Londonderry Air @ MindSay 
I actually wasn’t going to blog today because my new resolution is not to blog everyday (because then I don’t feel itchy when I can’t blog) but I’ve finished all of my homeworks and I’m just about restraining myself from doing all of next weeks ones too.
If you believe that, you’ll believe anything.
I watch The Last Night Of The Proms last night, a tradition in my house except I am the only one who continues to do it. I absolutely love everything about the Last Night. The music is spectacular, as always, but it is even more so on the last night because I actually know a few of the songs. Pink Panther theme tune, Star Wars theme tune, Pirates of the Caribbean theme tune.... Toreador, Carmen, Moscow Nights, Londonderry Air, Land of Hope and Glory, Rule Britannia, Jerusalem, The Little Naval tune that gets faster and faster, Londonderry Air (Oh, Danny Boy), Auld Lang Sang and, of course, The Queen. I love it, I love the proud waving of the Union Flag, the common people doing the bouncy beside the rich, the silly string everywhere and the conductor trying to be funny but really, really isn’t. It is the one night of the year when I sit and happily conduct the orchestra with my remote control without feeling like an idiot.
It scared me ever so slightly to see this gorgeous, leggy blonde playing the trumpet. Her name is Alison Balsom (or so the website tells me) and she is utterly gorgeous. She is the Britney of Classical Music. I mean, don’t misunderstand me, she was pretty nifty with the trumpet but when the world of Classical Music has to find its own Britney Spears to satisfy the males in the audience I panic slightly. But hey, Ladies do not fret... We had CHICO to gawk at. CHICO?!?! Oh in the name of all that is pure and wonderful in the world, please, please, please tell me I dreamt that Chico was at the Hyde Park Last Night Of the Proms.
I don’t understand why Classical Music feels it needs to have a modern appeal and I despise the term ‘dumbing down’ but... when the shoe fits. Surely people should have the intelligence to appreciate the wonderful music without feeling the need to gawk at whomever they decide is pretty enough to be on stage. I can’t fathom why people need to base their decisions on musicians on their looks. It hardly matters.
Although, saying that, Hello Vittorio Grigolo!
You know, I actually don’t know the words to Londonderry Air. I know the first line (Oh Danny boy... The pipes, the pipes are calling.) and then I’m lost. It is a disgrace.
Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.
And if you come, when all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
You'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.
And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be
If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me
I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.
I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.
I’m preparing for next year.
I actually spent the day today researching the US government and, I must say, it is thoroughly interesting. I mean, I gather a lot of you are Americans so you know so much about your Constitution and things but I don’t so I’m easily fascinated. (Although saying that, I would gather that very few people would know the Good Friday Agreement in as much detail as I do!) President Clinton really got around, didn’t he? I’d love to smack President Bush for vetoing the stem cell research bill. How on earth does he expect America to progress without such important research? Urg, religious people stress me. I just don’t understand how a country that guarantees religious separation from State can be so badly influenced by religious tradition.
Americans are lucky. We have to study Christianity as a compulsory subject. (Well, ‘Religious Studies’ but it is the same as we covered nothing from any other religion) It is pretty much a drag (I was actually quite good at the theoretic stuff) but I would argue against completely banning it, which I did do in our Parliament building (Called Stormont) in March during a cross-community, quasi-political debate. Power to the people and all that jazz.
Who knows, maybe one day I’ll stop being so sarcastic?
Argento.
