. . . as the man said when he kissed the cow." Sorry, another of my old Mum's favourite sayings - odd how they stick with you throughout life. I suppose SoD's memory of his old Dad's favourite expression will be "Bugger off!" Anyway, I was reminded of all this by my experience yesterday evening when I sat in the magnificent Sherborne Abbey and listened to a choral concert ranging from Mendleson through Vivaldi to John Rutter's Magnificat. As far as I could judge, and remember I'm a man who can't tell the difference between a crotchet and a quaver, it was sung beautifully, indeed, some of the soloists from the amateur choir were better than the pros they hire in from time to time. And yet ... and yet ... again, it failed to move. I'm afraid I have a blind spot, or perhaps a deaf ear, to choral music. Where the right piece of orchestral music will have me on the edge of my seat, the constant repetitions and crescendos of baroque choirs fail to take my mind off the exquisite torture of sitting on a church pew - worse than water-boarding! Mind you, whilst I would sit happily engrossed and entranced on the wooden benches of The Globe theatre watching Shakespeare, most of my friends would pay good money never to go near the place. So I suppose my old Mum was right, "If wishes were horses beggars would ride" - oh, no, sorry, that was her other favourite saying.
In the meantime - back to the garden.
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