after a weekend in london

back in the office after a few days off and a weekend in London seeing stuff, including the BP Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery, Noel Coward's Brief Encounter by the brilliant Kneehigh Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland's Black Watch at the Barbican, and Muzsikas performing with the London Sinfonietta at the free Folk Prom yesterday afternoon. At the Barbican I bumped into Tim Sutton, a composer that the Festival is commissioning for 2009, fresh back from performing in NTS's The Bacchae in New York. So fantastic to finally hear Muzsikas live, having listened repeatedly to their Bartok cds with Marta Sebestyen. Their performance in the Royal Albert Hall and interspersing their music in between Bartok's Romanian Dances was a definite highlight. Unfortunately had to leave afterwards so missed Prom 5, but really enjoyed listened to Bellowhead in the car journey home.
Posts will revert to one or two a week or one whenever I have something of interest to share...