Belisario

Sunday. Not a day to travel on the trains. No staff. No coffee. Sit for ages waiting for engineering work to be completed. They don't have this trouble in the rest of Europe do they?

Mind you, it was all worth it in the end. I made it with time to spare. First - a study afternoon about a very rarely performed Donizetti opera, "Belisario". (Not that I know very much about Donizetti anyway but this was a great opportunity to learn more).

A snack in their canteen (not really a restaurant but its fine) and then the performance! Wow.

Sir Mark Elder (famous conductor) had decided to revive this amazing work. The BBC Symphony Orchestra and a brilliant cast of young opera stars of the future. Magnificent.

And quite short. A group of us were enthusing about it as we caught the number 4 bus back to the Strand. What an evening.

The photo is of the seats for the orchestra, plus double basses, waiting to begin.