Wigmore two

Last week to the Wigmore to hear Fretwork do most of the art of fugue. With five of them playing music mostly written in four parts, with most music theorists now going for the theory that the four parts were written for two hands on one keyboard. With some of it written in two parts and rather less in three, just to keep us on our toes.

It was cold in the house when I started off which perhaps accounted for forgetting Cortana. Knowing I would feel quite bereft travelling without her, I legged it back to the house, from half way to the station, and back again to catch the train intended, with the result that I was warm in the train. Involving a spot of 25-25 well known to Boy Scouts of my generation, with the usual small prize to readers who know - or who can guess - what that is.

Very nearly scored a three at the aeroplane game, from the train coming into Waterloo, a personal best for that location.

Had to go more than half way down the ramp to pull a Bullingdon, but a Bullingdon which was nice and new and had well tuned transmission. No slipping, uncertain feels or unpleasant noises. Up Drury Lane to go past a long queue of young people whom I learned afterwards were queuing up for the opportunity to dance in the chorus of a new round of '42nd Street'. Quite possibly including some graduates of our own school of theatrical and dramatic arts, back at Epsom.

Got a bit lost getting from Drury Lane into Oxford Street, but got there in the end and parked up outside the Portuguese Consulate General. No queue there on this occasion.

Thought to try the new public house which the Langham Hotel has carved out of the south east corner of their building, rather than their regular bar inside. Very grand for a pub, with a very high ceiling, painted in a deep green. Rather fancy parquet on the floor, made up of patterns repeating in two feet squares, reminding me of the rather less grand Antelope in Tooting, noticed, for example, at reference 4. Which reminds me that maybe I really should take a look at the book taken out of the Wetherspoons library on that occasion. Been sitting on a book shelf ever since.

The grand pub included genuine pre-owned warm beer pulls (which I did not try) and a rather good Picpoul (which I did try). At least five staff for a near empty, middle sized pub. A pub which looks as if it is really more into eating than drinking, being laid out for lunch rather than for boozers. Cheaper than their regular bar. Maybe we should try it for lunch at the next suitable occasion.

Excellent concert, this despite a fair amount of snoozing to be seen from the generally older audience and one chap had to be helped out looking very ill indeed. Reminded once again how different the different ways of doing this piece are, with on this occasion, the viols bringing out the harmonies much more clearly than, for example, the organ. Quite a lot of the time one or more of the viols was resting, but I am fairly sure that there was also plenty of time when they were all playing.

We did not get our usual lady as mistress of ceremonies, she having called in sick, with our getting a more senior gentleman in her place, which occasioned some comment behind me about directors of music at Radio Three. From where there was also a learned discussion of the different ways to complete this incomplete masterpiece that I [that is to say, one of the learned discussants] have heard. With Fretwork offering a new completion, based, in part, on analysing the number of bars given to the various subjects.

Out to the Cock and Lion to take a little wine while sitting outside and watching the world go by. They could also manage a ham sandwich on white, without any crisps, cress or any of the other stuff that such places usually pile in. Ham good, but factory white a little elderly.

Next stage was the braces hunt down Saville Row, with first stop being a visit to the Opera Gallery in New Bond Street, what turns out to be a branch of a rather swish, international organisation. Swish enough not to mind me, whom they surely knew not to have the kind of money needed to shop in such a place, the people staffing them up usually having a very good nose for such matters. They also had some interesting stuff. A work by Jeff Koons, whom I think I first came across in a prize winning book by Houellebecq. A small brass piece of a Mickey Mouse or some such, seemingly worth a great deal of money, but not my thing at all. Nor were any of the other of his pieces which the young lady turned up for me on her laptop. There were also a couple of nude young ladies, hollow shells made out of the links of bicycle chains, new and polished, neatly spot welded together from the inside. Rather better stuff downstairs, including a Chagal, a Picasso and a fine picture by the new to me Herbin. Plus a young man from Paris who agreed with me that La Villette had somehow got left behind by the wave of gentrification which had swept over most of inner Paris. See reference 7.

Second stop Crombies at the top of Saville Row, to find that they had nearly run out of braces, and could not manage the one's that I wanted at all. Were they running down their stock for some sinister reason? Tried various other places down Saville Row without success, the nifty attachments from Crombies, which I combine with outsize keyrings, not being available from other stores. While Abercrombie & Fitch, despite size and appearances, did not do braces at all. A problem. Maybe amazon is going to work better on this occasion too, despite my not liking to buy such things without being able to handle them first.

Time for home, and it seemed a long walk to Waterloo, so I picked up another Bullingdon. Giving me a record for the day of Waterloo Station 2 to Broadcasting House, Marylebone at 19m 12s and Sackville Street, Mayfair to Waterloo Station 3 at 15m 12s. Total charge, £2 for the day.

Back at Waterloo, I inquired of its police minders about the giant bicycle rack at the top of the ramp. The answer being that it was free and always busy. Some bother with thieves.

With reference 1 being the last outing to the Wigmore Hall to hear viols earlier this year, reference 2 being the last outing to hear Fretwork, at St. Luke's two year's ago, and reference 3 being the last outing to 'Die Kunst der Fuge' at the King's Place earlier this year.

PS: somewhere along the way I was moved to look up cadence at reference 5. Which mainly served to remind me of my regret at never having done much music theory at school. Probably too late now. And in the margins I learned that there are music theorists who go in for the music theory of popular music. Chord progressions and that sort of thing.

Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/viols.html.

Reference 2: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/a-touch-of-pepys.html.

Reference 3: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/kings-place.html.

Reference 4: http://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=Pandith+Ganapathy.

Reference 5: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence_(music).

Reference 6: http://www.operagallery.com/.

Reference 7: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/not-much-chopin.html.

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