Awash with rich musical events.

Whilst Armidale only has c. 25,000 residents, we have an immensely rich array of musical events. That results from our having a long-standing university, many highly educated people, a music conservitorium, and so on. Although we have two orchestras - one for adults and the other for children - the two events just a short while ago that are mentioned here were (a) for solo piano and (b) songs (Lieder) accompanied by a piano. Both were fantastic.

I'll start with an event held in Armidale's Uniting Church monthly at 12.30 pm just after the Sunday markets in the Mall are completed. The picture belwo shows a pianist seated and about perform several of Beethoven's piano sonatas - some of which I ussed to play. Luckily, the price of this pleasing event was by personal donation - maybe I gave about A$5 - cheap and cheerful!

The second event I attended a little over 2 weeks ago was much more expensive - about $40 - but absolutely brilliant. John Clifton-Everst - a fabilous local pianist - was accomapnied by Sarah Adeney (Soprano), Inge Southcott (Mezzo Soprano), and Bruce Myers (Baritone). The works they sang very also fantastic:

Schubert's An Silvia, Die Junge Nonne, Frulingssehsucht,Meeresstille, Der Musensohn, Im Fruhling, Die Taubenpost, and Sei mir gegrusst;

Brahm's Dein blaues Auge, Alte Liebe, Immer Leiser, Wei Melodien, Dammrung sekte sich, Da unten im Tale, and Vergebliches Standchen;

Ralph Vaughan Williams's Songs of Travel - based on a work by R.L. Stevenson: The Vagabond, Let Beauty Awake, The Roadside fire, Youth and Love, In Dreams, The Infinite Shining Heavens, Whither Must I wander, Bright is the Ring of Words, and I have trod the upward and the downward slope.

These works - except for Ralph's - were not necessarily sung in the order given. The performers were I understand local,but tremendous. And the audience was speel-bound and congratulatory. The event was staged at the Conservatorium up on Armidale's South Hill. Here are some pictures I took surrepticiously with my phone!

AS

Lots of Rain

Much of eastern Australia has had a tremendously wet year as a result of which we've endured heaps of flood events. In the last couple of weeks even Armidale has way above average rain events and, as usual, Dumaresq Creek has risen to flood adjacent grasslands and cut low-level creek crossings. If I recall correctly, this was about the sixth such event in 2022. These two pictures record the latest event.

Now, just after the Spring Equinox, Armidale has recorded another large rain event - abo ut 30 mm or well over 1 inch over-night. This time, our garden was awash with water. Here we are looking west. Luckily for us, the water didn't come indoors. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this rain event will clear this morning before that happens.

This next picture looks east from our dining area and shows another little lake adjacent to our neighbour's garden. One of our deceased cats lies buried under this little lake and I hope it's not disturbed!

Stay dry! Tony