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Category Archives: piano

Leeks, Butterfly and Chopin

I’m loving that we are still harvesting leeks from the allotment.

The lovely Mr S spotted a butterfly on the windowsill and caught this photo for me.

Heartbreakingly beautiful…… professional pianist Irina Maniukina playing Chopin (Aeolian Harp’ Étude, Op. 25, # 1) before finally leaving her home south of Kyiv.

Particularly poignant that Irina played Chopin, who left his homeland Poland as it (with Lithuanians & Ukrainians) rebelled against & was then crushed by the Russian empire.

— Howard Goodall (@Howard_Goodall) March 13, 2022

https://fb.watch/bMLM02Sj9A/

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on March 15, 2022 in allotment, music, nature, Photography, piano, Postaday2022

Tags: Kyiv, Ukraine

My choir, The Suitcase Singers, had our first sing together in the Zed Shed, Penryn, in 18 months. We had just finished singing “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher”, when a quite emotional stranger appeared at the door. He explained that he was ‘golfing’ from John O’Groats to Land’s End and had just hit a low point. Then, while having a coffee at Muddy Beach, he had heard us singing and just had to come up to tell us how it had lifted his spirits. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house! This is a link to his remarkable story and his Just Giving page in case you are moved to support him too. David Sullivan is raising money to provide defibrillators all over the country. It was a very special moment for all of us too.

Another lovely moment today was when I went to the allotment to collect our veg for tonight’s dinner and there on our plot was this glorious bright orange squash, a Potimarron, a gift from friends on another plot. What a beauty! Looking it up I discovered that Le potimarron est une variété de potiron qui se distingue par son goût de châtaigne. I’m told too that it makes a delicious soup so guess what I shall be doing tomorrow. Thank you very much to S&M.

As I was starting to write this post this evening, a favourite piece of music came on the radio and I thought I would share it with you. Eric Satie Gympopodie

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on August 19, 2021 in allotment, charity, community, environment, music, Photography, piano, Postaday2021, Uncategorized

Tags: Creating Lifesavers, David Sullivan, Pottimarron

Moon, Music and Term Starts

04 Sep

We missed the Corn Moon in all its fullness on Wednesday as it was cloudy but last night’s moon was glorious.

I have been feeling somewhat discombobulated of late, as I think many are in these unsettling times. The following piece ‘Farewell to Stromness’ by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies helps to untangle my wires (as does doing the embroidery or weeding!) It is performed here by Adrian Lord – and what a view he has!

Term has started for our family of LiveWires and for many of my ex-colleagues, one of whom sent me the photo below as he thought I might have done this with the door to my room were I still at the comprehensive school with them all. Yes, I would! Well done, Miss Robinson.

I have just read the following comment from Adrian Lord
This was filmed at Crear – a wedding and recording venue on the Scottish West coast, with views over to the islands of Jura and Islay. Crear is a very special place. When I first visited in 2015 I knew this was where I would record my music.

6 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on September 4, 2020 in music, nature, Photography, piano, Postaday2020, Uncategorized

Tags: 'Farewell to Stromness' by, Adrian Lord, corn moon, full moon, Lady Macbeth, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies

Bluebells, An Old Oak Tree and Piano Dancing

25 Apr

Our walk today took a different route, down lanes, past many glorious bluebells and under a grand old Oak Tree.

This delightful entertainment cam my way the other day and I thought you might enjoy it too.

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 25, 2020 in Cornwall, dance, environment, nature, Photography, piano, Postaday2020, Uncategorized

Knitting, Pathetique Sonata and A Poppy

31 May

1 A friend’s Mum has been knitting for the babies of Tanzania, having been inspired by my post about KnitZTanzania and the need for little sweaters and beanie hats to stop the babies dying of hypothermia. Here are what she describes as her ‘first’ batch! Thank you so much for joining me in this venture. If you, too, would like to join us in this project, the pattern can be found here. The address to send them to can be found in the comments on the same page.

Baby hats and sweaters from Hils’ Mum

2 I was reminded of a beautiful piece of music, Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata, 2nd Movement, this evening as it was part of BBC Radio 4’s programme Pick of the Week, this week’s items being chosen by Antonia Quirke. Just listen to Daniel Barenboim playing and feel the calm come over you……..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGq3-Fi_zQY

3 Another Poppy is about to break free. This has to be one of my favourite photos this year!

Pink Poppy after rain

3 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 31, 2015 in Beauty, knitting, KniTZTanzania, music, photography, piano

Tags: Antonia Quirke, bbc radio 4, Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata 2nd Movement, Daniel Barenboim, Pick of the Week

Showers and Sunshine, A Blue Egg and Ben Waters

17 Jan

1 Our beautiful sculpture, Fledgling, looked as if he were drinking some of the driving rain this morning. Moments later, he was basking in the sunshine.

