It takes a while until I am absolutely sure. The volume is low and the aeroplane engines are beginning their pre flight whine; momentarily the rising pitch of the engine and music randomly coincide in Cagian cacophony. Rather than sitting en masse, the orchestra has been...
The concert last night was in Frankfurt. Because of the Book Fair there, the publishers and book sellers of the world were using every available hotel room and so at the end of our four hour bus trip from Luxembourg, we found ourselves in a brand new hotel in Darmstadt. You...
“Is there a park nearby?” I enquire in faultless French. “I want to go running.” “Yes of course, sir.” The man on the desk spins around and produces a map which he marks a series of lines, circles and arrows on. I study the map because that is what one does when...
Walking around Beijing, I find it hard to tell whether my lips are numb because of the cold, snow-laden wind blowing in my face, or the Szechuan peppers which were liberally sprinkled on my lunch. If you've never had them before, their effect on your mouth is an exciting...
The cultural differences between nations are never more pronounced that when in transit. The British, being a nation of enthusiastic queuers, are left apoplectic with rage when confronted with a country full of people who do not understand this basic concept. I am told that...
There was a distinctly end of term feeling in Munich last night. We may not have been playing any carols but the spirit was there, and it wasn't just the Gluhwein from the snow covered Christmas market. The orchestra, as always, has been working incredibly hard and the break...
Regular readers of the blog will not be surprised to know that I am writing this having just watched Wales destroy Namibia in the Rugby World Cup. My Welsh father and a childhood involving many trips to Cwmllynfell to see my granny, cast my musical soul in red many years ago....
The eagle eyed readers will have noticed that whilst a large proportion of the LSO is in Aix, almost all of those left behind performed...
Bless Maxine Kwok-Adams! For those of you who are not aware, Maxine is our resident fashionista of the 1st violin section. If column inches on a well known social networking site were the only measure of a person's popularity then MK-A would surely rival John Lennon in those...
