h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi all!

Hmm. Virtual landscapes. Not sure about Lothlorien - I haven't got that far into Lord of the Rings - though it's not for want of trying. I will keep on plugging away. Wouldn't mind wandering through the Shire, though. Any pleasantly rural landscape would be marvellous. Preferably woodland with adorably cute Red Squirrels gambolling about and the occasional woodpecker hammering a hole in a tree somewhere in the distance (and probably the odd cuckoo as well while we're at it). Haven't heard that in years.

I am currently getting over the boredom of the treadmill by listening to the sountrack to the film Moulin Rouge. Amazing stuff - which almost makes me enthusiastic to get exercising. ...I *did* say almost...

Good cello pieces. Hmm. I suppose I've got to go for the obvious at this point and suggest the Elgar Cello Concerto. It's probably one of the most played pieces of Cello music ever - but it's truly gorgeous (The great Lionel Tertis transcribed it for Viola many years ago and played it to Elgar when he did it - I purchased a copy of this transcription when I was at college and I still pull it out occasionally and play it sufficiently badly to cause both Elgar and Tertis to spin in their graves).

There's also Bruch's wonderful Kol Nidrei (I've murdered that on Viola, too). Cellists I know also rave about the Dvorak Cello Concerto - but I don't know that one.

Thanks for the recommendations , We've got a copy of Jaquelin Dupre's Elgar. It's breathtakingly beautiful, but will look out for the Tertis Viola transcription and also Bruch's Kol Nidrei and the Dvorjak Concerto.

Red Squirrels are also a favourite of ours, we can get to see them at a nearby animal sanctuary in W.Sussex. They also have Otters, Doormice and loads of other mammals; the Harvest mice are living jewels.

Sue is doing a large cross stitch of a Red Squirrel for my sister's birthday in April.

You'd love Lothlorean, a magical woodland by JRR's desciption. Also the night sky from a planet in the Plaideas would be amazing.

We did'nt catch Moulin Rouge although friends recommended it, sounds like we'll have to hire the video to catch up.

So have you read or heard of any of the other books we've mentioned? We can't recommend the Stephen Lawhead Trilogy highly enough, his research and the weave of the story is breathtaking.

Could you let us have the Cat No for the Tertis recording please.

The cat no. for the recording is CDCF 171. It was made in 1989 (the first actual recording of the work in this version). I don't know if anyone else has recorded it since. It may be that the recording is no longer available, though I hope not.

I never got around to seeing Moulin Rouge in the cinema - though having purchased the DVD over the weekend and watched it over and over again I truly wish I had. I was (and still am) utterly gobsmacked by the whole film. Jim Broadbent truly earned his Bafta!

I will have to give the Stephen Lawhead trilogy a try the next time I'm able to get to the Library. Trouble is, it's in the centre of Town and I won't have the opportunity to get there this week.

Thank you once again ,

We will seek it out.

The Trilogy is comprised of the following three titles:
Taliesin, Merlin, Arthur. Unfortunately they don't stand alone too well.

We finished the Hobbit this morning. It was a joy to read again.

Though we hav'nt seen it yet, we certainly agree that Jim Broadbent is an outstanding Actor, and a welcome break form the "Lovies" of old.

So how are things anyway, I expect you've been pretty busy, got exams coming up soon????

Yup, my first is on Monday!!!

Good Luck and remember, No , or 's the night before. It will only depress you, and it is believed that fasting sharpens the mind .

So What is it???? //= 2

On the subject of Jim Broadbent - he won Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars last night for 'Iris'.

I saw the news on Ceefax this morning before I left for w*rk - my squeals of joy over my toast and had to transform to whispered squeaks to avoid making my parents think I was having some sort of fit (they were still upstairs in bed, which is a very sensible place to be at half past six in the morning). It certainly dispatched me to the office in a better frame of mind that I am usually in on a Monday morning. rather than .

As anyone who saw his performance as Buckingham in Ian McKellen's 1995 film of 'Richard III' (and as Zidler in Moulin Rouge for that matter) would say:

'About time too!'

We had'nt heard that yet, thanks , it certainly is ,
Ian McKellen's R3 is a very fine piece and Jims was one of the best, we'll have to take another look as we liked it so much the first time. Moulin Rouge is already on our list.

We've only got 4 days of w*rk this week and next. So that may be a good time to catch up an a lot of stuff .

