Lines

I know I'm being visually repetitive but this was the only picture I took today, in between nursing a vile headache in bed and dosing myself up to go out to another Oxford Chamber Music Festival concert, conducted by Tom Fetherstonhaugh.

The first half was a strange mixture of seasons and elements from Sally Beamish, Vivaldi and DJ Kypski. Spring from all of them first, Summer from all of them next. Etc. I was looking forward to hearing how DJ Kypski's music would fit in but he was allocated hardly any time at all. I was disappointed.

The second half, though, was quite different. Sheku Kanneh-Mason, winner of the 2016 BBC Young Musician of the Year award, was the soloist in Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations. This festival picks excellent musicians and there there were several extremely talented and technically brilliant players on the stage but Sheku Kanneh-Mason was right inside the music as he played. Extraordinary.

I am going to go and hear him again tomorrow.