More trios

Sunday saw what seems to have become our annual visit to the Yehudi Menuhin School at Stoke d'Abernon - but checking suggests that the last visit was near two years ago, noticed at reference 2.

Greeted on this occasion by a selection of outdoor sculpture, some of it not my sort of thing, but this bull was OK. Not clear why it was tied to two rather flimsy sticks in the ground. Nor does it being an animal mean that the promoters are excused from putting the thing on a proper plinth: all this sculptural informality does not work for me.

Hall itself as good as ever, with all the brown wood looking good in subdued light, Maybe a little airless, as I was nodding a bit during the second of the three pieces, without any help from either booze or a heavy meal. Maybe the seats were too comfortable. And row F left gave us a fine view and sound. In fact, a bit like a smaller version of Milton Court, last noticed at reference 3, but with a rather better ante-chamber, with plate glass walls to two sides overlooking the handsome park outside. I imagine they do quite well hiring the place out.

So we had the Sitkovetsky Piano Trio giving us Haydn No.39, Saint-Saëns No.2 and Dvořák No.4, aka the Dumky Trio. Which I thought we had heard not that long ago, but search only reveals an occasion in November 2016 when we did not get it. First heard in the RFH/QEH where it must have seemed entirely different - with my recollection being that we were some way back on the left hand aisle, with both sprogs, the memorable occasion on which we first heard Dvořák's piano quintet. Other two pieces new to us.

Haydn very good, with the last gypsy flavoured movement very much reminding me of the same movement in Brahms' Piano Quartet No.1, my first hearing of which was noticed at reference 4. Heard several times since. Saint-Saëns good, brilliant in the sense of sparkling, but I thought it would have been better had we heard it before. Dumky excellent, certainly earning its place in the repertoire on this occasion.

Decided against tea and cake at the rather grand looking Woodlands Park Hotel, a favourite for refreshments after visits to the nearby crematorium. No idea what the place was built as, seeming very big for a house, even for a century ago. Hefty stable block to go with it too. See reference 5.

But entertained on the way home by the sight of a not particularly young couple lying on the side of the roundabout joining Christchurch Road to Horton Lane, cuddling away in their tight jeans. Not the sort of thing one usually sees there, with most people nipping into the adjacent common, certainly during daylight hours. Maybe they were either exhibitionists or well-oiled, not that oiling opportunities were particularly handy.

PS: an ante-chamber which is not into promoting accessibility, unlike the RFH, the QEH or the National Theatre. No students or other indigents taking advantage of the comfort and sockets. In fact, just the people going to the concert.

Reference 1: http://www.yehudimenuhinschool.co.uk/.

Reference 2: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/menuhin.html.

Reference 3: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/back-at-court.html.

Reference 4: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/adaptations.html.

Reference 5: https://www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/woodlandspark.