Concert: Iranian Music

Tonight - not so much appealed on Meetup. Free Stuff and Free Events did have Free Community Singing with Ros Hone and the Global Fusion Sound Singers, which you could attend on Zoom, or in person at Fossdene School Community Hall. Which sounded just fine - except that this is the sort of thing I keep cancelling! So I decided not to confirm until nearer the time. Which is just as well, because - pretty last-minute - Eleanor Salter Thorn, from Tuned In London, just a short while ago advertised an evening of Iranian music with Shahab Azinmehr, with the World Music Meetup. I adore this kind of music - and for once, it wasn't all the way out in Rotherhithe! It's just such a trek.. no, this was in St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. Which, ironically, is just down the road from where I last lived.. anyway, much closer to me than usual for these concerts! Refugees and asylum seekers got free tickets.

I ate in The Lucas Arms, being convenient - there isn't much around where I was going. We'd been asked, during the day, to get there early - in the event, I got there before it opened at all! which was a tad inconvenient, in the cold. Happily, they did open for us a few minutes early. And it's lovely - renovated after an IRA bombing, it now boasts many Arabic influences in its courtyard:

Interestingly, they have a yurt behind this wall!

We had to wait a little while, and then we had our names checked, and could get in from the cold! Seating is unreserved:

I was the first of the group there - and when the organiser arrived, she was the last of the group there! Several had signed up to come, but it seems as though I was the only one to realise you had to buy a ticket - and now it was sold out. Happily, it turned out, it was also livestreamed.

As the MC established, the crowd was full of Iranians! Shahab Azinmehr took some time to explain to us some of the principles of Iranian music - but mostly, it was just a lovely, soothing evening of him on the sitar, accompanied by Fariborz Kiani on percussion.. Gorgeous. I don't hear enough of it, and I do look forward to more Meetups like this - so different from offerings by other groups. Nice, spiced apple drink available at the interval too. I hadn't realised, but there is actually a series of concerts here, called Listen to the World.. I can't seem to find information online, but doubtless I'll hear more in due course. And, with buses appearing without delay to whisk me home, I was back nice and early!

Tomorrow - back with the Crick Crack Club, woohoo! for Goddesses in the Garden, at the Chelsea Physic Garden. Features my favourite, Clare Murphy, along with Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, Laura Sampson, and Xanthe Gresham. Now, it's been so cold this week that I was worried - especially when I checked tomorrow's weather forecast, which is for unremitting snow! But upon closer inspection, I see it's indoors, phew! They have a gallery, it seems. Gee, I had visions of us all turning into ice sculptures.. Anyway, turns out this is now sold out, too.

On Thursday, my final booking - for the week - with Up in the Cheap Seats, for Brilliant Jerks at Southwark Playhouse. And wouldn't you know it, I still had credit on my Pay as you Go subscription, so got it for free!

And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again. Now that the film listings are finally out for there, at the top of the list is one I hadn't heard of. My Sailor, My Love is an Irish, geriatric love story - a crusty old ex-sailor is looked after by his daughter, who gets in a housekeeper (Brid Brennan, looking a lot older than when I last saw her, in Brooklyn). The last thing she's expecting is for them to fall in love..