Ian Beale stars as Evangelist in the Monteverdi Choir Prom

Imagine my surprise when I tuned into the live BBC Four broadcast of Bach's Johannes Passion to find that the role of the Evangelist was being sung by Eastenders star Adam Woodyate who plays the downtroaden Walford entrepreneur Ian Beale. Now I know that Jigi is known for falling out with distinguished singers (Sadly Anne Sophie von Otter does not appear on his soloist list any more) and the Monteverdi Apprenticeship Scheme has been launched to give aspiring singers opportunities but this is perhaps the most bizarre episode that I must say that I have seen recently. Is Jigi attempting to jump on the same band wagon? Now that Sir Roger Norrington has joined the ranks of the "prostitution of music" by becoming a panalist in that latest "awful" celebrity show Maestro is this another type of Early Music Revival? Having missed the opening titles and pre-concert puke

given by those lovies that the BBC keep on manfuacturing I may have missed the explanation on why the eminent English Tenor Mark Padmore was indisposed? Beale did a great job as his dep although he did look out of place in tails. But it did make me wonder why he didn't drop it into the conversation earlier in the week when he invited Lucy's boyfriend and mother to the house knowing that they were posh! Lol. Anyway back to Padmore. I remebre his taking over as Ledger's leading Tenor in King's after the brilliant Charles Daniels left in about 1982/3. On visits to King's during the summer of 1982 I heard him sing a delightful verse in a broadcast service of the Weelkes Evening Service for Trebles which included an improvisation on the Tenor verse passage "he hath showed stenghth with his arm etc." which was not in the original mss. English cadence Society look out for this one. Back to Beal. Has anyone heard what other plans that Jigi has for him? and is he to feature on any of the forthcoming SDG releases. Please let me know.

French Health and safety

Beside a railway line and about half way up the road from Perpignan to Andorra I saw this sign beside a delightful fantastic station with a Ricard Fils advertisment written on it I saw this priceless sign.
Now most politically correct signs today will look for a get out clause in case of counter suit. But the French ... non .... I can hear the station master saying "take your chances punk... touch the line and you might die.... do you feel lucky punk.... put your foot on the line it may be alive, it may be dead? Do you feel lucky punk?" But this one is hidden behind a load of leaves. Do you feel lucky Punk?

The trip to the Pyrenees Part Un

My lovely wife (pictured here with her toothbrush on the roof garden at the hotel) has always wanted to return to Andorra. She spent an Easter vacation with a family outside Pau when she was younger and they took her skiing there. The journey up from Perpignan passed up through the mountains and then across a plateau until you enter Andorra via the Pas de la Casa. Now when you've been brought up in the Rhondda, surrounded by mountains, escaping out over the Bwlch to Bridgend and Porthcawl or over the Rhigos to Brecon, you get used to driving round hairpin bends. So driving up and down7% gradients comes as second nature. But unfortunately I was driving a Black Corsa 1.2 - bit of a minger really. The scenery was stunning. The other fascinating sight was that all along the route was a railway line occasionally traversing the gorge. Along it ran the Petit Train Jeune de Pyrenness. There's one thing about the French, they do love their little novelties. And this is one of them. They say mountain people are strange..... well if you have to travel on a cattle wagon along a long slither of track up to a plateau then so be it. But hey, why should we feel sorry for these people.. their choice. This little train takes even longer than the car and those open carriages.... you could sh*t yourself going over those viaducts and comfort? where's the buffet car? Part Deux will follow soon.

