Guess where I went yesterday? No, not Scunthorpe; I went to one of the BBC Proms in London. For many years, I’ve enjoyed watching them broadcast on TV each summer and I’ve always wanted to go but never made the effort before; I always assumed that it would be impossible to get a ticket. That was indeed the case when I wanted to see Beethoven’s 9th on 28 August but then I saw that they were doing Beethoven’s 5th (my other favourite) yesterday, and found that it also featured his 1st and his Violin Concerto no.1 with Hilary Hahn and that I could still get a reasonable seat, I just had to book. It was a magical night.
Paavo Jarvi directed the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and Hilary Hahn’s violin playing was phenomenal. Although only a chamber orchestra, the sound that they produced and the effort they put into the 5th was incredible. The audience loved it all and we had one encore from Hilary hahn and then two from the orchestra. I’ve had the day off from vital Government work today and have already listened to it twice again on Iplayer. It’s repeated on BBC Radio 3 on Friday afternoon from 2pm and if you like Beethoven, you’re in for a treat.
The Signs of Lekwungen
I was wandering along the walkway alongside the Inner Harbour when I came across part of the opening ceremony of the Signs of Lekwungen (pronounced Le-KWUNG-en), a new interpretive walkway along the Inner Harbour and surrounding areas that honours the art, history and culture of the Coast Salish people who have resided in the Victoria area for hundreds of years.
The Songhees and Esquimalt Nations are part of the Coast Salish family and are descendants of the Lekwungen family groups. Lekwungen is the original language of this land.
Signs of Lekwungen consist of seven unique site markers – bronze castings of original cedar carvings, conceptualized and carved by Coast Salish artist, Butch Dick. The markers depict spindle whorls that were traditionally used by Coast Salish women to spin wool. The spindle whorl was considered the foundation of a Coast Salish family.
The walkway was opened by the city’s Mayor and elders of the tribes; the Mayor paid tribute to the First Nation, the original Aboriginal inhabitants of Canada. It was very interesting to witness some of the heritage of the country – oh, and also enjoy free hospitality! I was intrigued by the footwear of some of the partipants; it would seem that Nike, Adidas and Reebok are also some of tribes…!!
