Concert: The Sixteen

Tonight, I was with London Classical Music & Theatre Group, for a choral performance (annual, apparently) by The Sixteen in Temple Church. Fantastic! I discovered it was quite a short walk from the office, so I left in plenty of time.

Ah, I knew I'd have trouble with Temple - made my way in from the main road, and where the map said to turn, I think I'd have had to climb in a window. Or over a rooftop. Of course, the fact that it was dark by then - and raining steadily - didn't make it any easier: but I followed the trick of following other people, and finally found myself coming through an archway that bore a sign for the church. And so I arrived, and the lady guided me to my colour-coded section, at the back - cheapest, as usual. Plenty of empty seats too, despite the website saying it had sold out.

Lodged my phone on the convenient ledge. Hung my bag on the convenient hook. Couldn't see the performers, really, from where I was - but that wasn't the most important thing, anyway. I wasn't familiar with the pieces performed - but my, it was stunning! I had the choice of gazing at the vaulted ceiling, or just closing my eyes and letting it overpower me. I did both, at intervals - and I have to say, the last piece, I cannot find words for. Uncommonly wonderful.

Unfortunately, at the interval, it took long enough for my phone to find signal that I had little chance of finding the organiser, whom I'd never met before anyway, and wouldn't have recognised. I made my excuses - and as it happened, I was seriously distracted en route to the entrance, where he apparently was, by all the historical effigies! Which, mind you, rang a bell.. I was actually here before, nearly seven years ago! Ah well, I can't be expected to remember everything. Reading back my review of that occasion, I see I was also lost, until I found the arch with the sign.. See here for photos, they were better than what I took tonight.

Afterwards, he said he'd be at the entrance again - but I couldn't decide who might be a likely Meetup organiser, and gave up. I did find a quicker way out, though! Don't know how I missed it on the way in.. Anyway, the rain had stopped, and I had a really pleasant walk home. Even if I did have to check my direction at every junction! (Complicated streetscape, around here.) But it was sad to see all the closed businesses on Ludgate Hill.

Tomorrow, I'm with Guided Walking Tours in Brighton and Sussex (!). They have an online talk entitled Hallowe'en Penny Dreadful Online Show - The Art of Victorian Horror. I have to say, online has become much more of an option since lockdown. And that'll be a night I can move stuff from my desk - we have to clear them out by the end of the week, as we're moving office next month!

On Wednesday, I booked another walk with Invigorate - this one is a tour of (the outside of) Christopher Wren's churches. Starting even closer to the office than the last one, handily. Rain is forecast - I hope it doesn't get too bad.

On Thursday, an online storytelling double-bill - I'll have to see how that pans out. First, I'd booked Universe, a Crick Crack Club (CCC) show happening in Oxford and live-streamed. Clare Murphy - and I've seen it before, and it was the best show ever! And then I saw that Martin Shaw from the CCC was doing an online show, earlier in the evening.. this one, in association with Watkins Bookshop, is called The Smoke Hole, and it's free. So I said, hey, why not? (And this is realistically the last night I can move stuff from my desk.)

On Friday, back with the London European Club for a concert - Balkan Music, courtesy of Raka & Balamuc, in The Post Bar, Tottenham. Sounds like fun. Even if I have to bring my work laptop, as we won't have access to our desks by that night. Then I'm back to Ireland - another Saturday flight - and with a few days off, I'm not flying back until the 28th. At least I'm not working from home this time, so don't have to bring the laptop on the flight!

But on the 29th, back with that group again, for Carmen - contemporary flamenco at The Place. (Might work from home that day, as we won't be in our new office yet, and I'd have to carry my laptop around with me.) Funnily enough, someone in the group said there were no individual seats left, and asked whether anyone wanted to double up with her. I offered, if there were no other takers - but she never got back to me. So, since I was now up to that date in my schedule, I decided to check for myself - and got an individual seat! So I've booked it.

And on the 30th, I'm doing something nice and Halloweeny - a ghost story event entitled Night Owl - changed from Scared to Death in the Woods, which they're now doing on Hallowe'en itself, and which has sold out. Tickets from Design My Night. So, an organisation called London Dreamtime is leading us off into a undisclosed location, somewhere around Hampstead Heath.. we're to dress warmly, and bring a blanket to sit on, and a "candle in a jar" - I actually went out and bought an LED flickering candle in a lantern-style holder. Well, thought it was the most practical! Now I just need batteries..