Fourwentways Car Park

I decided to pay homage to my compatriot and fellow facebooker Mr. Mark D Carrington in the car park of the Travelodge in Fourwentways just outside Cambridge. This Jag was parked close to the Tiguan and the German driver looked at me rather strangly when I asked Gaynor to take this shot.
It will make an ideal profile picture. We were on the way to Perpignan on our summer holiday and drove up to break the journey to London Stansted. We had dinner in a fantastic pub The Red Lion in the village of Hinxton about 20 minutes away from Cambridge. We didn't manage to see much of Cambridge, having not left home till about 2 p.m. but we did manage to have abit of a drive around searching for something to take back to the room - drink wise. I haven't ever driven in Cambridge and just like the other university city - it hates cars as Clarkson would say. Also a bit disappointing was that I had thought the the backs would have been illiminated so we could see King's floodlit. I suppose that they didn't have enough money in the meter. But it was nice to see some of the sights again. I think that I can pesuade GC to come an stay there again and put the car in the Park and Ride and walk around. Perhaps a long weekend in November or February. We'll see. The Red Lion say that they have rooms available at the end of the year. Interesting.

My latest trip to France

The latest trip to France was a bit disappointing. Perpignan was disappointing - hotel restaurant was shut and the place seems to have closed down - no petrol stations open during the afternoon etc. I put this down perhaps to the Spanish influence - dare I say lazyness. Now staying in a city is probably not the best thing to do either as everybody is too preoccupied with things and the people are only doing a job after all. But when you travel to the South of France you should be able to safely assume that during their holidays you can go to a hotel and get a meal. The worrying things is that with three flights a day coming in from Stansted alone there are lots of tourists in town. So why do the cooks have a week off. Go anywhere in Wales in the summer and you find hotel restaurant staff working away. If I were running a hotel I'd need my head tested if I had to tell customers "Sorry, the chef and his staff have gone on their annual jolly, but they'll be back next week after you've all gone home" The weather was rather bizzare as well - here's one of me being blown (excuse the expression) on a Languadoc beach. 22 degrees and a howling gale from the Pyrenees. Not many people on the beach and if they were "Chapel hat pegs" would have been in evidence - know what I mean. Anyway it was a break, a bit more of France ticked off but I can't see a return. More of the exploits soon.

Old photos on facebook

I've posted some old photos of me an gaynor on facebook. You can follow the link here but if you are not a friend you won't be able to see them. So click on the friends request button to see them. There are some from a three week holiday to Naxos, my one nad only skiing trip to Austria and some from our various trips to France. Nostalgia eh.

I know more than Chris Boardman about cycling because ........

............. he said that Carlos Sastre wouldn't be in yellow after the time trial and I did. So Olympic Gold medallist or what he knows naff all about cycling in my book. I can't believe that in modern day sport you can give anyone a minute start and not find that the other guy just trails around after you keeping his advantage. If it was me I'd know that I'd just ride my legs off and forget about the ride to Paris and going off last I'd have a watch on all my rivals all along the route to protect my lead. You really mean to say that if I'd ridden for 20 days, with just two days off, around one of the biggest countries in the world, climbing mountains the size of the Col du Tourmalet, Col Agnel, Col de la Lombarde, Cime de la Bonette-Restefond and on the same day the Col du Galibier, Col de la Croix de Fer before going up Alpe-D'huez with it’s 7.9% gradient, that I’d let some Auzzie guy ride faster than me?
So Sastre it was after all. I got the 1 – 2 right but as Menchov again didn’t find the form that most pundits predicted he slipped down to fourth with Kohl beat him to the podium.
I really enjoyed this year’s Tour as I think that the doping police are managing to make sure that the cheats are not able to get passed the tests a bit like in athletics and football (who remembers Diego Maradona’s eyes after scoring a goal in USA 94). The highlights for me obviously the ride of Sastre in Stage 17, Mark Cavendish sprinter supreme taking four stages in the last few hundred meters, all the so called pundits getting the time trial result wrong and of course Cadel Evans being the biggest over hyped cert since the first time the All Blacks were supposed to walk away with the RWC. So I can’t wait for next year. It’ll be ridden the other way round the Alps before the Pyrenees; I think I prefer the Alpine stages last as they climbs are spectacular. Can Sastre repeat? I’ll have to keep on looking at Eurosport and the Tours of Spain and Italy and other races in and around France.

