To the sun ... Tunisia

The weather forecast for tomorrow is for winds and rain .... so we're off to Tunisia for two weeks. No cooking, no cleaning, no washing, no shopping ..... only eating, golfing and reading in the sun .... my idea of bliss ... here are some pics from last time.
Happy Christmas and Happy New Year!
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

We did it again ...

 
 
 
It was a fantastic night in City Hall. Ciara was great and Tasmin was astoundingly brilliant - and such a lovely person too. She came to the pub afterwards and was very chatty with everyone. Her performance of the violin concerto was amazing ... so calm and so in control all the time. Her rubatos were so well done that the orch found it easy to follow her.
The 1812? - what can I say? Picture a fog so thick I couldnt see the music stand in front of me let alone Keith! Search lights and explosions .... multitudinous brass players. The last time Cork City Hall burned down was on Dec 11th 1921 - the burning of Cork took place that night. We got pretty close to it again last night! A night to remember for a long time.
I joined CSO in 1968, so this concert was a fitting closure to 40 years of performance for me!
More photos, courtesy of George, on http://picasaweb.google.com/suzukipat

 
 
 

Tasmin and Ciara rehearse

 
 
 
We had dress rehearsals in City Hall yesterday. Ciara Moroney is brilliant in the Tchaik Piano Co. Tasmin Little was very pleased with our rendition of the Violin Co. She even said that the 1sts were super! .... and asked us to play louder at one point. We were so well drilled in advance of Kennedy last year that the CSO can play so pianissississimo that the 1st row in the audience could hardly hear all 120 of us!

 
 
 

Viola consultations

 

in the 1812 zone

 
 
 

Its Christmas extravangaza time

 NO! This is not my house - its the neighbours along the road. G and I are absconding for warmer places asap - Tunisia! Where its warm, dry and near a golf course ... of course!

The other violin line

 gets in a bit of extra practice!

Keith (Napoleon) Pascoe

The CSO is revving up into high gear for the gig this Thursday. Noisiest part of the night will DEF be the 1812. We had extra brass in last night. They stood for the last page and we couldnt hear what we were doing! They play in hearty 'con blowissimo'style. With the army band AND sound and lighting effects it mshould be a memorable evening.
It willbe a Tchaikowsky orgy with both the Piano Concerto No I (da da da da daaaaaaa daa da - Ciara Moroney)and the Violin Concerto (daaa da da da - Tasmin Little).
And a little ripper of an overture (Carmen arr Pascoe) will set the evening off on a vigorous note!

Regenerating Patrick Street ...

  I will never like these lamp posts ....
 
 

 
 
 

Brrrrrrr......