A Lark Ascending

Definitely a great trilogy. I don't know when I'll have time to reread them, but I will try some day. I actually saw Robertson Davies on a reading tour at the 92nd Y in New York City. I'm pretty sure he was reading from The Cunning Man. Loved those books when I read them back in the 80s. Hate to think how many books I've read on The Great War but this is as good as any. Covers the entire conflict but instead of writing a normal narrative or analytical history, David takes 100 key days (some obvious like July 1st, 1916, other in places more obscure like Mesopotamia or on the Home Front), contextualises them and uses them to give a sense of the overall conflict. Also weaves in some intriguing family history of his own. Highly recommended as a starter for anyone wanting an overview of WWI (or just as a good read for those familiar). I polished it off in 4 days. Read the Regeneration Trilogy back in the 80s which was grim but excellent. This is shaping up well, based around the Slade art school in 1914. I read Lyn Macdonald's superb oral history when I went on my first school visit to Ypres around 1981. Spending 5 days in the area without kids to look after finally gave me a real sense of the topography and where everything is sited so I've started this overview of 1917. Excellent so far - the Battle of Messines and the military preparations for Third Ypres itself clearly told with excellent first hand quotes.

Not like Turner: Spornitz, Germany: Raindrops gather on blades of grass at a nature reserve (technically not a landscape but it must appear so to the bugs). http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2015/oct/21/photo-highlights-of-the-day

Sad to read that. Only on the edge of my listening (mainly the Carr-Rendell band) but I know he was highly regarded.

"Turner colours!" says James Bennett of his photo taken in Richmond, London on 18 October. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/34581904 Looks like a backdrop for a performance of Cosi Fan Tutte.

A trip down memory lane for those who came of age in the rock music of the early 70s... The weird worlds of Roger Dean, prog rock's artist in residence – in pictures But is it 'art'? [dons tin helmet and heads for hills]

Weather here has been slate grey for 10 days but yesterday we got some sunshine to enjoy the autumn colour. I live on the edge of what was once Sherwood Forest - mostly farmland and Scandinavian conifer plantation now but there's a nice area a few miles from me which has native trees preserved and acts as a tourist centre. It was showing off its colours yesterday: Came across two robins in different spots who sat quite happily next to me within arms' length. This one didn't seem at all disturbed by me fumbling to change lenses: Stormier weather has now swept in. Don't imagine those leaves are going to last long. Will be interesting to go back in a couple of weeks.

Here is an example of why I do not post in the Classical Discussion forum. When I have attended concerts by Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble, and when I have listened to their CDs, I have found them to be quite satisfying. I have found their interpretations to be interesting and moving. But that is because I am an unsophisticated boor when it comes to classical music. I am the equivalent of the guy who says with regard to jazz, "oh, that Ronnie Laws is one fine saxophone player, I really like his playing, he must be considered one of the greats." So my lack of worthiness to post here is once again confirmed for me. To me the most interesting posts on the classical threads (and others) are those where listeners have been excited by music they've heard and want to communicate that enthusiasm (regardless of how much experience they have of the music). The least interesting are those where we are told which performers or composers we are supposed to 'appreciate' and which ones we are required to scorn. Post your enthusiasms, Hot Ptah.

I'm 2/3rds of the way through and well into the times when I had no interest in the music on his show. What is remarkable is the number of groups and performers who he gave sessions to when they were totally unknown who went on to fame and fortune. Everyone from The Smiths to Wham! The idea of 'shaping our musical world' is clearly just an idea to hang the book on - but one of the things he does point out is the music used in the big, oddball Olympic first-night extravaganza in 2012 and how much of it could be traced back to bands first given a chance by Peel. Peel's influence was largely lost on me from '73 onwards. But the key thing about his programmes was the sheer range of what he played and his constant willingness to play what was off-the-beaten tracks at a time when BBC Radio 1 worked to strict playlists of what was popular or what was deemed to be likely to be popular. He had little time for much of the music I liked at the time; but I got my taste for slightly left-field jazz-rock of the British variety (Soft Machine and off-shoots; Henry Cow came to public attention through winning a competition on his programme which still remember hearing) and folk music from those programmes. The book is no hagiography - the author points out his inconsistencies (savaging a record for its misogyny and then playing an equally unpleasant one elsewhere, giving it his praise) and cussedness.

