Concert: Vox Anima

Tonight, I was back with CT again for Vox Anima at Cadogan Hall - time to try out Cote Sloane Square for the first time in ages! Not to mention Cadogan Hall, which I haven't been to in even longer - over a year and a half, in fact!

Work delayed me - as well as my pesky ex-flatmates. You see, the council has finally - more than a year after I moved out - decided we're due a refund of council tax. They want us to fill out a form with our new contact details, and - typically annoyingly - the details of ONE bank account to pay the money into. For goodness' sake, even though they've only just accepted that we were an HMO (house of multiple occupancy), so have nothing to do with each other, they still want us to nominate one person to handle the distribution of the refund. Anyway, predictably, my argumentative ex-flatmate is adamant that the refund isn't enough, and she's going to challenge it. This is the same person who (a) refused to pay it in the first place, until we got a letter threatening us with the force of the law, and (b) took the landlord to court to try and avoid being evicted (unrelated - he just wanted to charge more rent). Yeah, that didn't work for her either. So, I told her where to park herself - I haven't time to be dealing with her nonsense (she's now saying she "doesn't want the responsibility of dealing with my money". Oh, Jesus wept..).

Rant over. Anyway, I was later than I'd have liked, heading off - but the Tube is quick (it had to be that, over this distance), and despite Google Maps' gloomy predictions of how late I'd be, I actually arrived a little early at the restaurant. Now, there've been occasions here before when I've been kept waiting - I have to say, happily, this was not one! I got a table immediately - once he'd wiped it down and laid it. My order was taken quickly. I had two courses, and had paid, all within 40 minutes! Never seen the like. And I was just down the road from the venue, so made that in plenty of time, too.

I was in the very front row:

The choir tonight was from Oklahoma, and as the choirmaster explained, they'd tried to get here a couple of times before, and been stymied by Covid. So, well done them! First up seemed to be the youth choir, who entertained us with some classical, and a medley of popular pieces (programme here). Then they went off, and people came on with music stands and started a lengthy process of setting up the stage - so, you know, we thought this must be the interval, and headed for the door; me, I was in need of the loo. "Oh, no!", exclaimed the ushers, "this can't be the interval, we were told 7.55 and it's only 7.40. Anyway, the house lights aren't on."

So I returned, grumpily, to my seat. Sure enough, it wasn't the interval - no, the next thing they did was to bring on what must have been the whole choir, who filed down from the gallery, a grand piano, a string section, and a guy sitting at the front with a button accordion. They played one piece. And THEN it was the interval. Oy ve..

Well, I got to the toilet, got a drink, and returned to my seat much mellower. They did have one extra for after the interval - they'd saved the opera singer till now. She sat at the front, and solemnly intoned a kyrie - with the rest of the choir. And the rather jolly accompaniment of the accordion. I mean.. I'm all for innovation, but.. did someone really write a bit for the accordion? Not that I begrudged him the place - him and his interesting-looking socks (I had a great view of him). But seriously..?

Well, on balance it was good. But I still say it was weird to have an accordion - the only time it didn't sound weird was when the rest drowned him out. Hey-ho, that's what you get from modern composers, and it was nice to be back here, at any rate..

Tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Passing Strange, a rock musical at the Young Vic. So that's Bar + Block Southwark - the first of them I tried! and the best. Hmm, no steak for ages, then three nights in a row..

Wednesday is the company summer party - in The Lighterman. I guess it's heavily subscribed because, unusually, we've been asked not to come into the office that day if we can avoid it - if we're not coming to the party, or not coming from far. So, I'll go straight from home.

Thursday is film - and what's coming up is Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1, a Kevin Costner Western. Looks suitably epic - also stars Sienna Miller and Sam Worthington. Kevin Costner is also director and co-writer. Handily enough, it's showing in the Odeon Covent Garden - walking distance from the office, which I'll have to go into that day - and I can eat in Seven Dials again. Have to do that beforehand - it's three hours long.. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.

Next Monday, back with TAC for another talk at The Conduit - this one is History for Tomorrow, about what we can learn from history, and is, as usual, also the occasion of a book launch. Now, here I'd normally go to Bella Italia again - but I've discovered it's actually closer to Seven Dials! So I'll probably do that.

On the 9th, back - first time in a while - with Over 40 Living the Life, for a dinner in the Greenwich Yacht Club. They actually start back doing these tomorrow, but of course I'm otherwise engaged.

And on the 10th, in Greenwich again - I should nearly stay the night! This time, I'm back with London Literary Walks for The Greenwich Walk. We're meeting in The Spanish Galleon, and as usual, I've booked to eat there beforehand.