11 December - Let the merriment begin!

As predicted, I awakened very early, my internal clock not yet adjusted to the eight hour time difference.  I lay awake for a while hoping that I might fall back to sleep then gave up and got up. After a shower I felt almost human! We had a cup of coffee and watched the BBC Breakfast show. That’s our favorite way to start the day here and we like it even better when Naga Munchetty is on the red sofa.

On our first full day here in London we walked back to our favorite bakery, Birley Bakery, for croissants, Cappucino for Bruce and a delicious chai latte for me. It’s decorated so nicely for Christmas.

I mentioned to Bruce that I wanted to try to find Biscoff cake like the ones we had enjoyed in Kent.  Well, he’s been doing his homework so we walked to the places he had found that said that they carried it but no luck.  Too bad.  We visited the Paxton and Whitfield cheese shop and got some lovely cheeses, a Stichelton bleu cheese and a Brightwell Ash goat cheese.

There are some basic things that aren’t provided in the flat, things like salt & pepper.  We couldn’t find that at the small Sainsbury’s near us, so we headed to Poundland, the equivalent of the Dollar Store. We got Sea Salt and Pepper grinders for 75 pence. I also picked up an ice cube tray. Henceforth when we stay here at Chelsea Cloisters I’ll bring a little essentials kit with me.  From Poundland we caught the #27 bus to Kensington to see the decorations at the Winston Churchill pub.  That pub is always decked out inside and out and is reported to go to even greater lengths during the holidays. We learned our first lesson about seeking out the decorations during the day: don’t bother.  Without the lights you just see strings of wire hanging rather pathetically from trees and such. So, yeah, lots of wonderful white wire, some Christmas balls and a wreath.  Don’t know if we’ll bother go to back and see it at night.  While at this quintessentially English pub we enjoyed a lunch of Thai food…?

Back to the hotel for a nap (for me) and telly for Bruce.  We enjoyed some of that delicious cheese then headed out to The Royal Albert Hall for Christmas with Royal Choral Society and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. I find I’m at a loss for words to describe it.

The hall is lovely on the outside but absolutely glorious on the inside. This being a Christmas concert, the hall was abuzz with happy people out for a jolly time.

The chorus was wonderful, as was the orchestra and the conductor, Richard Cooke, was so charming and funny.  The concert consisted of numbers sung by the chorus, a couple of instrumentals by the orchestra, solos by soprano Jennifer France and readings by actress Adjoa Andoh. Oh, and singalongs by the audience. We started with the national anthem – I still can’t get used to saying God save the King. Highlights of the evening, and they were to numerous to mention, were choral numbers “In Dulci Jubilo” by Hieronymous Praetorius, “Otche Nash” (the Lord’s Prayer) by Sergei Rachmaninov and two versions of “Bogoroditse Dyevo”, one by Arvo Pärt, one by Sergei Rachmaninov.  Soloist Jennifer France has a gorgeous voice though occasionally I found her vibrato a bit wide, but that’s just a bête noir of mine.  Her control was incredible, however, when singing “Rejoice Greatly, O daughter of Zion” from Handel’s Messiah; incredibly complex with runs all over the scale which she tossed off effortlessly. There was a number featuring chorus and organ, a new arrangement dedicated to Stephen Cleobury, former organist at King’s College Cambridge.  The organ part was so dissonant I was in awe that the chorus was able to find their pitches. 

One of my favorite parts of the evening was the selection of readings done by Adjoa Andoh.  In her first appearance, she did two poems by late Birmingham poet and activist Benjamin Zephaniah. The first was “Refugee” which she performed with an East African accent and which was so thought provoking and moving. The second piece she chose, done with a Jamaican accent, was “Turkey” about how everyone should stop eating turkey on Christmas because turkeys are really lovely creatures with the same feelings as you and me. It was sweet and humorous and just delightful.  Hearing these two pieces made me want to buy a collection of his poems. In her second appearance, she did a piece by Laurie Lee about Christmas in his village.  If I’m not mistaken, it was an excerpt from Cider with Rosie, a book I read a few years ago and loved.  There were fanfare trumpets from some military organization, but they were not credited in the program, nor was the stellar organist.  There was so much excitement and merriment in the hall, you couldn’t help but be filled with Christmas spirit.  An absolutely perfect evening!

Enjoy some excerpts:

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Oh, Come All Ye Faithful

The First Nowell (their spelling, not mine)

Stille Nacht (Silent Night)

Jingle Bells/We Wish You a Merry Christmas