A Lark Ascending

Phil Robson: Guitar; Peter Herbert: Double Bass; Gene Calderazzo: Drums; Emma Smith: Violin; Jennymay Logan: Violin; Naomi Fairhurst: Viola; Kate Shortt: Cello; Christine Tobin: Vocals on tracks 4&7

Hit that moment in the last couple of days when summer turns to autumn. So wet and overcast on Friday that it was dark by 8 pm. Woke up very early on Saturday and it was still dark at 6 a.m. More to the point, a slight chill in the morning and evening making me think I'll need the central heating soon. Although today looks like it's going to be be glorious. Always find this a bittersweet time of year - the end of summer, the prospect of gloom and bad weather to come; yet the darker nights have their own magic. Music always sounds better at night. Time to get out Roy Harper's 'When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease' - evokes this time of year like nothing else I know:

Op 40 again off first; Disc 1 off second. Disc 2: Symphonies 6,7,8 Lyric Suite off latter - a piece I'd love to hear live. Rise and shine music:

Early 20thC aristocratic 'art for art's sake' crowd (Virginia Woolf etc) who looked down their noses at the 'common herd' for lacking their cultural taste and discrimination. They assumed the 'masses' had no independence of thought but merely copied others. They'd be apoplectic if they could see the world of iPods and mobile phones.

Pleasant if not wildly engaging early 20thC English pastoral. A victim of The Great War who, like so many, never got to develop his style. Recent disc from a very approachable contemporary composer. Interesting article about how she turned from performer to composer here: Sally Beamish: how the theft of my viola turned me into a composer

All very Bloomsbury Group. I think you'll find that 'people' make plenty of time for what they consider the 'important parts of life'.

One of my favourite jazz large group recordings of recent years - parts of it have you thinking late Mahler rather than Duke Ellington.

Inspired partly by a Bartok obsession of King's.

The utterly heartbreaking last two episodes of 'Cold Feet' - pleased to see they avoided tying everything up at the end. Be interesting to see how they do the 'decade plus later' series due on TV soon. 'The Childhood of a Leader' My first trip to the cinema in a while. Enjoyed this - slow moving, superb photography, engaging tale, strong musical score (Scott Walker...THE Scott Walker I discover on checking up). Not quite sure what it was getting at though - badly behaved children growing up in emotionally unstable homes and who subsequently learn to manipulate the adults around them might become dictators? As an historical-based film I thought it came off well - glancing at major events rather than trying to squeeze lots of big moments in; but as an analysis of the origins of dictatorship (even got a bit Freudian in places) it was pretty wide of the mark. Maybe that wasn't its intention. Anyway, it kept you brain ticking over trying to work out the allusions. Of course, it could have been all about The Donald.

Sinfonietta off first and the mini-opera and two psalms off the second. There's been a good series on the BBC record review programme over the Proms weeks, surveying lesser known composers coming up in the Proms over the next week. Mainly contemporary names but today they looked at Zemlinsky (not exactly lesser known but he doesn't get out much in the British concert hall). Made me dig out these pieces from the shelves. Particularly taken by The Florentine Tragedy which wears its 'Salome' on its sleeve. A game of two halves - the relatively conventional later symphony and then several really searing early pieces (including his greatest hit). Not someone I know well but demanding a return visit soon.

Very true. When I'm in a town for a concert and want a pub or coffee shop to sit in between gigs, finding one without background music is very difficult. The iPod can (up to a point) shut that out. I suspect most of those people walking round with their earbuds in are perfectly adept at taking them out at the appropriate time. We probably all look a bit like sheep/zombies in the eyes of others (speaking as someone who always wears t-shirt/jeans/trainers [these days]).

Piano Trio (Op 8); Horn Trio (Op 40) And the following morning: And another listen to Op. 8 of the Brahms record.