Fascinating pictures, Shawn. The expression American Gothic immediately comes to mind. Though that last one has a hint of Jugendstil Vienna about it. You did well with that first shot - whenever I try anything like that I tend to get the lower left in darkness and the upper right bleached out.

The Rails at The Glee Club (in a yuppified canal warehouse in Nottingham, interior design by Gropius, it would seem) Kami Thompson (daughter of Richard and Linda) and James Walbourne doing an all acoustic convert - voices and two guitars - rather than the more electric folk approach of their album. Opener was Zak Hobbs who was...wait for it...the grandson of R + T (by another daughter, I think). Very young...don't think he is out of his teens...but an enormously accomplished guitarist who had clearly spend a lot of time studying the Vincent Black Lightning style. Good voice and a strong songwriter already - only the lyrics give away the youth which were understandably about the things an 18-or-a-bit-more-year-old worries about. The Rails were excellent - Walbourne is a superb guitar player, a style evolved without the influence of his father-in-law, though fitting perfectly into the folky style of the songs. The two voices blend beautifully - Kami's voice eerily recalls her mother, especially when singing harmony. Think those mid 70s acoustic duo R+T live tracks that you can hear on things like RT's 'Guitar/Vocal' compilation. Except that James is a much better singer than RT. Very impressive concert with no playing on the family name. Kami mentioned her mum once, Zak made a couple of mentions of being part of the Thompson tribe. But overall, they were flying by their own talents.

Good article here too (if you discount the mild mysticism). I like Bill Bryson but he seems to have had the grumps about Avebury. The only thing I paid for last time I was there was a cup of coffee and a bun (admittedly as an NT member I got parking free): http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2015/oct/20/avebury-why-bill-bryson-is-wrong

And always remember. Mozart will make your baby brighter!

1. Beware the Mozart industry - few classical composers have been so romanticised. You are often made to feel wanting if you don't genuflect at his genius. 2. It took me fifteen years of listening to classical music before I finally started to engage with Mozart. Music does not always click instantly but we're foolish if we think that when music is as highly regarded as Mozart's is, then the problem must be with Mozart. It was the Jupiter Symphony, Don Giovanni and the Serenade No. 10 that finally clicked with me...and watching "Amadeus" (gasps of horror from the cognoscenti). I got so intrigued I ended up doing a WEA evening class on his music during the centenary year (1991), just to get to know it better. Having said that, even though I accept the general view of people many, many time more knowledgeable about music than I am that Mozart is right up there at the pinnacle when it comes to musical ingenuity, I'd still rather listen to Vaughan Williams. Mozart probably wouldn't make my top 50, let alone my top ten to take to the desert island.

Mine too. But if the trip you are on is 'Beethoven's 5th' then there's a route the bus has to take, give or take a few minor diversions based on what version of the score is being used, what instrumentation etc...but the journey is more or less set. Yes, I'm sure we've all been there - that performance or that recording didn't connect but I'm sure there's more to the music. I hate to think how many copies of the Sibelius symphonies I have. My first love back in the early 70s in cheapo Anthony Collins mono re-issues. When I could afford to buy more records I started to replace them with more recent recordings. But, something was missing...my idea of Sibelius had been set by Collins and everything else seemed faintly wrong. Nothing more so than the Third where everyone played the middle movement too slow. Except... I now know that it was Collins playing the middle movement too fast! And when I bought a CD of the Collins recordings they didn't sound at all like I remembered them...in fact I get the impression his interpretations were highly idiosyncratic. Classical music is often presented as this ocean of music in which there are shinning nuggets performed by great maestros whose genius just leaps out at you over the also rans. And having been told we're going to hear genius, we hear genius and the myth rolls on. As always, I think context is all. Maybe the ASMF were too polished when you heard them....or, maybe the context you were listening from just did not connect with what they were doing. I have never got Verdi. It just sounds like everything I find off-putting in opera. Does that mean there is something wrong with Verdi? Or something wrong with me? Given the huge pleasure Verdi has given over the years to millions it can't be the former yet my dislike is quite genuine. So I'd put it down to a failure of two different worlds to connect (so far...I have track record of Damascan conversions!). I'm never going to try and convince the world that Verdi is rubbish.

