Blogging from the Highlands of Scotland
'From fanaticism to barbarism is only one step' - Diderot

Saturday 12 September 2009

Simplement parce que je l'aime!

One of my favourite popular songs ever; great rhythm, great words ...

Etienne Daho - Bleu Comme Toi




- I am of course this evening mainly enjoying the Last Night of the Proms, with my usual [large] box of Belgian Chocolates and this year a bottle of Prosecco; it's a little lighter than champagne - and I had a bottle of a very nice example of that (I buy a lot of my chanpagne and other wines from the Wine Society, of which I have been a member for over 30 years) a couple of evenings ago to 'celebrate' getting rid of my self-assessment tax return for 2008-2009 in advance of my departure for Spain next Wednesday for a month, so felt like something different this evening. (If submitting a paper return, it's got to be in by 31 October, although one may submit returns via the website until the final 31 January deadline, but I prefer to stick with paper, at least for now.)

In any case, I take an unashamed delight for one evening of the year in celebrating my 'Britishness', with music in recent years coming from all four member nations of the UK; even with our current odious Government this remains a great country and the Last Night of the Proms is a good focus for this, specially as it has for many years now enjoyed a wide international audience who seem to enjoy it as much as many Britons do - if the variety of national flags habitually waved in the Albert Hall and at the 'Concerts in the Parks' elsewhere in the UK is a guide.

5 comments:

  1. I loved Sarah Connolly's Nelson garb. Topped even Bryn Terfel's jacket of last year. Shame the flag which flew from her sword was upside down too. I missed the fantasia on Sea Songs too but the Handel made up for that.

    Glad you had a good night.

    ReplyDelete
  2. She was good, wasn't she! :) I guarantee the flag was deliberately 'upside-down' just to provide a talking-point - lol ...

    I particularly enjoy seeing the different flags being brandished in the hall - it's become a celebration not just of 'Britishness', but of the true spirit of what 'Jerusalem' is all about; the striving for a better world for all. Sorry to get all 'maudlin' an sentimental - Prosecco and Belgian Chocolate 'poisoning' does that to one - hic!

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  3. Have to admit the Nelson bit was a very good idea and she pulled it off.

    The whole event does seem to have gone way beyond the united kingdom and seems to have become a very international affair indeed.

    There were as many tourists (mainly German, Scandinavians and Italian by the sounds of things) in Glasgow Green tonight as there was Scots.

    PS Prosecco and chocs sounds like a bloody good night in Bill! - enjoy

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thought you'd turned French for a moment.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wardog

    Were you at Glasgow Green yourself or did you see it on Satellite?

    James

    ... well I lived in three French-speaking countries for quite a few years and speak pretty decent French - they usually wonder if I'm French-Canadian (i.e. 'speak funny'), Belgian (i.e. 'thick') or Swiss or parts of France bordering it (i.e. a 'bit slow'), but never UK/US. For better or worse, that's me ;)

    ReplyDelete

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