may 2022 books…

Deep Waters (ed. Martin Edwards): I bought three books from the ‘The Three Pound Bookshop’ to help Moira struggle through her Covid; this was of them. A series of short stories involving murder and crime at sea, written in the first half of the 20^th century. Unremarkable, but readily-readable.
Resorting To Murder (ed. Martin Edwards): Another of the books I bought for Moira from ‘The Three Pound Bookshop’. Another book of short stories involving murder and crime under the sub-heading of ‘Holiday Mysteries’. Again, unremarkable, convoluted and ‘of their time’ (1910-1950s)… with a just a few entertaining exceptions.
Agent Running In The Field (John Le Carré): Le Carré was such a brilliant writer. His style seems effortless and yet he was able to convey quite complex spy stories with masterful ease. This one (published in 2019) manages to include his contempt at the “senseless vandalism of Brexit and Trump” (according to one reviewer)(my thoughts exactly!). I haven’t read many Le Carré books (this might have been my fourth?), but they’re quite brilliant in their way of describing the shadowy world of espionage – in which every word spoken or written is being ‘listened to’ by someone. A very satisfying, clever book.
Slaughterhouse Five (Kurt Vonnegut): The novel (first published in 1969) is widely regarded as a classic anti-war novel; it centres on Billy Pilgrim’s capture by the German Army in World War II and his survival of the 1945 Allied firebombing of Dresden as a prisoner of war, an experience which Vonnegut himself lived through as an American serviceman. It’s a semi-autobiographic science fiction-infused anti-war novel and follows the life and experiences of Pilgrim, from his early years, to his time as an American soldier and chaplain's assistant during World War II, to the post-war years, with him occasionally travelling through time(!).
I found it difficult to come to terms with the book’s bizarre and chaotic nature – much of the text felt like a stream of conscience thoughts written while consuming alcohol or taking drugs… anything goes. There’s part of me that thinks this approach is absolutely appropriate, given that Pilgrim (like the author) has just witnessed the horrendous fire-bombing of Dresden (“the greatest massacre in European history”)… and perhaps also suffering from some kind of delayed post-traumatic stress disorder? I had very high hopes of this novel and, although I found it both entertaining and extraordinary (albeit confusing at times), ultimately, I thought it was disappointing. 
Death At La Fenice (Donna Leon): My good friend Ian lent me this book (first published in 1992). It’s the first in the Commissario Brunetti series of crime stories set in Venice. I seem to have been focussed on crime stories recently as some sort of escape from all the UK’s and the world’s troubles – this might not actually be ‘working’ very convincingly, but discovering Leon’s Venetian books has been a definite positive (and there are LOTS of them in the series!). Venice is one of my favourite cities in the world and so I found it easy to get sucked into the descriptions of its twisted maze of canals and winding walkways. I liked the Brunetti character (which helps) and, in this novel, he investigates the death (by poisoning) of a world-famous conductor during a performance of La Traviata at the celebrated opera house, La Fenice. I very much enjoyed it – bring on book 2! *no spoilers*. 

chineka! with evelyn glennie…

For the second time this week, I attended a concert at St George’s (I know!).
Last night’s concert featured the Chineke! Orchestra alongside (for the first work in the programme) the amazing percussionist Evelyn Glennie… and was also attended by lovely friends Linda, Ian, Sarah, Dave, Mary and Tom (among others!).
The Chineka! Foundation is a pretty remarkable organisation that was created in 2015 by double-bass player Chi-chi Nwanoka (who also featured in last night’s concert) to provide outstanding career opportunities to established and up-and-coming Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe. The Chineke! Orchestra is its ‘flagship ensemble’… and the musicians are hugely talented (and young!)… and very impressive.The evening featured four pieces of work from composers Jill Jarman (“Across the Divide” – concerto for double bass and percussion), Dvořák (“Serenade for Strings”), James B Wilson (“Free-man”) and Fela Sowande (“African Suite”).

Although I’ve always felt a little uneasy by Glennie’s somewhat over-dramatic style of performance (just my personal view, obviously), she’s undoubtedly an amazing, mesmerising musician. She featured in just the Jill Jarman piece at the beginning of the programme last night – in which she played SIX instruments!
For me, the highlight of the evening was Sowande’s “African Suite”, written in 1955. Joyful and uplifting.
There’s something about listening to an orchestra in ‘full voice’ (some 30 hugely-gifted musicians). I loved the orchestra’s energy and enthusiasm (and youthfulness!).
A brilliant evening.
Photo: Chineke! Orchestra with Evelyn Glennie, from last night’s performance. 

