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More cultural highlights (both sides of the Bristol Channel)


The summer season of culture continues... Whilst at our Welsh Proms concerts in July, M and I spied a poster advertising a concert by the National Youth Orchestra of Wales on 11th August. Flat rate of £10 per seat, so it was also an opportunity to get some good seats for a change! The programme:

Arwel Hughes Prelude for Orchestra
Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Ballet Suite
Mahler Symphony No. 1

The Arwel Hughes piece was quite interesting (new to our ears); according to the online information about the concert, this piece was commissioned for the Orchestra and is dedicated to the youth of Wales. The Swan Lake Suite was perhaps the most popular of the evening's programme, perhaps unsurprisingly, and it was played well. Our favourite (or at least, mine anyway) was Mahler's Symphony No 1, especially the third movement, as until it started I had completely forgotten that it was based on the song Frère Jacques. For a first time, I was suitably impressed by the Orchestra.

From that to sunny Bristol. This Saturday 15th, we ventured to see the Banksy v Bristol Museum exhibition at the City Museum/Art Gallery. From subsequent BBC reading it turns out we went on perhaps the busiest day! See here. We did indeed wait 4 hours (from first arrival to walking through the entrance door) but I do think it was worth it. Plenty of pictures abound -it was nice to see so many people taking photos too (although there was a strict no flash policy). In addition to the 2 main gallery areas, the rest of the museum was open as usual with random 'spoof' works throughout. There were (are?) many highlights I could choose, one is below - Damien Hirst and Banksy's 'Improved Spot Painting'.

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