symphony no 2 | Christine Lucas

I love sharing my weekly news with you in the form of a Sunday Sevens. 🙂 Thanks to Natalie at Threads and bobbins for creating the series.

Waking the dog:

I’ve been meaning to share with you all, the most recent walks we’ve had with Riley. David and I have taken Riley to a picnic at Festival Gardens, walked around Calderstones Park and got muddy at Sefton Park! 😀

David and Riley at Sefton Park

Selfie with Riley

David and Riley at Cailderstones park

Walk 1000 miles:

Reaching 500 miles

I’ve done it! I’m a Proclaimer! I reached 500 miles today on Formby Beach with David and Riley! This week my mileage has been 30 miles. My annual total to date is 502 miles!

Classic FM: Hall of Fame:

Classic FM Hall of Fame 2018

Easter weekend was all about the Classic FM, Hall of Fame. The Lark Ascending by Vaughn Williams was deposed by the explosive Tchaikovsky’s, 1812 Overture. The result was quite a shocker! The pieces of music I voted for reached:

1. Massenet’s Thais’ Meditation reached: 150, down 2.

2. Elgar’s Enigma Variations reached: 5, down 1.

3. Rachmaninov’s, 2nd Symphony reached 35: down 6.

Baking:

David’s cake

This weekend, David has been busy making a cake. He used 10 eggs in total. He took over half an hour making Swiss Meringue Buttercream. The result was a very rich chocolate sponge cake with buttercream and white chocolate ganache.

Supporting Local Businesses:

I don’t know how I came to follow TileProductions on Instagram.

This Clitheroe based, family run business produces bespoke wall and floor tiles and have recently decided to create products from their waste materials.

They create mugs and jewelry. When I saw their ceramic bee broaches I just had to have one!

Yarden:

Tree Bumblebee on rhododendron

Stellata magnolia

And finally, I spent some time in the yarden this Sunday, planting Maris Peer chits and scattering wildflower seeds. I’ll end this post with some pictures of the yarden. With the arrival of British Summer Time, the plants have all begun to wake up. Here’s pictures of the spectacular rhododendron and delicate magnolia which have recently flowered. What plants are awakening in your gardens?

That was my week, how was yours?

Thanks for reading,

Christine x

It’s 20 years since Classic FM started their yearly poll on the nations favourite classical music.

In 2016 I have voted as follows:

My choice for number three: goes to Antonín Dvořák Symphony No 9 (From the New World).

I chose the scherzo as an example of the vibrancy of the piece. Though I do love Leonard Bernstein’s 1962 version with the New York Philharmonic.

Over the past year I have enjoyed listening to the 9th symphony, when it plays on the radio. It makes me want to know more about Dvořák, of his life and his works.

My choice for number two: has got to be Sir Edward Elgar’s Nimrod from his Enigma Variations.

It has always been a piece of music that stops me in my tracks. Whether it be cleaning, cooking or changing the bed sheets, I always have to stop and think, to reflect as the music drifts around me. I chose this piece last year and it reached number three in the chart, so who knows. Maybe we can get Elgar and his Nimrod to number one??

And for my number one, this year: I have picked a Rachaminov, but not his piano concerto number two, (which is divine) and had my vote for previous years! I have decided to go against the grain and vote for his symphony number two! It is only one of a few symphonies that I can listen to in its entirety. The others being Mahler’s 5th, Beethoven’s 5th (you can see a pattern there? – must be something about the 5th symphony!), Sibelius’s 2nd symphony and Dvořák ‘s 9th symphony!

In previous years I have been glued to the radio, listening with bated breath as to which composer achieves the accolade as being the nations favourite. In 2016 I shall worry less about whether Rachmaninov or Vaughn Williams gets to the top spot. I will just be enjoying the countdown over the Easter weekend.

Will you be voting in this years poll? Who will get your vote?

Christine x