What a week it’s been. It included me down with “the Autumn Ick” virus that is going around, but still some fun times had.

Wigmore Hall Does It Again

Wigmore Hall opened its doors to Opus 13, a string quarter from Oslo, played an hour of sublime music that left the audience begging for more.

They played Mozart’s String Quartet No. 19 in C Major. This was Mozart’s “Dissonance Quartet”. It features the energy and playfulness of Mozart’s music with themes passed from instrument to instrument. There was mystery and joy in the music. This was followed by Grieg’s String Quartet No. 1 in G Minor. It is built around Grieg’s song, “Spillemaend” (Minstrel) which, itself, was based on a poem by Ibsen. It goes from lyrical to rhythmic dance music, to an energetic final movement. This was, perhaps, the best of the season for me.

Observe the Photography

The Observatory Cafe and Photography Coffee Shop on Marchmont Street in Bloomsbury, London has been one of my local favorites for years. In addition to great coffee and food, they display interesting photographs from local artists. They are currently showing the work of Frankie McCallister whose work focuses on landscape and urban landscape. Here are some examples of her work.

I found her work to have a peaceful feel to it. If you’re in London stop by the Observatory and have a look!

Not Exactly the Fairland I was Expecting

OK, so I should have looked more closely at the information on this new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. I was expecting Tinkerbell and all the mythical creatures from fairy tales and literature. What I found, instead, was an in-your-face exploration of gay liberation and culture in London. Here is some of what I saw.

I was impressed by the way the curators put historical perspectives and outrageous and provocative phots together in a way that helped educate and celebrate. If your an ally or an open-minded person, you, along with the LGBTQ community, might find this interesting.

Fulham Wins!

On a day that saw the weather change continuously, my Fulham ‘All Whites,’ took on Hull City at Craven Cottage and prevailed 1-0. Oh, what a glorious day!

There is something incredible about watching a live football match. Craven Cottage is the perfect venue. The food, the fans, the action! It was an outstanding day!

On to the next week!