Two a couple of great concerts in the Southbank Centre over the weekend.
On Saturday it was John McCusker’s Under One Sky. McCusker has put together a fascinating group of performers of Scottish and English origin who together make some wonderful music.
So on stage, alongside McCusker we had Julie Fowlis (who I saw a few weeks ago), John Tams (who’d brought a fan club), Roddy Woomble of Idlewild, and even Graham Coxon of the now reforming Blur (tickets onsale this week!).
Emma Reid, a half Swedish violinist was exceptional, as was Jim Causley. Indeed all the performers were, and although I did pick up the forthcoming Under One Sky CD I evidently have much more to look into.
On Monday it was a slight change of pace as I saw the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducted by Sir Simon Rattle perform perform the first of two nights at the Royal Festival Hall playing Schumann’s symphonies.
It was a terrific concert and it’s remarkable that you can get tickets for as little as £9.50. I still find it wonderful to go to a concert and see absolutely no sign of any speakers or microphones. By the way, during the interval I just fancied a glass of water so braced myself to fight to the bar to get a mineral water. But no! The RFH actually lays out dozens of plastic glasses of tap water for anyone who wants one. What a wonderful idea.
Anyway, this all makes me realise that I must visit the Southbank Centre a little more frequently (although I must also visit the much closer King’s Place soon too).