Ruth Elleson

Tom Morello tweets: "Fascinating that all those “don’t tread on me” posers and their AR-15’s are nowhere to be seen and government tyranny is instead being opposed by a guy in an inflatable frog suit." Someone named Manny replies: "@grok why do some people say Tom Morello and band mates are RAGE FOR THE MACHINE and not against ?"

seems like a non-insignificant percentage of rage against the machine's fanbase are young republican men driving SUVs bopping their head to anti-oil, pro-immigrant songs thinking the lyrics are about how they wish their suburban parents would get off their back

That’s how long it takes for the urn to come to the boil while you’re in a Gibbons rehearsal (as I have actually been for most of today).

I remember specifics of Hale & Pace. Billy & Johnny, for example. While I don’t recall a single memorable thing about Russ Abbott. I can visualise his face, and the fact that he was tall, but don’t associate him with a phrase or a sketch.

It’s kind of a shame there isn’t any Verdi in tonight’s concert, really!

(And I believe nobody’s quite sure whether Verdi was born on the 9th or the 10th.)

the answer to the trolley problem is not to pick who to sacrifice, it’s to dismantle the system that led to an unsafe trolley crossing.

if any part of your morality strategy involves picking a group to let die on a hill, throw the entire strategy out. it’s wrong.

fellas is it gay to live in a city

Even if they can’t tell the difference between a principal and a principle!

And one of the industries which, relying entirely on freelance workers, but requiring public audience spaces, was fucked over completely by the pandemic, without mercy or assistance, but survived, on its knees so it can now get another kick in the teeth from these soulless twats.

How is this repeatedly made into a policy issue - by *all* parties - when the blunt fact of the matter is that grown adults who are obliged to pay for their own education, and relentlessly pursued to repay their loans, should be able to study whatever the fuck they want.

I have a whole repertoire of stock answers to this question! If it’s Richard Strauss it’s a Heckelphone. If it’s Berlioz I need more information, because it’s either a Turkish crescent (“jingling Johnny”) or an ophicleide… don’t ask me about Mahler though because it could be flipping well anything.

Part of the wine list at Sadler’s Wells Theatre

Apparently there’s a Piquepoul winery called Pique & Mixe 😆

Too many people’s names to list them all, but this is the cast sheet for English National Ballet’s “R:Evolution” mixed bill. George Balanchine: Theme and Variations Martha Graham: Errand into the Maze William Forsythe: Herman Schmerman (Quintet) and David Dawson: Four Last Songs The English National Ballet Philharmonic is conducted by Maria Seletskaja, the leader (and presumably violin soloist in the Strauss) is Matthew Scrivener, and the soprano for the Four Last Songs is Madeleine Pierard.

At Sadler’s Wells for this English National Ballet mixed bill. I am particularly looking forward to a second look at David Dawson’s lovely realisation of Strauss’s Four Last Songs.

I had a lot of singing to get up for on Sunday morning!

IMPORTANT

All freelancers, self-employed, creatives

This is the first I've heard of this, but the Department for Business and Trade is running a consultation on the scourge of late payments, they want to introduce new legislation to tackle poor practices

Deadline to respond is 23 October

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I know people have good reasons for using Spotify, but I avoid it already on account of screwing people over on royalties etc.

(Obviously I have no idea of when this was painted so it might be really recent…)

I wonder if it still looks exactly like that now. It certainly did when I was last there, but that must be about 19 years ago!

And what’s more, I attended opening night straight from having ordered a new pair of glasses. I’m picking them up on my way into town for this final performance. So I’m looking forward to being able to see what’s going on onstage as well with my left eye as with my right 🤣

I hate going out on Mondays, and the opera is 4 hours long, but I really want to see it again! I can get some sleep when I’m dead.

I spent all weekend singing, got home last night in a taxi at irresponsible o’clock, and am out for the next 4 evenings on the trot, while working full-time during the day. And yet somehow, I’ve just succumbed to the temptation to go and get a second look at The Sicilian Vespers tonight.

TBH most people who are supporters of Reform’s policies will just vote Reform… which seems to be the elephant in the room that Labour are completely missing when they ape Reform policies.

(Hello @trevitore.bsky.social! Really enjoyed your performance on Saturday night.)

I might have known that it would be through @regentsopera.bsky.social that I would discover the only dive bar in South-East London that’s open after-hours on a Sunday. We’re very serious Mahler players/singers, we are. 🙈

Ah! Offstage brass?

(By East Asian I mean East and South East Asian! That is, I DO know where Vietnam is…)

Might see you in the Railway afterwards for a pint. If you’re looking for somewhere to eat between rehearsal and concert, I recommend Buddha Taste (Vietnamese-ish, vegetarian) on Blackheath Royal Parade - not least because like most East Asian restaurants, the service is fast and efficient!)

My hand, holding my “Choose Mozart” pencil, in front of the final page of the choral score of Mahler’s 2nd Symphony.

Today’s choice of choir pencil was not an intentional slight towards Mahler - rather the first one that I found when I was packing my bag for rehearsal…

(I’d tell you to come to the concert, but it’s sold out 😎)

I’m sitting here reading this with much the same expression on my face as Bishop Sarah had on hers during Justin Welby’s resignation speech in the House of Lords.

I don’t know what the official TFL stats say about commuter footfall (or ‘ridership’ as they refer to it) on Fridays these days - in terms of post-Covid recovery - but I’m on a rare Friday rush-hour commute, and both the Overground and the Jubilee Line are pre-pandemic-level packed.

Of many highlights in the chorus direction, especially enjoyed the double-act between Adam and Ron 😆