Of Compre, Brahms and Psalms

All the very best to those taking the L.A. Paper 2 on Monday.
Make sure you read the passage and questions very carefully.
Don't make any careless mistakes,
or else I will....


be very disappointed.

________________________________________

I'll be attending a SSO concert later.
Grieg's peer gynt suites (nice norwegian music)
and Brahms' 1st piano concerto.
The latter is a most monumental work-
symphonic in scope,
but intimate in the loving exchanges between piano and orchestra,
and definitely very concertante in the very idiomatic piano part.
At >50 minutes, it's a really taxing and demanding work for any pianist.

Tonight we'll be hearing british pianist stephen hough.
a cool customer who is never showy but has a stupendous technique.
Though he was in the news recently for the wrong reasons,
over some 'gay' remarks he made.
http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6569.html


Stephen Hough

________________________________________

One of my favourite Psalms

Psalm 139 (verses 1-10)

O Lord, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in - behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.