Concert: Lost in Contemplation - Saints and Miracles

Tonight, back at last with Rune for a medieval concert in St. Bartholomew the Great - this one was Saints and Miracles. I booked to eat beforehand in the Old Red Cow.

Any bus at all would do me from my local stop, each involving a change - so I resolved to take the first that came - and I did. And wouldn't you know it - the engine conked out two stops later! But there was another coming along behind, which took me to where I had to change. I then took the second bus.. and it stopped short! However, it did bring me close enough to walk the rest of the way, which was faster than waiting for another - and that's what I did. Happily, I managed that mostly in the shade.

Now, the annoying thing about this group is that they advertise the concerts long before the tickets go on sale.. and by the time the concerts roll around, I can't generally remember whether I already bought a ticket! Well, I searched and searched on my phone and couldn't find it, so I had to conclude that I hadn't. Trying to buy one on the spot, I discovered sales ended yesterday! Panic ensued.. but I reasoned that was probably for online sales, and they were probably selling them on the door - it's a big church. So I resolved to go there first.. arrived at 6.05, just as they were putting out a sign and telling a passerby that no, sorry, he couldn't go and peek at the place for five minutes, not unless he bought a concert ticket. But yes! they were selling tickets on the spot - I bought one, and took a programme, and sheet of translations, with me.. I still had dinner to get!

So yes, I was a bit late for that - not a problem, it's just around the corner, there was plenty of seating, and I gave him the order straight away. Was served quickly, and it went down well.. I ate quickly and paid, and was back to the church in time to get a glass of wine and a decent seat:

The night's repertoire was, interestingly, focused on a set of medieval characters - not who wrote the songs, but just whose stories the group felt fitted the particular pieces! First up was Ero of Armenteira, a Galician knight who and whose wife, realising they couldn't have children, devoted themselves to charitable works and founded a monastery. Part of his legend has him praying for a glimpse of heaven, then becoming entranced by the singing of a bird.. he finally notices the sky is darkening, and returns to the monastery, of which he is now abbot - only to find that the people are unfamiliar to him, and when they tell him what year it is, he realises that instead of five minutes, he has spent 300 years entranced by the song! And so, this is his glimpse of heaven.. and the group reflected this with the choice of Byrd one Brere (Bird on a Briar), an English song.

Next up was Elizabeth of Hungary, a noblewoman who, again, devoted herself to charitable works - and after the interval, Joseph of Schonau, who had a helluva story - after his mother died, he and his father went on crusade, but his father died and a servant stole from him, leaving him destitute. He was nearly executed for thievery, but survived to become a monk.. it was only after he died that those preparing the body for burial realised that he had the body of a woman.. Being German, the songs chosen for his section were also German.

We finished with a selection of songs in praise of the Virgin Mary.. another description, after the interval, of the instruments, completed the show. And a lovely evening was had!

Back home on a better combination of buses than Google Maps chose for me - and I tell you this, of all the buses I took today, not one was air-conditioned..

Tomorrow, taking instruction from LGBTQ Culture Lovers again, who kindly shared that CT has cheap tickets for a performance of The Creation by Haydn, in the Royal Festival Hall. So, headed to that (solo), and eating in The Archduke beforehand.

Then I have two appropriately vampiric days! On Thursday, I'm back with The Hideout for Vampire's Kiss, an old comedy with Nicholas Cage, in which he thinks he's been dating a vampire, and is now turning into one himself. Showing in the Prince Charles of course, and we're meeting in Victory House beforehand. I've booked to eat in Bella Italia before that - took two goes though, the site was down the first time!

And on Friday - well, one of the things London Museums from A-Z (LoMAZ) were talking about doing for their series of Dracula events was going to a ballet - and sure enough, there is a Dracula ballet in town! Supposed to be good, with a classical soundtrack - and sure enough, when I checked, it was almost completely booked up. The only tickets left were this evening - which I couldn't manage - and the matinees tomorrow and Friday - so I'm taking Friday off, and will go to it that day! Can't see I'll persuade anyone to go with me though - they'd either have to take time off work, or if not, they might not be in work, and might baulk at the price! Showing in the Palladium - I had to take the Second Circle to get the lowest price, and as legroom is reportedly tight, I made sure to get an aisle seat. Oh, and CT just advertised cheap tickets for Thursday's matinee.. ah well..

Had booked to eat in the Shakespeare's Head (Soho) afterwards - but then London Social and Cultural Meetups (LSC) advertised social drinks for that evening in The Rugby Tavern, so I've cancelled dinner and will meet them instead, after the ballet - I can eat there.

On Saturday - back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies for his Nooks and Crannies of London walk - and damnit, Meetup is charging for RSVP again! (plus an extra charge, of course). And afterwards, back with The Hideout for Backrooms - the film version of Backrooms on Creepypasta, a series of liminal horror stories about featureless, unending rooms and corridors, sometimes with hostile beings in them.. stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, as his psychiatrist, as - well, he might be expected to need one, with this kind of tale. Same details as before, except I won't need to book a restaurant - we'll be having lunch after the walk. Which makes it three Meetup days in a row. (And three days in a row of horror..)

On Sunday, I got a cheap ticket with CT for the Sunday concert at Conway Hall, with Francesca Dego and Alessandro Taverna. But with Mark and Martin cancelling last Sunday for sachertorte, we've decided to do it that day instead - the last day for it. And the weather is supposed to cool down a bit that day!

On Monday, back with Shake It Up: The Improvised Shakespeare Company, first Monday of every month in the Hen & Chickens.

Next Tuesday, back with London Fun for Churchill's Urinal, about a female Chancellor of the Exchequer wanting the urinal in No. 10 removed.. showing in the King's Head. The organiser bought the tickets - and later informed us we'd been upgraded. As he says, another reason to buy the cheap tickets! (Much discussion in the group recently on the relative merits of Churchill himself.. always a heated topic.)

On the 3rd, the last scheduled from the Crick Crack Club's Story Pick + Mix in Next Door at Theatre Deli - this time, it's We Are Fox, with Alys Torrance and Lucy Lill. And it's a good job that they invited me, today, to buy a ticket - I'd completely forgotten to do so! Now sorted.

Then it's five days of Meetup.. on the 4th, I'm with Up in the Cheap Seats for a reggae musical called The Harder They Come at the Theatre Royal Stratford East - the story of a young musician trying to make it in the business. 

On the 5th, back with The Hideout for the latest Scary Movie, yay! The trailer looks hilarious, with its references to horror films and popular culture.. and as usual, it'll be interesting to try and spot them all. Only thing is, it's run by the Southeast London branch.. and while I'm in the Southeast, this is far, far southeast.. we're headed to Vue Bromley. I'll have to get a train..

Then it's a LoMAZ weekend - the 6th is their bimonthly birthday bash, in the Union Jack as usual.

And on the 7th, I'm headed with them to see an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, of Marilyn Monroe's life in pictures. Off to the Brewmaster afterwards.

Finally, on the 8th, I'm back with LSC (also advertised, again, with the London European Club) for a talk at the London School of Economics - this one is Ten Years On: Brexit and Britain's Political Future. Rumours of drinks afterwards.