Seemingly trivial things that cheer you up
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veronese68 said:
I thought of you at my son's graduation. There was a brass band playing at the beginning and the end. I must confess it was a bit surreal, they started with New York, New York followed by Come On Eileen then Sweet Caroline, the exiiwas done to the sounds of Mr Blue Sky.briantrumpet said:Finding out that on Monday I'll be doing the music for the graduation for the daughter of an old university friend whom I've not seen for just over forty years.
Not obvious choices, but performed by students and done rather well.
Nice. We do a mixture of stuff, some serious (e.g. Gabrieli), some familiar (film music), and some a bit silly (e.g. The Final Countdown) to try to get both the sense of ceremony but of fun too. They can be deadly dull, so if we can get them smiling, we've done our job. From people's reactions & comments, they really appreciate the live music played by students.2 -
ddraver said:
(I might be seeing you soon BT...)
Do come and say hello! I'll be one of the many people in my painting overalls... but if you're in the cathedral, you'll see where I'm stationed (by the pulpit).0 -
The Mail On Sunday's front page spectacularly backfiring by drawing attention to a film claiming that B. Johnson's claim to have been near death's door with covid was another of his lies.
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People who go on Popmaster saying they average in the high 20s / 30s or regulalry get 39 then struggle to get in the teens (in today's case then not getting any of the tie-break questions right either).0
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On air pressure?
Our son did well enough to get through to a final but said he underperformed.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Probably, I think I would play down my normal performance though. That said, without a really wide ranging musical knowledge it is going to be very variable anyway. I get anywhere from 3 to 33 (may have managed 33 once), it feels like some rounds are harder than others but I think that is mainly down to whether they are mainly in my era and genres.pblakeney said:On air pressure?
Our son did well enough to get through to a final but said he underperformed.0 -
The late father in law was a very good quizzer.
Went on fifteen to one a good 20 years ago and was ejected totally anonymously.
I think the combination of pressure and maybe the odd run of struggling spirals out of control.0 -
Having finished the 24 graduations, and having made a good noise with brass and choir. The best noise is from 28.45 for 'I Was Glad' - all the performers, apart from the organist and conductors, are students.
https://www.youtube.com/live/KGzmwK9zIII?feature=share&t=1725
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ddraver said:
You rocked that one last year too if I recall...
Yes - it's a real highlight to pull that together in that space. The brass parts this year were from a better arrangement, so that was good too. I've got pretty much the same team next year, I think, but then it'll be a bit of a clear out, sadly, as many will move on post university...0 -
Haha, there was also a rumour that a Just Stop Oil protester was going to do something after the afternoon ceremony, so they did the big photo inside the cathedral, to thwart them.0
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I must admit, it is a bit nerve racking that one's work is webcast live and archived for all and sundry to view... keeps one on one's toes.0
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I was glad is a belter, for sure. I actually got into that choir when I was at Exeter but it clashed with another commitment sadly.briantrumpet said:Having finished the 24 graduations, and having made a good noise with brass and choir. The best noise is from 28.45 for 'I Was Glad' - all the performers, apart from the organist and conductors, are students.
https://www.youtube.com/live/KGzmwK9zIII?feature=share&t=17250 -
Same for me with Cardiff Uni Chamber Choir. I didn't go because I played inter-department rugby instead and got (a little) led astray. Still wonder if there was a sliding doors moment there. (I don't think I'd have coped with the music skill to be honest, one of those moments where I appreciated the difference between amateur and "pro" musicians (or at least, genuine music students))shirley_basso said:
I was glad is a belter, for sure. I actually got into that choir when I was at Exeter but it clashed with another commitment sadly.
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
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What happened to the trumpets at exactly 30 mins in?!seanoconn - gruagach craic!0
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pinno said:
What happened to the trumpets at exactly 30 mins in?!
Erm, they played what was written. Well, kind of... the arrangement for brass can be played without choir or organ, so they were only playing the bits that are scored for brass in the standard arrangement.0 -
Finding some of the last lavender here that hasn't been harvested... it's been a fairly early year, and I'm a bit late. It's one of those rituals that marks the start of my summer séjour. Most of the other rituals involve coffee and patisseries.
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The other thing that cheered me up was getting here all on public transport for about £100 all in one day, by bike, bus, plane, train, train, and foot, and everything running to time.
The cheapness was mostly down to the Ouigo train getting me from Paris to Valence for £16. If you can plan TGV trips around the Ouigo TGVs (they release tickets much earlier than the regular SNCF ones), they are brilliant. Their app works well for checking out what's available, but you need to think about booking six months ahead.0 -
And by the same token you casually dismiss UAP's visiting Earth.briantrumpet said:The other thing that cheered me up was getting here all on public transport for about £100 all in one day, by bike, bus, plane, train, train, and foot, and everything running to time.
The cheapness was mostly down to the Ouigo train getting me from Paris to Valence for £16. If you can plan TGV trips around the Ouigo TGVs (they release tickets much earlier than the regular SNCF ones), they are brilliant. Their app works well for checking out what's available, but you need to think about booking six months ahead.
Staggering!0 -
...1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
Truly fresh apricots, and a kitchen smelling of a lovely pair of melons. You want a picture? OK then...
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Ha, just had another big storm, and I discovered that the really big bucket (guess 80 litres) I'd put in the loft in June to catch the 'occasional' leak was actually overflowing... using a torch to investigate the bodge job round the chimney (corrugated composite roof), I saw a blockage in one of the gullies, poked that with the chimney cleaning rods, and the water flowed freely enough for me to spot a chunk of mortar in the middle of the gully, which had been catching moss etc. A bit of wiggling with the rods, and I got it just close enough to the edge of the sheets to extract it with my fingers. Hurrah. Now I want another big storm to see if it's completely done the trick.
Also pleased I'd put the big bucket in there while I've been away, or those 80 litres of water would have been in the kitchen, probably with half the ceiling.
Probably not trivial. Well, not in my little world anyway.0 -
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This made me chuckle, this is probably one of the impatient fools that can't wait for a moment before passing a bicycle.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-surrey-663862590 -
Not a good advert for its off-road ability either0
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The speed of my passport renewal application. Completed the application last Friday online. Had to return my old passport that I put in the postbox on Sunday. Text message yesterday to say the old passport had been received withanother shortly afterwards to say my application had been received and the new passport would be issued today. Passport arrived 8am this morning.
After all the horror stories of missed holidays due to delays last year I thought I’d better get the application in early. To top it all I now have a blue passport so feel much better about the ‘B’ word.1 -