Agreed. I get the sense one proves his or her classical bonafides these days by leveling harsh judgments in the most severe terms whenever the opportunity presents itself. And I find myself thinking, what right does a listener have to attack a trained professional in such a way? Being the relative classical neophyte I am, I tend to try to take the music on its own terms. Preferences emerge over time, and criticism is always welcome, but the level of flat out vitriol directed at clearly talented and dedicated musicians tends to be absurd at times -- especially among certain cognizenti over at amazon. I like to peruse the negative reviews first, just to get a sense of the possible shortcomings in a recording. Things often devolve rapidly. Not sure if criticism of classical music has always been this way, or if this is just an outgrowth of the internet, where people feel free to level the harshest sort of criticism cloaked in relative anonymity. It's rooted in class. One of the ways the 'better sort of person' kept his or her distinction from the riff-raff was by having superior taste. Once the common herd started to think they 'appreciated' classical music it became imperative to find ways to reassert one's finer discrimination. So taking a conductor or ensemble or composer who is well known and widely appreciated and dismissing them in favour of a lesser known conductor or ensemble or composer is a way of redrawing boundaries with yourself very much within the exclusive, gated community of those who properly 'appreciate'. There are differences in performance, interpretation etc quite obviously. But I'd say these get hugely exaggerated by those playing connoisseur games. People who have studied classical music, listened for years or who are musicians themselves will probably have a sense of interpretative difference and will be more sensitive to these things. But I'm always amazed by how many people start listening to classical music and immediately start passing comment on the quality of the conductor or ensemble. Sadly, they usually give themselves away by parroting received opinion. It's usually the standard approved and validated dead maestros who they go into raptures about. (*) And that's before we begin to bring the record companies into the equation who have a vested interest in convincing us that we need ten interpretations of Beethoven 5 or Mahler 2. Few things make me sadder than seeing a multi-box set with the name of the 'maestro' in bigger letters than the composer. (*) This is often not their fault - it's presented as what you do with 'classical' music...go into raptures about Glenn Gould or Furtwangler or whoever. For goodness sake, spend many years enjoying and getting to know the music. And then, if it interests you, worry about the interpretations.

So I set out on my coach tour of the Lake District. Sat there admiring the view, checking what I saw with my books and an OS map. Looked forward to popping into some museums, maybe catch a concert, certainly enjoy some interesting local cooking. And then I noticed there were little squabbles going on amongst some of the other passengers. So I earwigged to find up what was putting them out of sorts. I could hear snatches of '...but the bus doesn't hold the corners like last year...' and '..well, I disagree, this bus driver is infinitely superior to the one we had in 2012...' And in time it became clear that there was a general preference for the coaches taken in 1967, 1978 and 1993 over more recent ones. I kept my eye on the scenery. The bus and the coach driver can certainly make or break a holiday - if they are poor you just can't focus on the things you've come so see. But I'd say the mark of an excellent bus and a great coach driver is when you don't even know they are there, thereby ensuring that all your attention is on the Lake District.

Freightliner Coal Train, Ribblehead Viaduct, North Yorkshire, by Robert France – winner of the Network Rail lines in the landscape category. Zigzag, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, by Lizzie Shepherd – winner of the living the view category. Rainbow Falls, Kisdon Force, Yorkshire Dales, by Bill Ward – the Adobe prize winner. http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2015/oct/19/take-a-view-landscape-photographer-of-the-year-2015-in-pictures Then there's the Britain you don't see in the tourist brochures... South Gare, Teesside, by Paul Mitchell – winner of the urban view category.

Stoke Prior, England: The setting sun and a looming rain shower combine above green pastures to produce dramatic lighting http://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2015/oct/16/photo-highlights-of-the-day Beautiful autumn hues of an Acer Atropurpureum. Captured by Paul Appleby in his garden in Choppington, Northumberland, on 15 October. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/34539347 Love to know where the photographers are finding the sunshine. It's been sheet metal here for 10 days.

Had a big hit with the jug-bandish 'Urban Spaceman' in the UK. I remember seeing them on a teatime kids programme in the late 60s/early 70s doing a song called 'Sport'. The parody spoke to me as a kid who loathed everything about sport and smelly changing rooms. Stanshall used to be a regular on Peel's programmes doing recitations.

The drummer was very young and Toussaint said it was his first gig with the band (Joseph's too). They played in Marsden last week on the day after I left and I think Jason Rebello was on piano...another name from one of the past periods of jazz popularity in the UK. Meant to say the venue was packed and the audience ecstatic. I go to so many thinly attended jazz concerts it was great to see this (similarly at Marsden last week).

