PrettyInScarlett

Mid-month and my concert calendar is in full swing. When tickets for Gabriela Montero were released, I decided to treat myself to a day trip to Wigmore Hall on 13th November. Definitely worth the effort! The recital programme was Schumann's Kinderszenen Op. 15 and Shostakovich's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B minor, Op. 61 . First, the Kinderszenen . Deftly demonstrating the variety within this set of piece, the intensity of Gabriela's performance went up and up - at the point of Traumerei , any audience murmur hushed completely; after this most famous piece, I thought the performance got even better.  The Shostakovich Piano Sonata was (is) a complete contrast. Written during wartime and in between his Seventh and Eighth Symphonies, the sonata, whilst a memorial to former piano teacher Leonid Nikolaev, also contains a commentary on the times. The three movements are dramatic, lyrical, tragic. For me - a lot of angst in the first movement, moving from an almost skip, t...

Onwards and upwards (and back to Yorkshire) - after a fun filled few years in the North East, M and I are moving to Skipton, North Yorkshire. Another move to somewhere I'd never been before - but given enjoyment of our moves to Ottawa and Durham, that's not necessarily a bad thing. We are overlapping for a few months; I have now been to Skipton and certainly there's a lot to see and do! Plus a surfeit of ale-based establishments... early mentions to Skipton Sound Bar and The Beer Engine . The town feels very vibrant, particularly on market day(s) and the community seems very busy. Initial googling/searching/looking around has unearthed the following groups/events/activities (in no particular order)  about which I/we will thoroughly enjoy learning more: Skipton Ukulele Club! -  I'm still working away at the ukulele, but have never made it to the Durham Uke Group beyond beginner's class - diary clash - so hoping to join this one! Skipton Music - a clas...