Despite having driven past The Old Manor Hotel, Lundin Links, many times over the years, I had never eaten there. I confess to having been a little put off by the modern banqueting suite, partly obscuring the roadside view of the traditional gray stone manor house, and the signage referencing the hotel’s wedding and conference trade.
Always expect the unexpected when it come to the Scottish Ensemble. In fact, even the expected can take you by surprise.
My Granny was a piano accompanist for silent movies in the 1920s and while I inherited some musicality through the generations, one specific gene missed me. That is the skill to accompany through improvisation. You can’t be taught it as it’s an instinctive art and I envy and applaud those who can.
It started with a “B” and ended with a “C” but a whole alphabet of superlatives could be attributed to the performance of pianist Richard Goode at his recital in the Perth Concert hall on Sunday. Excellent, intuitive, inspired, masterful. All these perfectly fit the bill.
Wagner at his most romantic, Schumann at his melodic best and Beethoven up to his cheeky inventive self. What’s not to like?
I used to advocate a change of format for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s Christmas concert but realised that the Snowman was there for keeps, fixed in stone in the RSNO annual programming.
Gather all the members of any family together in one house and there’s bound to be friction. Turn up the heat a notch or two and there may even be fireworks.