Stormy Weather

[greenilex]

I guess the suspension in a sedan chair must be nice and responsive, so no jolting - unlike our ancient ex-metropolitan buses.

Saly, you do just what you most feel like today. Blossom is superb just now.

[antongould]

I would carry the great lady wherever she wished to go and would be proud to take any position on the team! Far too dark to see what the weather is here but one trusts to the BBC's forecast of sunny intervals.

[Nick Armstrong]

Caliban, it sounds as though you do,as you are going to listen. I go back to Heddle Nash, then Richard Lewis, as Gerontius. However, I know several really musical people who turn up their noses at it.

I only heard two sections on Thursday, saly - sounded very good but I wasn't blown away. However I wasn't able to form a view, and I've downloaded it for a proper listen. My touchstone is Britten's performance, and I'm spoilt in the sense that his urgency often seems missing. His "Praise to the Holiest" is unbelievable - haven't heard that section in the LPO performance yet. And Britten's way with the angel's music: heart-stopping. There's one musical bloke who didn't turn his nose up at it!!

Wonderful sunrise here in central London - bright sun already on the buildings and tree-tops, a perfect clear blue sky and beautifully mild despite the clear sky overnight. I was listening to Chausson's 'Concert' for violin, piano and string quartet: what an underrated work that is! Listening to the version by Perlman, Bolet and the Julliard - a surprising combination but magical (I acquired it after hearing it in French radio's recent CD comparison programme). Don't usually like Perlman, but this is one of 'those' performances that seems to get it just right. The 'Sicilienne' movement: perfect for a spring dawn.

I used to like the 'harvest' months and the onset of winter - but now it's spring that gets my vote, the promise of that cold edge disappearing from the wind, and the colours!

[salymap]

Good morning Caliban and all sedan bearers. No thank you to the latter lot. It would do my sacro-iliac no
good at all. I know more about back trouble than British doctors, I put my back out digging the garden 40 years ago this July but osteopaths wont touch anyone of my age for fear of getting sued. PLEASE, no more sympathy,or ideas for days out. I won't mention it again.

Caliban, you've picked the one recording of Gerontius I've never heard. Britten's must be interesting but I have so many already and it's not a work one wants to hear often.

What about some more about great houses/ gardens that not everyone will know?

[salymap]

Marthe, have you tried googling Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, Sussex.? There are lots of sites,some containing photos of the gardens and big lakes. saly

[Uncle Monty]

Marthe, have you tried googling Wakehurst Place, Ardingley, Sussex.? There are lots of sites,some containing photos of the gardens and big lakes. saly

saly, with apologies for unintended rudeness, simply to save anyone "mis-googling", there isn't an "e" in Ardingly. (I lived nearby.) In fact the "y" is pronounced long in those parts, like Hellingly and Ansty.

[salymap]

Not rude at all Uncle Monty, I wasn't sure about the spelling, [having read it five minutes earlier I hope Marthe sees your correction.

[marthe]

Uncle Monty and saly: the spelling and pronunciation of Ardingly have been duly noted. I just had a peek at www.kew.org/visit-wakehurst/ to get info about Wakehurst Place which is the site of Kew Garden's Millenium Seed Bank. Next time I'm on your side of the Atlantic I shall have to campaign strenuously to make a visit to Wakehurst. We usually go "oop" north and spend all our time with rels leaving limited opportunity for side trips to Famous Gardens in the South.

saly: I like your idea of a virtual tour of great English gardens...so timely for this season. Please start us off on the tour. We promise to keep the sedan chair in storage for the moment!

[Uncle Monty]

Marthe, here's a lovely one you could start with: http://www.greatdixter.co.uk/index.htm

An absolute riot of colour in all seasons!

[salymap]

I'll have a go this http://www.holkham.co.uk/ A Palladian Mansion in Norfolk with the most imposing entrance hall and staircase I've ever seen and some wonderful paintings.

[marthe]

I'll have a go this http://www.holkham.co.uk/ A Palladian Mansion in Norfolk with the most imposing entrance hall and staircase I've ever seen and some wonderful paintings.

Wonderful choices Uncle Monty and salymap! Would that I could afford to attend one of the garden symposia offered at Gr. Dixter! saly: architecture is as much my passion as gardening! What a good idea to include a Palladian mansion on the garden tour. I hope it's all right to offer gardens from my side of the pond. Here's one, Blithewold, that's not far from me (about 1/2 hr drive) and is soon having its annual "Daffodil Days. " www.blithewold.org/gardens . The thousands of daffs blooming in the Bosquet are a sight to see! There are also lovely woodland gardens with hellebores, trout lilies, trillium and other spring-flowering woodland/shade lovers.

[salymap]

Lovely marthe.I was rather disappointed with what they didn't show of Holkham Hall, it had lovely gardens and the house was wonderful inside, I suppose you pay your money before you get to see the lot

[marthe]

Lovely marthe.I was rather disappointed with what they didn't show of Holkham Hall, it had lovely gardens and the house was wonderful inside, I suppose you pay your money before you get to see the lot

saly: I expect they need the money to repair the walled garden featured in that little clip. Are they an independent non-profit or do they belong to a larger organisation such as the National Trust? Non-profits over here are hard up for money these days. Blithewold, for one, is always fund raising. Let's see what other gardens we might tour from the comfort of our easy chairs! That being said, I'm about to log off for a while so that I can go out to my own garden to do a bit of clean-up! It's tempting to stay in and listen to Rheingold now being broadcast from the Met, but I need to "get out and get some fresh air" as my mother would say!

[salymap]

Good morning stormyweatherites . Chilly but sunny, and daffodils etc in full bloom in SE England/Kent. Did Ihear the sn*w word for the North and Scotland last night? I do hope not.

[antongould]

No snow in this part of the north salymap very much like your weather in fact with the garden bursting into life.