emotional depth in a way no recording can do.

The opening work was Mighty River by ground breaking black composer Errolyn Wallen born in Belize and now living in the UK. We give given the news that she's accepted to be the College's Composer in Residence for the next three years, writing and teaching. She was introduced by Tim Rhys Evans, and after the performance of her work, she took a bow and was given a special round of applause. 

Mighty River is a richly textured piece of music, a flowing soundscape with complex cross rhythms and harmonies, taking full advantage of the fifty plus musicians who were playing, including two harps! I'd like to hear this again, several times, just to take it all in. 

Afterwards we walked to Westgate Street where we found a number 17 bus we could take to Cowbridge Road East, then walked the last half mile home, thrilled to have been in a live audience again. Booster jabs tomorrow afternoon.