Hello!!

[Serial_Apologist]

I feel as if I'm arriving at the Pearly Gates a la 'Matter of Life & Death'. I know I've been here before and everything is strangely familiar and yet I'm entirely a foreigner to the place, but not.

Having had a bump to my head and stitches just before Christmas has not helped matters either.

Perhaps the simplest thing is if I start over again.

Certain things are coming back to me. We originally met, many of us, when the BBC had forums for its output; but then we were made homeless as non-essential programme services and several noble souls created this space.

Back in the earliest days I would post as HomewardBound, but then I became Stillhomewardbound. Now, I am returned as Stephen McK (Stephen McKenna). That is a deliberate move as I think the internet has become such a querulous place and if people feel inclined to hurl bricks all over the place then they should identify themselves. Just as, back in the day, newspapers wouldn't publish letters without verification of who the correspondents were.

Oh, let me be honest and admit that I've thrown enough bricks in my time, I'm sure, but it makes much more sense to use those bricks to build bridges rather than new walls.

I continue to be a R3 listener, though in the last year I have been very consumed with a media project which involved a lot of a writing (including a book!) and there have been long stretches where the radio has stayed off. However, I hope that changes because R3 continues to be a marvellous companion.

Anyway, onwards and upwards. It is good to be back!

HomewardBound/StillhomewardBound/StephenMcK

Welcome BACK!!!!! You were much missed.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Great to hear from you Stephen!

Indeed! A very warm welcome back to the Forum, Stephen.

[StephenMcK]

What a lovely welcome back. Thank you!

By way of a catch-up and in no particular order, some tidbits for this Twelfth Night:

** Crimbo TV: chatting to a friend we both agreed that there had been a distinct lack of musical treats on the telly. The BBC seems to be in a full-time state now of 'you've got the Proms - what more do you want!'.

Having said that, there was a marvellous doc on the New York's Met's move to the Lincoln Plaza. It was terrific on the whole history not just of the opera house, but on the significance of the ploy, effectively, of slum clearance etc. Great talking heads, especially Leontyne Price who dazzled.

I see that there's a Darcy Bussell doc on Margot Fonteyn on the iPlayer. I may give that a pass. I know the story from past docs too well and it has such a damn sad ending to it.

On the other hand, I really ought to watch the Janet Baker doc again which I loved.

** The man who was responsible for such a wealth of documentaries in the telly age got a knighthood, I see. Arise Sir Humphrey Burton. Long overdue, I'm sure.

** Herbert Chappell - He died in October but his passing only made it to the Guardian obituary pages just before Christmas. Now, there was a terrific producer responsible for the excellent 'talking music' programmes with Andre Previn that were a rich part of a Sunday night in the 70s. He also came up with The Three Tenors concerts which gave the classical music world a big boost through the 90s; and he also gave us one of my all time favourite tv theme tunes for The Pallisers!

** Playlists and the iPdodders: I was contemplating just the other day the implications of the virtual record collection. My CD & LP collection, such as it is, is all boxed up in a cupboard now. I haven't had a record deck in decades and a Mac upgrade a couple of years ago left me without a CD player. Such is the way of the 21st Century, but what saddens me for the music lovers of the future is the lack of the casual discovery. Most of use, I'm sure, took our baby steps as we had a rifle through our parents' record collections in a 'what's that!!' kind of way. Now, it didn't have to be a devotee's record collection and there's many a house that might have had just a couple of K-Tel Great Waltzes collections, or the like; but it was a starting point. Indeed, prompted some times by no more than the art work to go on.

Oh, waily, waily!

** Finally, for now. My favourite watch of the holiday season was Paddington 2. Beautifully inventive. A real treat!

** Oh, one more ... very moving profile of Raymond Briggs. Much enjoyed.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

My favourite watch of the holiday season was Paddington 2. Beautifully inventive. A real treat!

- wasn't wonderful: a total delight from start to finish, and a rare example of a "sequel" being better than the (very successful) first film.

