Category:

Simply..hygge time again....

29/9/2023

As I sat here this morning I thought how well we are served by the arts here in uk. I listened to BBC Radio Three (sanity in a mad world!) and heard Sran Getz, followed by a beautiful reading of W H Auden's poem Musee des Beaux-Arts by Paul Scofield, and then a very moving piece by Ysaye played by Maria Duenas a violinist on the excellent New Generation Artists scheme. This was just before 8 this morning should you want to hear it and have access.

At a window on a quiet morning in a small rural village in Scotland I can have such a rich start to my day at the click of a a button.

It's wonderful.

I am off somewhere even quieter for a few days - can probably still get Radio 3 ...

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Simply..listen....

21/5/2023

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I love the work of Norman Ackroyd. He was the guest today on one of my favourite programmes, Private Passions on BBC Radio Three, in which he was interviewed about his favourite music by Michael Barclay, who always seems to really like his gursts and who genuinely listens to them.

I love what Norman Ackroyd says about his art and his music and what they mean to him.

Art is everything, really.

I am the happy owner of a very small Ackroyd Rain, Skellig. I had wanted one of his prints for many years but many of the ones I loved were too big and too bold and dramatic for my small space. He shows at the Royal Academy every year and at the Zillah Bell gallery in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

It was there I saw this one. Irish islands in the rain like a Chinese ink painting, and a bold border like a Howard Hodgson (which I know I will never afford).

A very fine artist.

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Simply..romantic February 14....

15/2/2023

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I first heard this when working for the National Trust at Beningbrough Hall near York. I was teaching a watercolour class on a perfec smmer day in the walled flower garden and this song came floating out of the shop! Idyllic! Utterly romantic. I felt I was in heaven.

This beautiful image is from Anna Potter's book Flower Philosophy.

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Simply..romantic February.6...

6/2/2023

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Even the sound of the rain is romantic in this..

Ah, the food of love..

I will be listening to Oscar Peterson, Tord Gustavsson, Charles Aznavour, Steven Isserlis, Quator Ebene, Arvo Part and Jan Garbbarek, Nina Simone, Sinatra, Mozart, Pucccini, Satie and Debussy, Elaine Page perhaps, or Judy Dench, Katie Melua..

And I plan to listen again to some music posted under Simply Listen (I began my Desert Island Disc selection some years ago and didn't finish it - overwhelmed by the inppossibility of choosing eight!)

Please share your favourites!

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Simply..romantic February 4....

4/2/2023

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I heard Steven Isserlis play Richard Strauss's Romance in F Major on Radio 3 the other morning and thought I should look out my favouritte romantic music this month. I spent a whole evening listening to and watching programmes about this composer - who wrote this when he was just 19 years od! He composed his fist piece aged 6.

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Simply..

19/12/2022

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Still enjoying keeping it simple

Did anyone else hear the first episode today of a programme called Living With The News (BBC Sounds Radio 4 at 13.45 every day this week).

Fascinating on a subject which I think about a lot. The Attention Economy - I knew it existed but didn't know it had a name...

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Simply ..'Ultimate Calm'....

10/11/2022

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Thank you to Susan in Dorset who recommended this programme on BBC Radio 3. I particularly love Music For Growing Flowers in 10 October episode, and Hana Rani's Safe Haven from 31 October - the sound of rain on the roof of the attic in her home in Poland. (The programmes are available for a limited time.)

Each episode features a different theme and has a different guest who shares their safe haven. Delightful!

I love that the blog is a two way process and that over the years you have told me about wonderful books, music, films and videos, events and places. You enrich my life and I thank you.

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Simply..the real thing....

30/10/2022

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A fascinating live concert by the Sequoia Duo. You can learn more about them and hear some of their music here.

But as you know there's nothing like the real thing..

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Simply..listen....

9/8/2022

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Simply..blue and Bach....

8/8/2022

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The painting is Dreams of Flying and is a much deeper and intense sky blue than it looks here...

Pianist Vikingur Olafsson says of Bach

Bach is always a good idea. Whether you are feeling happy, sad, whatever it is, he makes things better.

I would add especially when played by Olafsson, and when played loud!

3 Comments

Simply..no words....

28/2/2022

4 Comments

I simply have no words to express the horror and dismay about what is happening in Ukraine. I won't be mentioning it here in the blog, although like everyone, including my nephew's Ukrainian wife, I will be thinking about it.

Words may fail me, but music doesn't.

The first in person concert in over two years was a resunding success. Webern, Schoenberg and the Bruckner Fourth, it was being recorded for BBC Radio 3 and is being broadcast tonight (Mar 1).

It was thrilling to be in the elegant City Halls in Glasgow. My favourite was The Song Of The Wood Dove by Schoenberg, sung by a wonderful mezzo soprano Karen Cargill whose voice just took your breath away, and conducted by balletic Alpesh Chauhan who almost danced off the podium in the Bruckner! The Scottish Symphony Orchestra were at their dazzling best.

4 Comments

Simply Chill....

5/2/2022

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A new favourite pianist -

Paul McCartney;s Blackbird by Hiromi.
Fabulous.

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Simply..street music....

11/1/2022

6 Comments

The musician in yesterday's post made such a difference to the atmosphere on the Glasgow street on the wet cold day, with his cheerful fiddle. It lifted my spirits and I was glad to have some coins in my pocket. He wished me a Happy New Year when I dropped them into his box. (It was the day before Hogmanay.)