Twenty Twenty Cricket

Twenty Twenty Cricket may be the new sensation that's got everybody talking and Sir Allen Stanford and his millions may also be able to hype up what has become a very dull, dreary game BUT did you know that this form of the game was being played in the Rhondda during the 1970's. The Rhondda Midweek Cricket League was a competition played between Rhondda sides from Blaenrhondda, Treorchy, Ton Pentre (who I played for), Thomas and Evans (Porth), Christchurch (the only Rhondda Fach side), Edmonstown, Tonyrefail and Hopkinstown. I recall making my debut for Ton Pentre when I was about fourteen and once took four wickets for about seven runs in four overs which was the league best for that year. I also remember batting on "the mat" at Dinas Football field in the pitch dark as the game finished about 8.45 p.m. Brian Morgan "The Prince of Rhondda Batsmen" as he was dubbed by the Rhondda Leader was amazed that I could bat that well in such gloomy conditions. It is good to see that he and other vets like Stef Hughes and Graham "Spam" Williams keep playing and that some youngsters like Andrew Price and Mark Thomas who were brought into the club by my fellow head teacher Greg Reynolds still keep the club going from strength to strength.

Tour de France Final Time Trial

By the end of the afternoon we'll know who has won the Tour de France 2008. Even though the race doesn't finish until tomorrow (with the traditional laps around the Champs-Élysées) the ride into Paris seldom sees anybody making the breakaway and stealing enough time to have any effect on the General classification. The only exception to this was when American Greg LeMond in the 1989 Tour de France, was 50 seconds behind Laurent Fignon, who had won the Tour in 1983 and 1984. LeMond rode the time trial using novel aero bars, which gave him an aerodynamic advantage, to beat Fignon by 58 seconds to claim his second yellow jersey with a final margin of eight seconds – the closest in the Tour's history.
I doubt whether we will have any such heroics this year, but this is my prediction.
Time trial winner will be Cadel Evans, the Australian rider from Silence Lotto, but I predict that Carols Sastre will probably have enough time on Evans to secure the Maillot Jaune.
Time trial result
Evans
Sastre
Menchov.

Overall Winners
Sastre
Evans +10 seconds
Menchov + 30 seconds

Let’s see how much I know about cycling.

Golden Wedding Anniversary

Today is my parents’ anniversary. 50 years ago today they got married over the road in Capel Hermon, Treorci. They have been devoted to each other ever since and have been fantastic parents and really deserve a great day. We'll be celebrating at the Newbridge Inn on Saturday 9th August as due to various family commitments that’s the earliest we can all get together. They plan to renew their marriage vows at the family Eucharist tomorrow morning in St George’s Church, Cwmparc. Llongyfarchiadau Mam a Dad.

The Opera Stars

My little sister and her husband have a new website. It is called The Opera Stars and they have compiled a site to publicise them.
Here is her biography and her tenor "husband".

Eldrydd Cynan Jones was born in Treorchy and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music where she was awarded scholarships from the Peter Moores Foundation and the Countess of Munster Fellowship. During this time she was also the winner of the W. Towyn Roberts Scholarship at the National Eisteddfod, a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Competition at the Wigmore Hall and was also chosen to represent the college at the Aix-en-Provence International Festival, performing Britten’s "Les Illumination"
Following her time at Manchester, Eldrydd quickly established herself as a popular concert and recital Artist, much sought after by Choral and Music Societies throughout Britain with a vast repertoire ranging from Bach and Mozart to Mahler and Verdi. Notable performances during this period include Bach’s "Mass in B minor" and Handel’s "Messiah" conducted by Stephen Cleobury at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge; Mendelssohn’s "Elijah" with Bryn Terfel and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under the baton of Richard Hickox; Gala Opera Night at the Welsh Proms with Owain Arwel Hughes and the Halle Orchestra at St. David’s Hall, Cardiff. In 1994