Tony Kofi Quartet 'Homage to Ornette Coleman' (Bonnington Theatre, Arnold, Nottingham) Tony Kofi (Alto Saxophone), Byron Wallen (Trumpet), Larry Bartley (Double Bass), Rod Youngs (Drums) Excellent kick-off to the autumn season at Nottingham jazz (autumn already!). My spirits can tend to drop when I open concert programme brochures and see these homage/tribute to past musician/era type events. But actually going along can prove very rewarding (purists, of course, will grumble about once revolutionary music being turned into heritage music). Tunes drew off the 'classic' late 50s/early 60s records with all the expected favourites, all played close to the original arrangements with well drilled handling of the main themes. Rhythm section had that spongy, flexible, irregular regularity down to perfection. Kofi and Wallen are more hard boppish players and didn't try to imitate the unique styles of Coleman and Cherry in their voicings; just played with passion and an obvious love of the music. It's good to hear these tunes played live and in the moment. Makes you want to go back and play the original records again. My third concert involving Kofi this year - great to see this local Nottingham boy doing so well. Good turnout of greyhairs for the gig.

SQ 1 again (using the Baedeker guide - wouldn't have noticed the second violin's wah-wah jazz trumpet effects in the third movement without it).

Been enjoying this for quite a few years now. There only appears to be one other full CD devoted to Pulkkis. Surprised - it's contemporary but colourful and accessible. Disc 2

Violin, Double and Cello Concertos (CD6)

I like the iPod for those mundane situations like walking into town, long drives, sitting in waiting rooms etc. Maybe in the States you all chat to one another but we Brits tend to keep to ourselves. Try the London underground for wonderful social interaction amongst strangers! I also like to have music on long solo walks - yes, you miss the birds and wind whistling through the trees but there's nowt like a bit of Vaughan Williams whilst walking over English hills. My main use is between about 7.00 a.m and 10.00 a.m. where I use it round the house so there's no danger of any seepage through the walls to annoy the neighbours. I don't recall ever being bumped into by someone with earphones. Now, people using their mobiles.... What I do get irritated by is music played before and in the intervals of concerts. Having no music for a while makes the opening of the sets more special. Especially maddening when the musicians are on stage ready for the off and whoever is in charge of the tape isn't paying attention. And even more maddening at a festival where you find yourself in the same venue several times but they keep playing the same tape (or CD or soundfile).

I had my second attempt at Moby Dick a few months and had to give up after 300 pages or so. Still not found the bloody whale. As it happens, after my initial enthusiasm for 'Our Man in Havana' I'm now finding it very tiresome. The 'comedy' is lost on me and much of the dialogue seems quite wooden - I had a similar reaction to Waugh's 'Decline and Fall' when I read it a while back. Probably hilarious in their time or if you are able to re-enter that particular past universe. Determined to finish it as it's short but I'm only managing a chapter each day - 70 pages to go! This, on the other hand, is fascinating: Explains in a straightforward way what lies behind some of the major international issues of the day in geopolitical terms. Particularly interesting on Putin's reasons for his actions in the Ukraine and China's naval expansion; also does a very good job summarising that complexities of the various rivalries withing the Middle East.

Virtually nothing but 'Cold Feet' over the last week or two - sentimental, improbable but utterly engaging. Genius of the Modern World - BBC4 Three part series fronted by Bettany Hughes about Marx, Nietzsche and Freud. Relatively familiar with Marx and Freud but Nietzsche I only know from his collisions with other things I've read/heard. Subsequently, despite an attempt on 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' when I was 18, I've only had a fragmented understanding of what he was about. This one gave a nice, potted account of his life, the developments in his thinking and the way his ideas were subsequently manipulated and distorted. I now see where D. H. Lawrence's assault on Christianity came from - recall being very troubled by his fury at compassion and meekness during my Lawrence phase in the mid-70s. Glad I didn't get hooked on Nietzsche as an 18 year old.

Some good news amidst the all too frequent announcements of musicians passing on: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/22/joni-mitchell-gig-recovery-aneurysm-la-chick-corea-concert

No 1 of latter. Later that same day... Disc 2 - piano pieces - off last. And the following morning: Disc 1 of the first.

Interesting to hear and subtly done. But the arrangements inevitably miss the fleet-footedness of the originals.

More details: http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/2016/04/30/intakt-festival-15-27-april-2017/ http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/breaking-news/14307-intakt-fest-2017-s-inaugural-day-redux Sadly the LJCO concert at King's Place has been cancelled due to 'mounting financial costs'. Might try to get to the first couple of days - can't afford London for 12 (not sure I've got the stamina!).

Off latter: Scènes De Ballet, Jeu de Cartes, Bluebird - Pas De Deux. 'Stravinsky for Lovers' Number 4.