York is a great city for street music. I remember a harpist and cellist in Stonegate, a soprano with a voice like an
angel in St Helen's Square, a pianist who trundled round a piano on wheels to various locations, a man with a very fine voice singing sea shanties in the Shambles (we also saw hm in Whitby and Lincoln), and Ed Alleyne who drew a crowd in Parliament Stree with his electric violin. There was also, long ago, a little frail man with a shock of white hair who merely leaned against a wasll and breathed in and out of his mouth organ..

In Oxford there was a man with a zither-like instrument who played twinkly music with canddles in jars around his feet and a beatific smile on his face.

Are there street musicians where you live?

6 Comments

Simply..inspired....

13/8/2021

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I am finding both music and the talk about music and creativity inspiring. You can hear this pianist on BBC Sounds in In Tune of 12th August, and in a video on YouTube -Vikingur Olafsson Debussy Rameau EPK/Trailer. I would love to know what you think..

The days are flying by and I am feeling quite tired, not having worked this hard for years!

This is the start of Ice And Lemon.

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Simply listening....

12/8/2021

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I am enjoying The Proms on Radio Three and the wonderful Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafsson. I love listening to him talk about his art. When someone commented that he made it look easy, he replied that it is easy. You have to love it, he said. If you love it enough to spend the time required on it, then it becomes easy.

What an excellent point.

I am looking forward to his concert this Saturday.

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Simply..Viva La Vida....

14/4/2021

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Thank you Grace for leading me to this!

Oops! If this will not play a notice will say Watch on YouTube - if you click on tht it should play....sorry about that.

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Simply..lost for words....

21/2/2021

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..and a bit tearful, so sending you this lovely little piece of music. I have been searching for this for years and found it yesterday...

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Simply..item four....

6/11/2020

13 Comments

..on my make it rhrough list is make music.

Time for an update on my Desert Island Disc choices. (See under Simply Listen in sidebar.)
So far I have Beethoven, Mozart, Oscar Peterson and Pablo Casalsand I have been enjoying some of your choices too.
I could not miss out this one which lifts my spirits every time and makes me long for Italy.
Joyous.
Pure escapism.
I suggest full screen and full volume!

What do you think?

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Simply..feels so good....

2/10/2020

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..so clean, so fresh. It has given me such a lift to have the house decorated. If you are thinking about it, I would urge you to just do it!

It is bringing out the minimalist in me and I like it empty and am reluctant to put things back....

I will do it slowly, enjoy the process, and be very particular..

Like a few things in my house, the CD player worked sometimes, then stopped working all together. I spent some time today trying out all possible permutations of the controls, to no avail. I walked away then on an impulse turned back and lifted it up, turned it upside down and shook it a bit - telling myself 'This is silly Freda, it won't work'. Well, you've guessed it, it did work and the sparse notes of Alvo Part's Fur Anna Maria at full volume floated through the house, reflecting it's new spaciousness and simplicity. Magic!

The sound quality is wonderful. I can create my own concerts this season.

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Simply..from the mundane to the sublime....

14/8/2020

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I have only got to number four on my list of eight desert island discs. Would love to listen to your fourth choice too...

Sorry this has an ad (definittely mundane!) at the beginning.

Hear first three choices under Simply LIsten.

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Simply..choice three....

17/7/2020

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I am having fun with two friends and now with you, choosing the 8 pieces of music I would take with me to a desert island! I am enjoying taking my time choosing, spending long evenings going through my collection and reading and listening around them - so easy online - different recordings and artists.. but there is only one artist for this one. Oscar Peterson playing Hymn to Freedom.

I taught in an art department where we played a lot of music and this literally stopped me in my tracks.and still does. I have to stop what I am doing if it comes on unexpectedly and just soak it in to my very core.

What will your third choice be, and shy?

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Simply..desert island choice two....

10/7/2020

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IMy second choice of music I would take to my desert island is this one I shared here two years ago.

Have you decided on your second choice?

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Simply..desert island choices....

2/7/2020

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I mentioned recently that friends and I are sharing our choice of music we would take to a desert island.

As in the long-running poplular radio show we are allowed 8 discs, one book and one luxury.

Here is my first one. When this started to play on the car radio, Barry and I pulled over to listen properly. It is one of the most profoundly moving and beautiful pieces I have ever heard.

This is a lovely (7 min) video, but my favourite recording is by The Vanburgh Quartet.

I'd love to know what your first choice would be!

23 Comments

Simply..happy....

25/6/2020

6 Comments

Two friends and I are sharing our Desert Island Discs and Lynne's second choice is my current favourite..

Perhaps because I've just seen my younger daughter for the first time in four months, and we had such a happy (and almost normal) day together. Scotland still has many lockdown restrictions in place but the worst is surely over..

I hope you have a reason to be happy today!

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Simply wonderfully, wonderfully mad....

25/6/2020

4 Comments

Barcelona Opera re-opened with a performance to over 2,200 plants.

There are shorter versions of this but I love this 8 minute one, especially when the musicians bow to their audience.

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<<Previous

Simply..hygge time again....

Simply..listen....

Simply..romantic February 14....

Simply..romantic February.6...

Simply..romantic February 4....

Simply..

Simply ..'Ultimate Calm'....

Simply..the real thing....

Simply..listen....

Simply..blue and Bach....

Simply..no words....

Simply Chill....

Simply..street music....

Simply..inspired....

Simply listening....

Simply..Viva La Vida....

Simply..lost for words....

Simply..item four....

Simply..feels so good....

Simply..from the mundane to the sublime....

Simply..choice three....

Simply..desert island choice two....

Simply..desert island choices....

Simply..happy....

Simply wonderfully, wonderfully mad....

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