Eldrydd won the "Young Welsh Singer " Competition and then went on to represent Wales in the prestigious "Cardiff Singer of the World" in 1995. One of the most rewarding experiences of the competition was to be chosen by Dame Joan Sutherland as one of only two singers to participate in a Masterclass given by the legendary Soprano, which was later televised on BBC2.
Eldrydd’s operatic repertoire includes the title role in Puccini’s "Madama Butterfly" at the RNCM and Singapore Lyric Opera; First Lady in Mozart’s "Magic Flute" for Civit Hills Opera; Sofronie in Storace’s "Gli Equivoci" at Battignano, Italy; Berta in Rossini’s "Barber of Seville" for Welsh National Opera; Donna Anna in Mozart’s "Don Giovanni" for Opera North; Leonora in Beethoven’s "Fidelio" and Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s "Macbeth" for English Touring Opera; Amelia in Verdi’s "Un Ballo in Maschera" for Opera Holland Park; Musetta in Puccini’s "La Boheme" for Opera North and London City Opera at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.
During her career Eldrydd has sung in New York, Washington D.C., Sydney, New Zealand, Paris, Scandinavia and Russia. In 2003 she added Capetown, Singapore and Hong Kong to the list. Recent engagements include Mahler’s 2nd Symphony at Ripon Cathedral, Mahler's 8th Symphony at the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow and a number of performances of Verdi's Requiem in Ljublijana, which was recorded for RTV Slovenia. In 2005 projects included Opera Galas and concerts in Florida, Buenos Aires and Sydney.

Geraint Dodd was born in Rhosllanerchrugog, Wales and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester with Joseph Ward. Whilst there, he was awarded the Ricordi Prize for Opera and the Webster Booth Scholarship. He also scored a notable success with his interpretation of Captain Vere in Britten’s "Billy Budd". Most recently Geraint has specialized in the Italian verismo repertoire.2004 saw him making his debut for Opera North as Canio in Leoncavallo’s "I Pagliacci",having previously sung this for Opera Holland Park.
Other roles include the Duke (Rigoletto) for Welsh National Opera and English Touring Opera; Rodolfo (La Boheme) for ETO; Don Jose (Carmen) for WNO, ETO, OHP and Mid Wales Opera; Cavaradossi (Tosca) for Scottish Opera, WNO, MWO; Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and Macduff (Macbeth) for WNO, MWO; Nadir (Pearl Fishers), Werther (Werther) and Florestan (Fidelio) for ETO; Osaka (Iris), Stiffelio (Stiffelio) and Gustavus (Un Ballo in Maschera) for Opera Holland Park; Calaf (Turandot) for Mid Wales Opera; Turiddu (Cavelleria Rusticana) for Raymond Gubbay at the Royal Albert Hall; Pollione (Norma) for San Fransisco Opera.
As well as his operatic engagements Geraint is equally at home on the concert platform with Elgar’s "Dream of Gerontius" and Verdi’s "Requiem" being his greatest successes. He is a frequent guest with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, Halle, Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Concert, and the National Orchestra of Wales. He made his European debut in Lisbon with the Orquestre de Sinfonica Portugesein Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the historical Belem Centre. He has also worked with Owain Arwel Hughes, Stanislav Skrowaczewski, David Lloyd Jones and Wilfred Boettcher. Over the past 7 years Geraint has regularly performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Symphony Hall, Birmingham and Bridgewater Hall, Manchester in Raymond Gubbay's 'Classical Spectacular' concerts. He has also recorded broadcasts for Radio 2 on 'Friday Night is Music Night'.

Find me on facebook

I've been on facebook for a few months now and it's really great fun. I've been suprised how many people I know from the number of friends that I've accumilated. Some of my ex pupils fom Porth Junior School are very active on the site and I am very pleased that so many of them have carried on to maximise the potential that they showed when they were in my class. Congratulations to the Class of 1998 who have graduated this year.

