Magic

(Backblip)
Lovely busy day that was mainly warm and sunny. We started with a magic show (Mario the maker magician) which was great…some very clever magic, excellent crowd control, funny, and some good messages about the importance (and fun!) of both art and science. Both kids desperate to be picked to go on stage but they didn’t get a chance. We left with red clown noses and a big red balloon though!
Home and had lunch…they’re getting tired though and there were tantrums about the cheese toastie being ‘too cheesy’ (is that possible?!) and general squabbling, so it was with some tredidation that I bundled them up and headed for the beach to give Mt some time to do some work calls. I needn’t have worried…they were both brilliant and had a whale of a time. Both dashed straight into the water (the rolled up trouser legs were a waste of time!) and played in the waves for ages, then came out and dug holes and collected shells and did sand angels on the beach, getting thoroughly covered in sand and I waited til they decided they’d had enough of that and wanted to get changed. I was pleased to have brought the towel and spare clothes, as well as the frisbee that kept Higgs amused too all afternoon.
They had ice creams then we came home and Iz came round so we chatted for a while before I took them to Beats on Point, a dance show which was a very loud mix of hip hop and ballet style dance to pounding music. They sat transfixed and I enjoyed the male ballet dancer in heels doing the full Beyoncé ‘All the single ladies’ routine as well as the spins and jumps by the others.
I dropped them back home then headed out to the Usher Hall for two events, both involved the Budapest Festival Orchestra led by Ivan Fischer and with the audience on beanbags! The first event was more of a conversation between Ivan and Nicky Benedetti about the future for orchestras, with some of the BFO illustrating various points by singing, playing folk music and tango and some Monteverdi. After a break there was then a performance of Dvorak’s 8th with the orchestra arranged in the round on the floor of the hall, with all the stalls removed and we as audience scattered around the musicians on beanbags. It was fantastic…Ivan kept stopping the players and showing different ways of playing to convey different emotions, and generally illustrating what the conductor’s role is in interpreting the music, and it was so brilliant to be in the middle of the music. I sat between two bassoon players and loved it.
Late home, and by the time I’d chatted to Mt I was tired out!