Concert: Schubert, Beethoven, and Prokofiev

Tonight, second Meetup in a row, back with London Classical Music and Theatre Group, for the first time in nearly a year! We were going to a classical concert at the Barbican, and I booked to eat beforehand in Cote Barbican, which at one time was my local restaurant. My companion from my last Swiss trip was joining me there.

And it was a good thing too! My bus was delayed, delayed, delayed.. traffic was dreadful at that time, the bus was rammed too. And as I was coming from the office, I had my laptop in a rucksack - with no free seats, I was standing in the wheelchair section, when a young woman got on, a toddler in tow and, crucially, a baby in a buggy! So we had to vacate the wheelchair section. Mercifully, seeing me struggling with the rucksack, someone gave me her seat - but it was still packed and airless - I was glad to get off, finally. By the time I'd dragged myself and the rucksack down to the restaurant, it was 15 minutes after the reservation! and I could see they were busy.

Happily, my companion had arrived in time, and taken the table - the wine had already arrived, and I had some of the bread that accompanied her meal. She even ordered for me while I ran to the toilet! and, of course, she babysat the laptop bag for that period, too. I had my usual steak frites - bless Cote, they're great in a crisis. I was starving. We really just had time for one course, then off to the venue - I had to leave the rucksack in the cloakroom, which I'd never used before! Turns out to be to the right of the box office - and bless them, it's free. They do suggest a £2 donation. Anyway, after that, there really wasn't time to meet the group - I went straight in. I was in the Circle:

The Schubert was lovely, as Schubert tends to be.. and the Beethoven was recognisably Beethoven, which pleased me no end, as he's my favourite. Characteristically lively. I should have left after that, for the interval - I could have done without the bonus track of dissonant music, celebrating the composer's centenary.. Anyway, I did manage to catch up with the group at the interval - well, a few of them! Where we tended to agree about that encore piece..

After the interval, the person in the seat beside me had vacated - but left his shirt behind, which he would come to reclaim after the show ended. He must have found a better seat for the second half. Anyway, it did give me room to spread out.. and of course, I'd left my rucksack - and, indeed, coat - in the cloakroom. The Prokofiev, as it says in the programme they were kind enough to distribute for free, turned out to be so complex that even the composer himself couldn't decipher it, apparently! Having said that, it does display his sense of drama, which isn't a bad thing.. not the easiest piece to listen to, but it does reward patience and attention, I think.

And the buses were a lot easier to navigate on the homeward journey.

Tomorrow, back to Ireland for the weekend, of course, where Saturday's film is The Amateur, in which Rami Malek does, going by the trailer, a fair job of convincing as a computer specialist at the CIA whose wife is killed by terrorists, and who decides to go into the field - something he's not accustomed to - to avenge her. Laurence Fishburne is the agent tasked with training him. I'm going to the Omniplex for it - funnily enough, Movie Roadhouse London is going to it the same day, in London!

On Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Ghosts, a contemporary reimagining of the play by Ibsen, at the Lyric Hammersmith.

On Tuesday, I'm going to Tallis Lamentations for Holy Week by Tenebrae, at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. 

On Wednesday, I booked with London Literary Walks for The Fitzroy Square Walk - and wouldn't you know it, they're meeting in The Greene Man, which is my go-to for food around the area..! But then.. well, in Darkfield, the only show I haven't seen is Visitors - which, as well as being solely for couples, was completely sold out. However.. due to popular demand, they extended the run to next Thursday - and a member of The Hideout agreed to be my +1 for Visitors, saying it sounded interesting! That was the day he suggested, though.. and all the early shows were already sold out! So we're going to the 7.30 show, and I had to cancel the walk. (All Visitors shows are now completely sold out.) We're heading to The Blues Kitchen for food beforehand.

And next Thursday, I'm flying back to Ireland for a short Easter break - back in London on the evening of the 21st..