Classical Fantasia is tomorrow. Don't forget to bring chairs, umbrellas and something to eat and drink - nothing worse than sitting on wet grass twiddling your thumbs while those around you are sat back gorging on M&S titbits and drinking wine.
You can post your comments about this year's Classical Fantasia here.
Saturday, 15 September 2007
Classical Fantasia at Kirkstall- Sunday 16th September 2007
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Initially it looked like we might be in for a wet and windy evening at Kirsktall Abbey, but the rain held off and the breeze was just about bareable, even though I wasn't the most sensibly dressed for the ocassion.
I haven't been to Classical Fantasia for a few years and I'd forgotten what a magical evening it can be. Both Kirkstall Abbey and the grounds were beautifully lit up, and the stage, bordered as it is by a majestical treeline, looked pretty much like some sort of
orchestral grotto. Splendid performances despite the initial squall of rain. The announcer just about managed to pitch the right tone of familiarity with the audience, without being patronising and condescending like the guy who presented Opera on the Park ealier this year. Maybe his jokes weren't that funny, but he certainly lent something to the warmth and intimacy of the evening.
An astonishing level of preparation on the crowd's part - some groups came equipped with pretty much a full professional-looking, finger buffet, complete with tables and chairs. Not liking to be outdone I think next year I'll be getting a three seater sofa from Freecycle for the evening and ring out to Dominos for a delivery. Spending all afternoon preparing food for us both was fun, but the smell of pizza travels, and if you want to make those around you jealous - having hot, juicy fresh pizza, when others only have cold snacks is a guarenteed winner to cut through the picnic one-upmanship. I'm only joking, but there is a serious point behind this. The demographic of these events tends to be very much weighted in favour of the Marks and Sparks lower middle class and middle middle class end of the scale, and people bring a fair bit of 'the keeping up with the Joneses' mentality with them. Makes it a great evening for people watching, especially when all pretence is dropped during the rush for the toilets during the interval. All that's left is the British compulsion to make lines and queue. Except, that is, for the one gentleman who pretty effectively evaded the queues by hiding behind something and rushing out to the front of a queue when a toilet door opened, sliding in there like a rabbit with buckshot in its bum, and confidentially thanking the lady who was making her exit. This shamelessly subversive behaviour was of course greeted with understated middle class embarrassed giggles and a bit of muffled, cross-legged banter, rather than by turning the porter loo upside down and shaking it about with him still in there.
All in all a wonderful night, and the chill in the air was more than worth enduring. I always want a bit of Wagner and a few helicopters rising above the tree line behind the stage, but then again, I'm not that refined when it comes down to it. Being sat still and in one place for a few hours I did manage to appreciate the changing colours and ambience as the night grew darker - something I don't usually appreciate as its almost impossible to keep me in one place for more than a few minutes at a time.
Shame that the Vesper Gate closed its doors at 10.30, as we both really wanted to stop and have a drink after the performance. You'd think that with a large event going on just over the road, they'd capitalise on it by stay open at least an extra half hour, but if they don't want to hear the music of ringing tills then what can you do. We ended up making a mad dash for the Fleece in Horsforth and just made it by last orders with the last two overtures still ringing in our heads and humming away to ourselves while we downed our well-earnt drinks.
Well done to Leeds City Council for putting on these amazing outdoor summer events. Only missed Jazz on the Square this year, but there's always next year.
Well done Leeds city council!
On my first ever vist to a classical fantasia event, i found myself having a lovely evening which was only upstaged by even lovelier surroundings.
Unlike the Opera in the Park,where we turned up unprepared looking like someones poor relations and unceromoniously dumped ourselves on the grass, (what a faux pas you could almost hear the wrinklies tutting in disaprovement)this time we were ready.
Armed with fold up chairs,a well stocked picnic hamper,rugs for our knees and a large thermos flask for when it got colder and the wine had ran out, there wasn'nt a tut to be heared.
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