Another interesting exhibition which I went to see was in the Natural History Museum, Wildlife Photography of the year 2011.The photo's are amazing. Of course getting a wonderful picture is not just chance or a stroke of luck. Most photographers have gone to a lot of trouble to take those shots: lying on their stomach in shallow water for a full day, if that is what it takes. Hiding in huts in extreme cold conditions, hoping not to be trampled by a herd of bison. Whatever, the outcome is wonderful. The website shows all the photos and one can even order copies/prints online: on canvas, paper, cardboard, framed or not, delivered at one's door. Here is one of the photo's of a polar bear swimming, taken by Joe Bunni from France:
The nice thing about the exhibition is that the photos are not printed but shown on big computer screens. Like slides the light shines through them and they look much better than in print. Also one can still see them well even if there are lots of people, which fortunately wasn't the case when I went to see the exhibition. A new competition is open for amateurs and professionals alike. But after what I have seen, not even in my wildest dreams would I think of joining such a competition, as I take just snapshots! Although these pictures of wildlife on Picasa shot through my kitchen window in my tiny back yard, are not bad either. I admit the background should have been hazy. Just about everything is in focus, which is not really professional, although it was an exciting spectacle.
The Evensong in St. Paul's was strange. To begin with the space in front of the cathedral, so the cathedral close if there had been one, was surrounded by a encampment of the Occupy Movement, the movement against economic inequality. As it was towards 5 o'clock and getting dark when I got there, my picture is of very poor quality and blurred. I had no tripod, just a small camera.
The police had cordoned off paths towards the steps of the cathedral, so that the entrance to the cathedral would not be blocked. But it was weird smelling the food that was being prepared and seeing all the multicoloured domed tents, in a variety of coulours. Inside the cathedral I could not hear sounds from outside, except for police sirens, not unusual in London.
As far as Evensong was concerned I was a bit disappointed. Although I was early no one was allowed to sit in the choir stalls, as two large groups of foreign students were allocated there. Sitting just at the beginning of the nave, the sound does peculiar things and seems to whirl around in the dome between the choir and the nave, so that I found it terribly difficult to "hear" the music and the melody. Besides, the choir was reduced to just men, no boys, the canticles were sung in Latin and were chanted as well as the responses. I think I prefer Westminster Abbey, which seems to be far more intimate in spite of being a big cathedral as well. But St. Paul's seemed aloof to me, and lacked the spiritual atmosphere I had hoped for and expected.
A concert in St. Martin in the Fields was more rewarding. It was a concert by candlelight and even more often disrupted by police sirens. But the atmosphere was intimate, and the music, although just chamber music, brilliantly performed by the Belmont Ensemble of London, even Eine kleine Nachtmusik sounded fresh and new. There is a new entrance to the crypt next to the church, and the crypt itself has undergone a transformation. It is all modern and efficient, but it blends in well with the rest.
Another concert I went to with a friend was in the Royal Festival Hall, all Prokofiev by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. We had high hopes of the cello concerto op.85 and were really looking forward to that, but were both disappointed by its apparent lack of a theme or themes. We decided that perhaps it had to grow on us. It seemed extremely difficult for the cellist, Danjulo Ishizaka, and his performance was brilliant, but neither of us took to the music. The Suite Lieutenant Kijé and Prokofiev´s Symphony No. 7 were a real joy to hear.
A recording of part of the cello concerto
Around this part of the South Bank also a lot has changed favourably. There are numerous small restaurants now under the railway lines in the arches where once were only grotto warehouses and boarded up premises. Now it is an area where people like to spend an evening out. I had not been to London for three years and was amazed at the many improvements and changes. Clearly the upcoming Olympic Games have speeded up those improvements.
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