OK, OK, You're Nonchalant
1) Which is what I try to be when in sophisticated company. Disguise my insecurities, etc.
2) So, I went to the County Youth concert. Still not really happy that I was never in that orchestra*... although it's so long since I've played that I hardly remember being a 'musician' at all... and I never considered myself as good as other people tried to tell me I was. Though of course there were always some who'd try to disabuse me of any notion of my own competence (mentioning the names of no Christ's violinists).
3) It's all a bit scary with all the middle-class people around... but I guess the secret is not to show the fear. They can sense it, like spiders. Erm, maybe.
4) Partly related to my nonchalance is my reluctance to applaud an orchestra as it appears on the platform. Somehow simply turning up doesn't seem quite a big enough demonstration of talent to be worthy of my approbation**. Though maybe that's being unduly harsh. At least not applauding allows me better to hear the old ladies' reaction to Reuben, etc. Hehe.
5) I don't seem to be able to pay attention in concerts; perhaps because I'm not well-trained / adept at musical theory so I don't really think about the music analytically. Not sure what this would say about me in a Baron-Cohen SQ or similar. Anyway I found my mind wandering to what I would write about later (i.e. now), and then to how I'd better stop thinking about what to write about and pay attention to the music, and then to how I don't pay attention to the music because I'm thinking about what to write, and how I'd better write about how I don't pay attention because I'm thinking about what to write... and so forth, and so on...
6) Of course it was only at the end of the piece that I found out I was sitting next to the composer. So then I had to think back hurriedly to make sure I hadn't said anything untoward about the music. But I hadn't said anything at all since he'd sat down, so I think it was OK :)
7) The programme notes were, I thought, a bit dodgy. For the concerto, they had - according to the programme - been pasted from wikipedia, and for Orchestra on Parade the notes were either inaccurate or out of date, since they mentioned a future London premiere, but I heard it weeks ago at the Proms (by which I mean from the Proms, on the wireless). But hey, who cares?
8) I was displeased at some mockneys behind me criticising the conductor...
9) Oh, the concert was super, of course.
10) Why, out of all the subjects I've studied, do people find History of Science odd? I think it's fascinating.
11) So then we went to partay... by which I mean watching cricket, playing cricket, eating too much... I wasn't actually going to hit the bat with the bat, of course... bats are some of my favourite animals but it's so hard to see them properly. Hence lying on the grass looking up as it flew over me silhouetted against the sky. It would be interesting to see how a bat responds to obstacles, though.
12) That may be the first time I've met someone - particularly someone nowhere near middle age - who actually knows about The Archers. Respect, etc.
13) It was really rather odd to be the only one not drinking; and maybe I should have stayed over with the others... I know I don't do sleepovers but I'm not sure why not... but anyway that wouldn't've changed the fact that I was the only one not drinking, nor presumably filled the large and mysterious gap in my life (that, as previously established, cannot be filled by anything readily available in Sainsbury's). Hmm, mysterious. [rolls eyes]
14) Yeah, OK, best get to bed then.
[03:26]
---
*And not just because of the distinctly teacherish ticking-off I got from Mrs Darz for neglecting to be in it :)
**I'm also unconvinced about applauding as the orchestra leaves the platform, unless you continue until they've all gone. Otherwise you get that awkward silence as the second half file out, thinking maybe they aren't going fast enough. But maybe that's better than awkward silence for the whole leaving process. Maybe I'm putting too much thought into this, and too little into my ultimate unemployability and the futility of life. Ho hum, etc.
---
Forgot to mention the dragonfly, which was cool. Apparently we had one here today (Monday) whilst I was out, too.
Looks like I might have been right about the Renault logo changing in 1992: see here, for example.
2) So, I went to the County Youth concert. Still not really happy that I was never in that orchestra*... although it's so long since I've played that I hardly remember being a 'musician' at all... and I never considered myself as good as other people tried to tell me I was. Though of course there were always some who'd try to disabuse me of any notion of my own competence (mentioning the names of no Christ's violinists).
3) It's all a bit scary with all the middle-class people around... but I guess the secret is not to show the fear. They can sense it, like spiders. Erm, maybe.
