Unique guitar concert

Clouds and intermittent rain for most of the day. Clare's study group arrived mid morning. I didn't fancy going out in the rain, so I stayed in the front room out of the way, read and started work on next Sunday's sermon until they left. 

Then it was time for a light lunch and early departure for the Royal Welsh College, where we were invited to the Principal's Tea for Connect supporters. A cuppa and cake with a clarinet trio playing in the background. Then a speech by the Principal, Helena Gaunt about the life of the College and its students, and the big announcement of the College taking a 99 year lease from the City Council for the Old Library in the city centre, at the far end of the churchyard garden from St John's City Parish Church. It will be used as a place for performance, rehearsal, lectures showcasing the work of the College to visitors and citizens alike. At last a really worthwhile use for the whole of this landmark listed Victorian building! 

The Tea concluded with an impressive performance by post graduate percussionist playing the Marimba, using its subtle tones and dynamics in a way that compelled me to listen attentively. Then we walked back home across Bute Park and Pontcanna Fields, thankfully without being rained upon.

After supper, I took the 18 bus from Cowbridge Road East to 'The Res', for a concert by the City of Cardiff Symphony Orchestra, a group of sixty plus amateur musicians of which Jan the Vicar is a member. The orchestra filled the choir, sanctuary and side aisles it was so big, and when it played the first piece I found it deafeningly loud, but where I was seated, I was hemmed in. The acoustic echo of the building is about a second long, making it difficult for everyone to hear each other, a conductor's nightmare. Loud ensemble sections were coherent enough, and made the church seem as if it were four times the size, due to the echo. In gentler, harmonically fine grained sections, the difficulty in retaining cohesion showed.

I went to the concert because the highlight of the evening was a rare performance of Rodrigo's Concierto Andaluz para Cuatro Guitarras, something I'd never heard before. The guitarristas were four Royal Welsh College students, who performed superbly, bright eyed, smiling with pleasure, and had two encores to themselves. As an interval followed after this piece, I decided to leave, as my ears had taken as much as I felt I could cope with for one night. Within five minutes a 17 bus arrived, and I was home by a quarter to ten playing a YouTube recording of the Concierto to Clare from my phone. It was good to have seen Jan and Peter, and have a brief sharing of concerns about how the Ministry Area is going to cope after Frances leaves. We're agreed that an interim Minister is needed to cope with some complex management issues in the MA, but how to convince the hierarchy it's urgent and necessary? 

Time for bed already.