Today's Tour de France Stage

Today the cyclists from the Tour de France are up in the toughest parts of the Alps am I'm sure that they are looking forward to seeing Paris on Sunday. Today stage is the 17th from Embrun over the two haut category mountains, the climb of the Galibier, the Croix de Fer and the final climb up the Alpe d’Huez. A total distance of 210.5 km. Eurosport (Channel 410 on Sky) is covering the whole stage with superb commentary from Stephen Roach ex cyclist and superb raconteur. This is a killer stage. The three big climbs will sort out the leaders and I expect a strong challenge from some of the riders who will need to make a bit of time before the last time trial on Saturday. After that it’s the procession into Paris and the laps of the Champs-Élysées. Meanwhile, another sponsor has decided to drop it’s association with cycling because of the doaping. Saunier Duval today joined Barloworld as the second major sponsor to withdraw funding. I feel sorry for those team members who are clean and have been tainted by the indiscretion of their team mates, lost their livelihood and are unlikely to get a contract with another team before the end of the season. Cheats always get caught in the end.

My new mobile phone

Thank God it's uparade time again and I can get a new handset. The other one a Motorola E1070 was brill until the battery gave up the ghost. It's been the best one I've had since an old motorola I had when I was with Orange which I swapped for a naff Nokia and all the others I've had since have been really sus!
I've begun to put on a few good ringtones from my old one and also some more that I've found from a really great free site called Zedge really full of good stuff. Sign up and you can download loads of wallpapers and tones etc. This one fits really nicely into the pocket and is ultra slim. Post a review here if you want to. So will you nutters from 3G shops PLEASE STOP RINGING ME FROM INDIA!!!!! I've got an upgrade and don't want another until at least the Christmas after next. So blog off.

Celtic Crusaders are in Super League

Rugby League will be back in Wales. Following the drain in "past it stars" (like Brynmor Williams, Fennwick, Tom David et al ) went "NORTH" to play for the Cardiff Dragons and rugby union turning professional the 13 a side game hasn't really had a look in down here. I'm glad in some respects as union is getting so predictable these days. I wonder how much we'll have to pay for a seat (or to stand) in the Brewery Field? Will there be also an upturn in British players feeding the national teams or will they continue to give "has been" Auzzie and Kiwi stars more pension cons. We'll see. If you want to comment feel free to do so.

A Cluster Meeting today

I am attending an important Cluster meeting this afternoon. I know that school's out but I have some very important educational issues to discuss with my colleagues MDC, HLR who are fellow head bangers. There should be some deputy head bangers there in the form of DJ and Stevie G and representatives from the High School Musical RJ and AE. I'm catching the twelve o'clock train and hope that the ice is ready to be put into a long glass so I can fill it with Magners or even better some Black Dragon from the Llest Farm. (I must call around on the way from getting Mrs. CJ from TT to fill my boots.)

I can't help spotting a doppleganger

Call me cynical… but back in the 90’s one of my favourite programmes was Farther Ted. I was very sad when Dermot Morgan passed away as he was one of the only characters who really made me laugh. So it got me thinking. Was it just a PR rouse as C4 couldn’t afford to keep him and desperate not to loose him to BBC and ITV found him another job as an evil war criminal. Although he’s put on a bit of weight he looks just the same as when he was on Craggy Island. Hopefully he’ll get his comeuppance when they try him for the hideous war crimes that he committed in Serbia. Let’s get the other one as well. I’ll still continue to watch re-runs of Father Ted on E4 and More 4 because they’re so hilarious. Let’s hope they give the royalties to fund the case for the prosecution.

Welcome to my Blog

Hello everybody. Just thought I'd start publishing my thoughts, rants and muses over the next few years. My interests are many - music, current affairs, education, commenting on life really. Some of my thoughts may be too controversial for some, some may even by libalous well close to the mark anyway. But if it's one thing that I get really pissed off with is the hypocracy that surrounds many of the things that I hold very dear to my heart. I can't stand people who claim to be blameless when things go tits up and point fingers away from them. If you hve ever got it wrong you'll like this blog as I enjoy righting wrongs and exposing the truth. One of my heros is Mike Parry - the Porkmeister - who shares my philiosphy in outing Charletans and exposing fraud. So bookmark this site and see you soon.