You got anything planned

Its in Art and it begins today lasting till Thursday, 12 hours is too short governmentBlair

All I've got planned at the moment is not being in w*rk (always the way I like it to be). I get a half day for Maundy Thursday in addition to Good Friday and Easter Monday, so it's three and a half days this week and four next - and the week after that I've got the Week Off!! Yay!!

I have watched R3 many times since I got it on video several years ago - mainly on the basis of Barry Norman's review of the film when it came out as I remembered the 'my kingdom for a horse' bit - which was very neatly done! I had no idea what I was about to see and it me away.

Good luck with the Art exam, Patrick

Ta

We can relate to what you say, we had much the same experience. So we've agreed to purchase a copy of R3 this weekend. We're also going on the hunt for the music you recommended. My Sis has invited us over for and will take advantage to visit some of the larger music emporia in her zone. Also got to see "A Beautiful Mind"

Did you note that LOTR got 4 Oscars for Music, Cinematography, Make-Up and Costume.

So what you going to do with that week off . Got anything planned with Viola or will you be adventuring off someplace.

I'm not doing anything much this weekend - but I will be playing in a show in a couple of week's time ('My Fair Lady', no less) - which means I'll be incommunicado as I'm taking that week off w*rk - so I won't have access to my computer here - and with call charges being what they are, I won't have access at home until after I've left the house in the evening!

One of the two orchestras I play in will be starting rehearsals on Richard Strauss' 'Alpine Symphony' at the end of next week. That is something I'm really looking forward to as it was great fun the last time we did it.

So you'll be banging out stuff like : "I'm getting married in the morning" (a bit strong on wind and brass) and " I could have danced all night". Sounds fun, but we're glad I don't have to sing any of it though . Who wrote the original score?

We like the Alpine too, it's much like Vaughan Williams Antarctic in feel. Do you like Debussy's "Footsteps in the Snow", and have you heard the Mediaeval Baebes "Undrentide"?

:-S

Oh yes. I don't know much about who wrote the musical - but I do know that my sister would never want to do it as there is virtually no chorus work in the whole thing. Actually - given that it is strong on wind and brass, would you believe that the Operatic Society's MD actually specified that, owing to cash constraints he didn't want any brass in the band at all?

We steered him away from that notion though - and his belief that he could get away with no cello as well.

I've not done much Debussy - apart from 'La Mer', which I did back in college many moons ago. That was nice - particularly that 'cello chorale' bit in the first part.

Is the Art exam over now, Patrick?

Hope you all had a good Easter.

We had a relaxing and enjoyable Easter thank you.

No BRASS!!!! N,N,No CELLO!!!!!! Is the man Mad or just palin ? (not about to change his name to Vortvengler or anything like that is he).

The minimalism of Footsteps in the snow makes Bolero sound rather clumsy to the non-musically trained ear.

So, have you heard any of the Mediaevil Baebes stuff? It is voice but they have achieved something rather unusual in these days of Charlotte Church .

We went to see A Beautiful Mind last night and both thought it a very fine performance by Crow.

I have one of their works ('Alba') on a 'relaxation' CD I picked up some years ago. They have a lovely, clear sound - simple and unembellished.

Don't get me talking about la Church. (apologies if you're Charlotte Church fans - but for some unexplainable, utterly irrational reason she really annoys me! I think it's the hype).

That's more-or-less what I said when the band leader (who was fixing the band) told me - 'You *can't* do "My Fair Lady" without Brass!' I didn't need to mention the cello because she already had.

We don't think the MD's , just a bit inexperienced. It's his first show, and he doesn't hold the purse strings (those who do probably don't understand orchestras). I understand the Society had to pay through the nose for the rights to put the show on as it has only just undergone a West End revival, which has sent the prices absolutely soaring. They weren't planning to have a band at all, just some form of piano combo - but apparently it's a condition of the rights that you have to have a band, which threw them somewhat.

Profuse apologies to all H2G2 Church fans considered, however Wales must have it's own Britteny Spears, and a pal of Max C is bound to be in the fore of any hype that's going. Well Aled did'nt go for the snip in time to keep the money rolling in and Sir Harry croaked his last. What are the Welsh to do.

So how many pieces have the accountants broken the orchestra down to??? Have they kept on the air guitarists???

Went looking for the Elgars Cello and Bruch's Kol Nidrei today but no luck at HMV, will try the Library.