Another Christmas "Musical Offering" that you don't mention was the broadcast of The Magic Flute from Glyndebourne on Christmas Day:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000cr9p/the-magic-flute-from-glyndebourne

... if you missed it, it's available on the i-Player for an extended two-month period. (That usually means for me, a hurried watch in the few hours before it disappears!)

[Bryn]

- wasn't wonderful: a total delight from start to finish, and a rare example of a "sequel" being better than the (very successful) first film.

Another Christmas "Musical Offering" that you don't mention was the broadcast of The Magic Flute from Glyndebourne on Christmas Day:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000cr9p/the-magic-flute-from-glyndebourne

... if you missed it, it's available on the i-Player for an extended two-month period. (That usually means for me, a hurried watch in the few hours before it disappears!)

As, it appears, is Paddington 2, despite it being other than an in-house film.

[eighthobstruction]

....asking about StillHB whereabouts only a few weeks ago....welcome back....

[Bryn]

Thanks so much for alerting me to Paddington 2. I have just watched it via the iPlayer and concur entirely regarding its excellence. So many cameo references to other fine films, culminating in that to Beetlejuice during the closing credits. A real gem of a film.

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks so much for alerting me to Paddington 2. I have just watched it via the iPlayer and concur entirely regarding its excellence. So many cameo references to other fine films, culminating in that to Beetlejuice during the closing credits. A real gem of a film.

We have them both on DVD. So many great special effects - one critic singled out the way the prison kitchen was washed with colour as the camera panned from left to right after the cake making....the leaves falling from the trees on the hall and stairs wallpaper...

[Dave2002]

Seen these Paddington films several times now - they do stand a certain degree of repeat watching. Great stuff and a lot of fun.

Can't wait for the next one!

[Panda]

Looking at last posts not sure if this is the right place, but Paddington is a bear so here goes :D

I received my panda bear nickname many many years ago when at a semi prof choir weekend long rehearsal the members digressed into what each choir member best represented was by an animal. I never asked whether it was the dark rings under my eyes, my slightly reticent nature or habitual knawing at veggie food that made the choice ( I was afraid to ask ), but down the years, basically I think they were right :D The choir? A bit schizophrenic - 'Early music' say Ockeghem to Bach & then 20thC and beyond, with a few digressions in between. Suited me fine, that's about my taste, though I'll listen to everything to be persuaded otherwise :) Apart from that I'm truly in awe of the knowledge expressed here :)

[french frank]

So welcome Panda! Easy socialising here in these distant times as well as instructive.

[Serial_Apologist]

Looking at last posts not sure if this is the right place, but Paddington is a bear so here goes :D

I received my panda bear nickname many many years ago when at a semi prof choir weekend long rehearsal the members digressed into what each choir member best represented was by an animal. I never asked whether it was the dark rings under my eyes, my slightly reticent nature or habitual knawing at veggie food that made the choice ( I was afraid to ask ), but down the years, basically I think they were right :D The choir? A bit schizophrenic - 'Early music' say Ockeghem to Bach & then 20thC and beyond, with a few digressions in between. Suited me fine, that's about my taste, though I'll listen to everything to be persuaded otherwise :) Apart from that I'm truly in awe of the knowledge expressed here :)

Who knaws? Anyway, the fact that I was Paddington-born, happened to be bear at the time, and that our tastes pretty much coincide in the music ranges makes you more than welcome as far as I am concerned, Panda.

There will be no crossing you!

[Panda]

Who knaws? Anyway, the fact that I was Paddington-born, happened to be bear at the time, and that our tastes pretty much coincide in the music ranges makes you more than welcome as far as I am concerned, Panda.

There will be no crossing you!

Just wait and see :D

[Serial_Apologist]

Just wait and see :D

[Bryn]

Who knaws? Anyway, the fact that I was Paddington-born, happened to be bear at the time, and that our tastes pretty much coincide in the music ranges makes you more than welcome as far as I am concerned, Panda.

There will be no crossing you!

We'll have no button-pressing and bleeping here.