Wolverhampton U
I ‘m feeling a little sad to leave Wolverhampton which was beginning to feel a bit like home. I got quite used to hanging out in that quiet room with Elgar’s piano, and being so well looked after by my host, and enjoying a pint with my new bell-ringing friends. Even the local University architecture reminds me of home – doesn’t this look like Vari Hall at York U?
St. John's Smith Sq.
We took the train into London and had tickets to a fabulous string quartet concert at St. John’s Smith Square, a famous 18th-century church which is now used exclusively as a concert hall. The concert was in conjunction with an academic conference on Schumann: The Man , the Mind, the Music – so we attended an illuminating pre-concert lecture before hearing Beethoven and Elgar string quartets, and then Schumann piano quintet played by the amazing young Sacconi Quartet.
There’s also this fabulous tracker organ at the back of the hall and regular organ recitals are part of the series.
It continues to RAIN. Thank goodness for all this glorious music and architecture, ’cause the weather sure is miserable!