JEAN TOUSSAINT’S BLAKEY PROJECT at Sheffield Crucible Jean Toussaint: saxophones; Byron Wallen: trumpet; Dennis Rollins: trombone; Julian Joseph: piano; Daniel Casimir: bass; Troy Miller: drums. Was a bit hesitant about this one...we get so much repertory jazz on the circuit in the UK, recreating the great bands of the past, that I thought it might be a bit dull. Wrong! As Toussaint made clear from the start when describing why he put the project together, this is joyous music that just deserves to be heard live. Sensibly most of the programme sought out tunes that you don't hear played a great deal, saving up 'Moanin'' and 'Blues March' for the end. A great band. I'm only really familiar with Wallen who I used to see a fair bit at Cheltenham and Bath. I think Rollins must have played at every jazz festival I've ever been to yet I've never seen him before. Special credit to the young bass player and drummer (who I think was someone different from the listed name). Both pulled off really engaging solos in much more experienced company. Both not long out of college. Biggest surprise for me was Julian Joseph. Seems to have been around forever both as player and jazz radio host. I have a CD of his from the 90s but he's never really caught my ear but last night he was superb. Some beautiful solos where he seemed to be in that mid-60s Herbie Hancock world, floating impressionistic chords over highly rhythmic music. And his gospel-drenched prelude to 'Moanin'' was worth the trip alone. Great to see a bunch of musicians so clearly enjoying themselves and encouraging one another. Lots of variety in the solo order - the first tune had just bass and drum solos with none of the front line featured. Seem to be playing widely in the UK at present (though I don't think Joseph is a regular). An entertaining evening guaranteed.

A new-build apartment block in London’s Docklands. (or "Building flats for working families") http://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2015/oct/16/rooftop-views-the-world-from-above-in-pictures Nature’s studio category winner: Jessica Winter - Resting place. Bar-tailed godwit and knots, Holland. Best viewed full screen here: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2015/apr/27/gdt-nature-photographer-of-the-year-2015-in-pictures#img-12 A rainy autumn morning in a pine forest in Fürstenwalde, Germany. Cranes fly to their feeding sites over Linum, Germany http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2015/oct/16/the-week-in-wildlife-in-pictures

Driving from Germany to Vienna, St Florian was on the way so I paid a visit. After Vienna I went to Salzburg (more Mahler connections in the lakes) and was heading for Innsbruck and just decided to pay a visit to the Klagenfurt site. It turned out to be much further than I'd expected with a few inconvenient Alps en route so I got there quite late. Having seen the hut (which was shut) I hunted around for a camp site. Eventually found one and in pigeon German booked in. Drove through the gate and as the barrier went down behind me noticed that 2/3rds of the people there had no clothes on. Put up tent and collapsed in laughter inside. My abiding memory is walking up a sloped path to the loos and seeing a row of bottoms with a trestle table the other side. As I carried on I could see that on the table were all sorts of interesting looking sausages and on the other side a fully clothed chap with a large cleaver. Just as well it wasn't an attractive woman! The silliest thing is that the site was part of a large naturist organisation which is well known across Austria and Germany. Had the equivalent of a large yellow M outside. Needless to say I was out of there the moment the barrier was unlocked at 6.00 a.m. the next morning. I needed Bruckner 8 in Innsbruck to recover! I made the mistake of telling the story at work when I got back and never lived it down. *********************** My take on live concerts is different. Most of my life has been spent listening to recorded music with live music the exception. I like going to live classical concerts but prefer them to have at least one piece I don't know. Can't say I experience any greater intensity in the live performance...though the sense of occasion and expectation adds a certain frission. The two things I do like is the way you are forced to concentrate - no distractions like getting up to make a cup of tea or check e-mails; and, above all, the visual clues to what is going on in the music. I particularly remember a performance of the Eroica in Cambridge a few years back where I had a centre seat - following the two sets of violins, the violas and cellos with my eyes really drew me into the music. Even listening to familiar pieces (like the complete Sibelius symphonies I enjoyed in the summer) can be ear opening - I often find I'm expecting a particular theme and am quite struck by what is playing it...never noticed that was played by an oboe before! My next classical jaunt is Britten's 'The Turn of the Screw' at Snape Maltings, the centre of the Britten industry in about a week. My favourite Britten opera - I've seen it done before by Opera North but will happily revisit it, especially if the weather is good. An afternoon walk in the reed beds around the concert hall is utterly magical.

Dave and George put money in my bank account every month to do this. All I have to do is turn up and vote Tory every 5 years.