steeleye span…

I went along to St George’s last night to see the Folk Revival band Steeleye Span. They were established in late 1969, when London-born bass player Ashley Hutchings departed Fairport Convention (another of my favourites) - the band he had co-founded in 1967. The marvellous Maddy Prior is the only surviving member of the original band.
They’re currently on their 50^th Anniversary Tour (somewhat disrupted/delayed by Covid – some people had bought tickets for this concert 3 years ago!) so, as you might imagine, the vast majority of the enthusiastic audience were ‘seniors’ like me (understatement)! The band still makes a great sound.
Maddy Prior can STILL sing wonderfully well (albeit her voice is somewhat deeper these days) and the very impressive singer/violinist, Jessie May Smart, was able to fill in on those old high notes (eg ‘Gaudette’)!
It proved to be a brilliant evening – hugely enjoyable.
Photo: on stage at St George’s last night. 

vortex…

I went along to the Watershed yesterday afternoon to see Gaspar Noé’s film “Vortex” about the struggles of an elderly couple (born in 1940 and 1944 respectively) in declining health.
Given that Moira and I are ourselves in the ‘elderly couple’ category and facing the uncertainties of old age, I thought long and hard before deciding to book my ticket – but I’m so pleased that I did.
The film's old couple are former intellectuals: he’s an author/film-maker and she's a retired psychiatrist. They live a somewhat bohemian, chaotic life in their small Parisian house crammed full of books and clutter. He is lucid but restricted by a heart condition (he’d had a stroke) and spends a lot of time coughing in the film(!); she also had a stroke some years ago and is now suffering from rapidly worsening dementia. They attempt to deal with matters, alongside their adult son, who is himself is dealing with significant personal problems. The entire film is shot in split-screen – which seems to emphasise their dual stories. The actors (Dario Argento and Françoise Lebrun) are stunningly good – it feels as if you’re watching a documentary in real time.
It makes for tough viewing…
It’s a reminder of how easy it is to retreat into our own individual worlds and to put off painful, necessary decisions… of the importance of acknowledging the ageing process and the changes it makes to even the best relationships… of the realisation that even basic day-to-day tasks can become difficult or even forgotten (medication, turning off the hob/oven/shower, dressing/undressing)… of how vulnerable people become (being no longer able to shop for themselves or even able to leave a partner alone at home)…
It’s a film about the chaotic life and all the messy disarray that old age can become for so many of us… things being left undone, decisions being put off.
It’s an incredibly powerful film – stark, but with moments of tenderness.
Before you know it, it’ll happen to you…
At the start of the film, the couple enjoy a modest meal on their rickety terrace – a simple, happy moment which turns out to be one of her last moments of lucidity.
Towards the end of the film, there’s a slideshow of photographs from the wife’s life – her childhood, her beauty as she becomes a woman, her love of life, her love of her husband and son – reminders of a life lived to the full and celebrated. I found it a very telling and poignant reflection (which made me smile).
And at the very end of the film, there’s a slideshow of photographs showing the couple’s house being cleared – emptied of books and clutter – and finally left bare. A stark, poignant and fitting end.
I think I watched the film with perhaps eight other people. I was, by far, the oldest in the audience – the rest were either twenty-somethings or maybe forty-somethings. For me, it was the reality of my old age but, for them, it was about the old age of their grandparents or parents.
A truly brilliant film.
Footnote: Throughout the film, there’s an element of denial and I suspect that’s the case for many of us approaching (or, like us, in!) old age. The couple in the film vowed that they never wanted to leave their home (largely thanks to Moira, we downsized some nine months ago – and, in retrospect, what a brilliant decision that was!)(and our three daughters wholeheartedly agree!). For couples fortunate enough to survive into old age together, there are the inevitable questions of: Who will die first? Who will take on the burden of care? But also, I suspect, there’s a need to re-assess things on a very regular basis and to make the necessary adjustments accordingly (some easier than others). Patience, sense of humour and love seem to be the key. x 

royal west of england academy (RWA)…

The Grade II* Listed RWA building has opened its doors again after a £4.1 million extensive repair and refurbishment project – thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Since we first moved to Bristol in 2003, we’ve regularly visited the art gallery and, as you might imagine (with it being only a 15-minute walk up Park Street from our ‘new’ abode), it’s been somewhat frustrating that its temporary closure more or less coincided with our move from Southville.
The art gallery re-opened at the weekend and I dropped in yesterday to take in its first main exhibition (“Me, Myself, I: Artists’ Self-Portraits” - an exploration of self-portraiture over the last three hundred years), featuring such artists as Antony Gormley, Gillian Wearing, Grayson Perry, Tracey Emin, Joshua Reynolds, Stanley Spencer, Lucian Freud, Patrick Heron, Dod Procter, John Minton, Roger Fry and many more.
I very much enjoyed it and, thanks to my RWA Art Pass (purchased for an annual fee of £15 – brilliant value), I can visit as many times as I like for ‘free’.
Photo: Just a few of the images that caught my eye (clockwise, starting top left: John Minton; Antony Gormley, Stanley Spencer, Michael Craig-Martin, Dod Procter, Roger Fry, Arthur Hayward and Jacqueline Donachie.
PS: Work on the café isn’t quite yet completed, but the very good news is that it’ll be run by Bristol’s excellent “Spicer+Cole” (probably the best coffee in Bristol, in my view).