Oscar at twilight

It was nearly bedtime for us all when I captured Oscar sitting on the back of the settee in my lounge. It is one of the places he likes to be. He was soon on the seat of the settee in Mum's lounge - one of the two places he likes to sleep. Cats know how to find comfort.

This morning, Maureen and Tim Cox came to see us. We met them a few years ago a the Corbridge Chamber Music Festival. They live in Glossop and they are now on the team that puts on the festival. Their organisation of tickets for the Friends and Patrons has been superb.

We had coffee and a good chat about all sorts of things. It was good to have the chance to talk. They are very busy at the actual festival.

Margret and I attended the afternoon concert. It was Lumas Winds. They played an arrangement of Ravel's string quartet in F major. I had been muttering beforehand that I thought they should have played a proper wind quintet - there is no shortage of repertoire - however, I think that Ravel should have written this for winds. It was wonderful.

Then they played with Poulenc Sextet, joined by Ben Frith on piano. I've played this a lot of courses and I was very absorbed by the music. 

Lumas Winds are a group to look out for in the future. They all play very well. I have to single out their oboist, Chris Vettraino, who produces a sublime tone and the horn player, George Andrews, whose horn playing shows great maturity. Horn players have a big challenge in quintet playing, because they could easily drown the others. 

I was tired so stayed at home this evening. I've been watchig Petite Femme, on Storyville (BBC iPlayer) and exquisite documentary about Sasha, a seven year old who knows she is a girl but is in a boy's body. It reminded me of the filming of Etre et avoir,  also French.