More of Wigmore!
My second visit to Wigmore Hall, this season, was a Monday midday concert. As you can see from the picture on the left, there were fresh bouquets on either side of the stage. You can also see the grand piano and the microphones above it. These Monday concerts are broadcast on the BBC. Alim Beisembaev, a 26-year-old, from Kazakhstan, played pieces by Bach, Chopin, Debussey, and Stravinsky, each more stirring than the other. This is a young man with a bright future. Piano music has always fascinated me. As a child, I remember the piano-infused theme from the old American soap opera, “The Edge of Night.” This was not one of my mother’s preferred “stories,” so I knew little about it, but the music was so sophisticated and the Manhattan settings, started my interest in this instrument. I highly recommend trying to see this young performer if he comes to your community.
Kids Stuff
One morning, I was out and about early and saw these two ambulances. Bloomsbury includes the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and several specialized clinics for sick children.
Such a nice and thoughful way to help little children and their families.
Sir John Soames’ Museum
Sir John Soames, considered one of England’s greatest architects, was also a collector of painting, sculpture, artifacts, etc. In his will, he requested that his house be opened to the public, unchanged so that people could see how a house of the time looked. He died in 1837, and his museum is still with us today. The museum did acquire an adjoining house which now contains the giftshop and rooms for exhibitions by artists.
I had not been to the museum in many years, but on a damp and grey morning, I made my way to Lincoln Inn Fields, a lovely square in the Holborn neighborhood. Everyone from the young man who greeted people at the bottom of the entry steps to the docents in each room, could not have been friendlier or more knowledgeable. Because of the sheer number of objects and the interesting architecture and decoration of the house, itself, these docents do make the experience all the more rewarding. Here are some pictures I took:
I mentioned above, exhibit space for art beyond Sir John’s collection. One such artist is British Liberian artist Lina Iris Victor. Here is some of her interesting work:
And so, the seasons are finally changing. As I was returning to the Holborn Underground Station after my visit with Sir John, I passed the church of Saint Anselm and Saint Cecilia. I have visited this interesting urban Catholic church before and discussed its connection with the Italian community in London. As this is the start of Italian American Heritage Month back in the States, I thought I would share a few pictures from this recent return visit to the church.
Mark In London 