Drinking in the rain

Enjoying the sunshine, moments later

2 One of this week’s eggs is blue. Just look at its beautifully delicate shell.

Large blue egg

3 I’m struggling a bit with my piano playing at the moment. I don’t seem to be making much progress (and I am practising!) However, my teacher is very encouraging and tonight we’ve been to see Ben Waters, a magnificent boogie-woogie player who can turn his hands to anything. Inspiration indeed! The support band were from The Scillies and were a brilliant rock’n’roll band. What an evening! Everyone left invigorated and grinning after all the singing and dancing! It’s not such a good photo but it does give an impression of the evening.

The finale

11 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 17, 2014 in Beauty, garden, gigs, music, nature, photography, piano, Postaday 2014, sculpture

Tags: Ben Waters, The Steam Band

Lunch, Jelly Babies and Ragtime

12 Sep

1 After singing this morning, a long and lovely lunch by the sea with good friends. What could be better?!

Gylly Beach

2 Just sometimes I have to have Jelly babies! These are the last three as I was rewarding myself each time I cracked the following bar of music!

The last three Jelly Babies

Ragtime rhythm

3 This music will look very easy to those of you are musicians. I’m on Grade 2 and getting that rhythm right has been really hard. Tonight I did it, over and over again – hence no Jelly Babies left!

13 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on September 12, 2013 in Beauty, Cornwall, music, photography, piano, Postaday2013, Sea

Tags: grade two piano, jelly babies, piano lessons, ragtime

Redruth Town Clock, Primroses and The Piano Guys

27 Feb

1 In our main street, Fore Street, is the Town Clock which has been there since the 1700’s. In 1828 the former wooden tower was demolished and replaced by a stone tower. In 1904 Clock Tower was extended by a section because new buildings had grown up which prevented the miners up the hill from seeing the clock face. Few people had clocks in their homes at this time so it was important that the clock was visible all over town. As the plaque says, in 1841 the open arches at ground level were closed in for use as Police cells!

Plaque about our Town Clock

Door in the Clock Tower, to the prison cells perhaps……..

Redruth Town Clock

2 I love primroses, so delicate and coming into flower in all our hedges now as a herald of Spring.

Primroses in the Cornish hedge

3 Today I’ve been introduced to The Piano Guys by Alex Autin. Check out her blog – it’s fascinating and do listen to this lovely rendition of Twinkle Lullaby and marvel at the Utah desert skies. I promise you, it will be a beautiful moment of tranquility in your busy day.

18 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on February 27, 2013 in architecture, art, community, Cornwall, flowers, History, local history, music, nature, photography, piano, Postaday2013, Redruth, senses, sound

Tags: Alex Autin, Clock Tower, nature, photography, Postaday, postaday2013, primrose in Cornish hedges, The Piano Guys, Town Clock, tranquility, twinkle lullaby

Jools Holland, Bird Watching and Walking in the Woods

16 Dec

Usually all my beautiful things are from the day on which I post but we’ve just had a wonderful weekend away so today’s post covers Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

1 We had a trip up to Plymouth to see the amazing Jools Holland who just raises the spirits of all who are near him! He is so talented, so generous and clearly enjoys making so many people happy. He smiles his way through the whole performance! It was just fabulous to be able to watch his hands on the big screen. To my delight K T Tunstall was his surprise guest. His drummer, Gilson Lavis was just brilliant!We spent the night in a hotel and next day …….

2 We met two of our lovely daughters, M and L, for lunch in a country pub and then went home with L to her new home where the bird life is just amazing. It was very hard to get photos as they were all so busy going back and forth. There were Nuthatches, Blue tits, Willow tits, Great tits, Coal tits, Robins, Siskin, Chaffinches, Bullfinches, Pheasants and Jays.

3 A walk in the nearby woods this morning with L and T and T’s parents and their five Black Labradors was an utter delight.

Jools Holland at the end of the show

K T Tunstall and Gilson Lavis

Jay in Sampford Courtenay

Cones, catkins and new buds

Rain on the lake

Lichen and moss

Lichen and leaves

Mosses and ivy

Golden lichen

Wood, leaves, mosses and ferns

Just had a paddle

So well trained

Beautiful tree with ferns and moss

Pheasant in the garden

Nuthatch at the peanuts

Cabin built in the woods

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 16, 2012 in birds, drumming, environment, family, gigs, music, nature, photography, piano, postaday2012, senses, singing

Tags: Black labradors, blue tits, Bullfinches, cabin in the woods, Chaffinches, Coal tits, Gilson Lavis, great tits, jays, Jools Holland, K T Tunstall, leaves, lichens, mosses, Nuthatches, Pheasants, Postaday, postaday2012, Robins, Siskin, trees, Willow tits

Motorbike, Dogs and Lichen

30 Nov

1 I see this wonderful old motorbike most weeks on my way home from my piano lesson (Some progress being made there!) The owner was very happy for me to take its photo.

Very old BMW motorbike and sidecar

2 The owner of the dogs was happy too as I asked to take the photo of these two in their beautiful wooly jackets.

Rather lovely dogs in their equally lovely knitted jackets

3 On our walk around the back on The Great Flat Lode Mr S drew my attention to this very beautiful combination of greeny grey lichen and the seed heads of the montbretia.