Glyndebourne

My head is so full of lovely images from today that the choice of blip is difficult.

The performance of Janacek's Cunning Little Vixen was magical - the music was wonderful and the production was lively, colourful, witty and joyous. The opera is about nature and its cycle of life, sex, violence and death - time passes and life goes on. The forester comes to learn this as he grows wiser but for the animals and birds in the forest it is the fact of existence. Everything was tops about this production and its enchanted realism will live with me.

There was so much else to take in today though: there is a fabulous display of sculpture at Glyndebourne at the moment and I have to share some of the best pieces with you:

Carol Peace's sculptural figures are wonderful. I particularly liked The Dive, Reading, Sitting and Lying - these pieces all capture something familiar about everyday life but add a sense of anticipation, exhilaration, and excitement to these activities. They are all sculptures I'd happily live with.

Another highlight is Artemis / Diana The Huntress by Deborah Bell, possibly based on Titian's depiction in The Death of Acteaon - this is a truly outstanding sculptural installation and sits so well in the Sussex Downs (which sadly you don't get to see so well as a backdrop as the clouds were starting to roll in).

I chose, however, to blip Lucy Unwin's steel sculpture, Merriment. I liked the way the dancers appeared to move gracefully as if a cross between the Three Graces and a Matisse cut out. I also liked the mixture of textures in the surroundings, with the brick opera house in the background.

And the lovely gardens deserve a mention too - just look at this alium in full bloom and this wild orchid, and the display in front of the house...

And then there was the scrumptious picnic... delicious food and wine... Such a treat! A special thanks to those who treated me...