Author: migrant

Cricket round up

The season is over. It all ended yesterday with a “phut” rather than a roar. The game was cancelled, no surprise given the constant rain this week, with chill and wind to add to the mix.
The end was a team and parents meet up for lunch where the erstwhile coach ws presented with a signed mini bat-cool.
Joe’s figures for the numerate out there:

Played Overs Runs Extras Total Wickets Average Economy
12 22.5 101 26 127 4 31.8 5.5
Played Balls Faced Runs Out Average Runs/100 Balls High score
12 1 37 26 8 3.3 1 9.0 6

Not the best, but not the worst. he is keen to improve his skills with indoor wintr cricket. we will see.

Basin Reserve

Yesterday afternoon Joe and I went for a flying visit to the cricket. This was after he has hit a mesmerising 6 runs in his under 10s game and bowled a tidy 2 overs of left arm spin. The boy deserved his crunchy and his trip out.
If only the West Indies could play as well as the Onslow Shastris. We were a bit late to see the dolly catch dropped at mid off which should have accounted for Fleming, but instead watched him and Fulton hit the bowling around with ease. Penetrating bowling it was not.
I enjoyed the viewing, and Joe got the autograph of Jimmy Franklin-who000?

International Arts Festival- Episode Five

So the final outing of the luvvies of Khandallah.
Saturday night out to the Opera House to see “DJ Spooky” perform.
He is a mixer, multimedia artist.

http://www.djspooky.com

The show was “Rebirth of a Nation”, his working of a 1913 film “Birth of a Nation”, a KKK propaganda film, with music mixing overlay. Sounded interesting so we went along with the other Wellingtonian hip dudes.
It was different, with flim playing on 2-3 screens with his added effects and titles and written commentary, with him standing of stage mixing the music. I was a bit diappointed because the use of the film was not different enough. Music was fine but not overwhelming to me, though the better half was on the the wavelength more.
Anyway, not something I have done before so worth the effort to see something new. A better review form my accomplice, so theoverallscore for the fesival is
3/5

Happy Cultural Times

International Arts Festival- Episode Four


Last night the opera buffs were out. It was time for a Wagnerian experience with Parsifal. We booked this without knowing anything about the particular piece, as we are not in the knowledge on all things opera.

Anyway, the bottom line is the wheels came of the bus.

It was an early start, 5pm as it is a long peice and due for finish about 10pm, a worry in itself.
it was not a good venue, as the orchestra partially blocked our view, not too pleasing for $110 tickets, and by no means the most expensive. The production seemed uninspired in terms of garb with an incongrous mix of modern and traditional. The music was skillfully played and in parts grabbed the attention but singing in German does not do it for us. It came over as song that would be better spoken. With this level of frustration it not surprisingly felt too long!
Anyway the plebs left before the beginning of the third act.

To cap it all the review in the Dominion Post today raved about it. So we really did not get it. I have my suspicions the positive review was partly bigging up NZ as all singers were Kiwis and it was “important’ for wellington to put on such a production.

Learning points for future; do research before buying tickets and next opera to be seen will be mainstream. But then we are all really Italiophiles anyway aren’t we?

And a final note. When we got home I enjoyed the Bulldogs beating the West Tigers very much more. Rugby League for the ignorant.

 

International Arts Festival- Episode Three

So we went off again this time Dad and the ballet dancer in the family to see Aterballetto, an Italian company. No trouble getting to the venue on time, right place first time and lemonades all round.

Did not have any cash so did not buy a programme, but was in three parts

One; Omaggio a Bach “ This starkly beautiful interpretation of Bach’s musical universe explores the geometric and structural perfection of his compositions.”

This opened the show with the use of light to outline individual parts of the dancers, and seemed to present light as life with rising of sun at the beginning and setting at the end. We were up close and saw the brilliant control, strrength and flexibility of the dancers. Unusually, as many male dancers as female, all with scultured bodies and a “six pack” Some amazing movements and great choreographed interactions between the dancers. Loved it as did everyone else.

Two: Songs, “a sensual and refined pas-de-trois”,
two male and one female dancers, with almost competition between them for her. A more classical dance with its movements, timing and power.

 

Three; Cantata, “Set to a live performance of Neapolitan songs, ….evokes the passions, colours and wild beauty of the Mediterranean South. Alternately feisty and fatalistic, raucous and heart wrenching, you’ll not only hear and see the seething southern Italian street life, you’ll almost smell it.”

I did not really know what to make of this, with its singing on stage from almost street performers, as well as the dancing. The efforts of humour did not come off so well, being in a foreign language. At the time seemed like “West Side Story” meets “Carmen”, with a bit of “lingus” and similar going on. Great dancing though and certainly different music.

Overall a great night, an exhilirating performance of grace, power, flexibilty, control and innovation. A variety of dances kept the imagination stimulated.
Eleanor loved it, and Dad was a pretty cool date.

So definitely a winner, so the score is 2 1/2 out of 3.