As many of you may know, Lyn is in her element when there are lots of textbooks around her (that's why there is a whole library being collected here for transport to Onbekommerd in 4 weeks' time...). So when on Monday we learned that - as a member of the British Psychology Society - she can get 'reference membership' to the library of the University of London at Senate House, there was great excitement. The next day we were off by tube to Russell Square and Lyn signed up and disappeared bewteen the books. She tells me it is an excellent library. I went to the Britsh Museum, which is right next door to Senate House.
Last night, we went to see Amadigi, an opera by Handel in Wigmore Hall. Now neither of us had ever seen a Handel Opera. Or been to Wigmore Hall. The title role was sung by Christopher Ainslie, the youngest son of our dear friends Don and Mascha from Cape Town.
It was absolutely spellbinding! A fantastic production on the tiny stage of the Wigmore Hall, which was really built for chamber music and recitals. As there was no room for elaborate sets, it was done virtually without props and with no costume effects to speak of, but the performance, including the acting was so good that one got completely drawn in. Of course the English surtitles of the Italian libretto helped a lot in this. Another first for us was to see and hear a 'Theorbo', an enormous Lute (which sort of visually dominated the part of the stage where the orchestra sat). The 'theorbist' was blind, so it was also the first time I saw someone read a music score in Braille...
We are so priviliged to have access to all of this, living here in London!
(by clicking on all the links I am inserting, there is a lot more to learn..!)
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