4) Partly related to my nonchalance is my reluctance to applaud an orchestra as it appears on the platform. Somehow simply turning up doesn't seem quite a big enough demonstration of talent to be worthy of my approbation**. Though maybe that's being unduly harsh. At least not applauding allows me better to hear the old ladies' reaction to Reuben, etc. Hehe.
5) I don't seem to be able to pay attention in concerts; perhaps because I'm not well-trained / adept at musical theory so I don't really think about the music analytically. Not sure what this would say about me in a Baron-Cohen SQ or similar. Anyway I found my mind wandering to what I would write about later (i.e. now), and then to how I'd better stop thinking about what to write about and pay attention to the music, and then to how I don't pay attention to the music because I'm thinking about what to write, and how I'd better write about how I don't pay attention because I'm thinking about what to write... and so forth, and so on...
6) Of course it was only at the end of the piece that I found out I was sitting next to the composer. So then I had to think back hurriedly to make sure I hadn't said anything untoward about the music. But I hadn't said anything at all since he'd sat down, so I think it was OK :)
7) The programme notes were, I thought, a bit dodgy. For the concerto, they had - according to the programme - been pasted from wikipedia, and for Orchestra on Parade the notes were either inaccurate or out of date, since they mentioned a future London premiere, but I heard it weeks ago at the Proms (by which I mean from the Proms, on the wireless). But hey, who cares?
8) I was displeased at some mockneys behind me criticising the conductor...
Jumping abaht in the slow movement... is he digging a hole or conducting an orchestra?
LSO? "I've worked with the LSO?" What was he, the janitor?Now, maybe this was fair criticism, and maybe they were accomplished conductors themselves and thus well-placed to criticise. But that self-satisfied middle-class mockney accent just bugs me...
9) Oh, the concert was super, of course.
10) Why, out of all the subjects I've studied, do people find History of Science odd? I think it's fascinating.
11) So then we went to partay... by which I mean watching cricket, playing cricket, eating too much... I wasn't actually going to hit the bat with the bat, of course... bats are some of my favourite animals but it's so hard to see them properly. Hence lying on the grass looking up as it flew over me silhouetted against the sky. It would be interesting to see how a bat responds to obstacles, though.
12) That may be the first time I've met someone - particularly someone nowhere near middle age - who actually knows about The Archers. Respect, etc.
13) It was really rather odd to be the only one not drinking; and maybe I should have stayed over with the others... I know I don't do sleepovers but I'm not sure why not... but anyway that wouldn't've changed the fact that I was the only one not drinking, nor presumably filled the large and mysterious gap in my life (that, as previously established, cannot be filled by anything readily available in Sainsbury's). Hmm, mysterious. [rolls eyes]
14) Yeah, OK, best get to bed then.
[03:26]
---
*And not just because of the distinctly teacherish ticking-off I got from Mrs Darz for neglecting to be in it :)
**I'm also unconvinced about applauding as the orchestra leaves the platform, unless you continue until they've all gone. Otherwise you get that awkward silence as the second half file out, thinking maybe they aren't going fast enough. But maybe that's better than awkward silence for the whole leaving process. Maybe I'm putting too much thought into this, and too little into my ultimate unemployability and the futility of life. Ho hum, etc.
---
Forgot to mention the dragonfly, which was cool. Apparently we had one here today (Monday) whilst I was out, too.
Looks like I might have been right about the Renault logo changing in 1992: see here, for example.
posted by Z31 at 2:30 am
2 Comments:
Hey, I know about The Archers (thanks to my middle aged boyfriend, that's what I have to look forward to on the weekends - Archers omnibus). I've been exposed to it so much I can even recognise the theme tune now.
Oh no. I'm becoming middle aged!
Um, yeah, I got the Mrs Darz opprobrium for not being in County as well, which was a trifle strange. But, hey, then she put me in charge, so I forgot all about it. If in doubt, give Toby power, and he'll then forget any nagging.
Given that the party was almost finished when you left and everyone left early the next morning for the recording, I'm not sure going home wasn't a tactically astute idea on this occasion, though I continue my, (rather latent) mission to get you to stay at these things, just out of a sheer sense of happiness in your company.
TCH
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