Blow the budget on national defence

And don’t forget the clean underwear….

When recording at sea, try not to get your frock wet

Here’s how:

Alternatively, play in your nightie

Breakfast on the house

What does a girl have to do round here to get a drink?

This may be a solution

And here’s how she looks standing up

 

UPDATE: In the comments below, veteran producer Paul Myers was referring to an Igor Kipnis/Neveille Marriner album cover . I wonder if he means this?

UPDATE 2: I think Dan P means this horror movie:

Various newspapers have come sniffing at the Purcell School in recent weeks, only to shy off onto more glamorous issues.

But the questions refuse to go away. I publish below a letter from the composer Dave Heath, a parent at the school. I have heard the tape recording to which he refers, and have checked it against a printed transcript. So have the police and the education authorities.

Why no action was taken sooner, why the matter was hushed up for two years, and whether the governors have the interests of pupils always and primarily at heart are issues that remain to be clarified in this delicate saga. Read Mr Heath’s letter below.

Dear Norman

I have had three sons go through the Purcell school, which until Mr. Crook was appointed as headmaster, was a very happy and thriving institution. In 2010 I was handed a tape of newly appointed Mr Crook’s “sex education’ lesson which gave me great cause for concern. It was held in Mr Crook’s house at nine o’clock at night in front of several young teenage boys. Mr Smith {then head of the boys boarding house} was also present. “There will be more practical next time” Mr Smith points out alarmingly at the end.

This talk was supposed to be in response to a sexual bullying incident in the boys dormitories. It discussed penis size and encouraged the boys to  fantasise about other boys or their own fathers.

Alarmed for the young children in the boarding house miles away from their families, I went to the social services with the tape. I did not ask for anonymity.

I went to the Police with the tape. I did not ask for anonymity.

I sent it to all the Governors. I did not ask for anonymity.

After several months the chair of Governors Mr Smallbone wrote to me with the social services findings which he seemed to know before they were officially announced. “The allegations were unfounded” it said. It did not say what the allegations actually were.

It then went on to say that boundary issues did need to be addressed and that a new head of pastoral care needed to be appointed. Why a new pastoral head of care need to be appointed given that the unspecified allegations were unfounded was never made clear.

My motive for this letter is this: with only one unelected parent governor and no teacher governors at all, the situation in independent schools needs to be urgently looked into by the government. In my view 50% governors should be parents voted in by other parents {with children currently at the school}, with 2 teacher governors voted for by the other teachers. This, or something similar, should be made law in the UK for all schools, private, independent and state.

I urge the government to look at this situation as soon as possible – who knows how many other children maybe at risk all over the country?

I can prove the above with e-mail exchanges, so would respectfully ask all future bloggers and the present governors to bear the above in mind when responding to or talking about this issue.

I am happy with my actions, would do it all over again.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Dave Heath

 

If you’ve bought one Strauss opera on amazon, they’ll offer you another:

Dear Amazon.ca Customer,

Customers who have purchased or rated Der Rosenkavalier might like to know that R Strauss: Die Grau Ohne Schatten is now available.  You can order yours by following the link below.

R Strauss: Die Grau Ohne Schatten
Wolfgang/Various Artists Sawallisch

Price: CDN$ 34.06  

 

And, if that’s not gray enough, when Google translates it from the German, what you get is a Bond movie:

Dear Amazon.ca Customer,

Customers who have purchased or rated Der Rosenkavalier might like to know that R Strauss: Die cast no shadows is now available. You can order yours by following the link below.

R Strauss: Die cast no shadows
, Wolfgang / Various Artists Sawallisch

Price: CDN $ 34.06  

1 http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2011/11/breaking-ken-russell-is-dead.html

2 http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2011/12/classical-music-writer-jailed-for-child-pronography.html

3 http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2011/12/another-concert-disturbance-at-the-london-philharmonic.html

4 http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2011/11/the-worlds-best-composer-in-2012-is-a-conductor.html

5 http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2011/11/which-orchestra-manager-is-paid-the-most.html

 

The Kennedy Center has announced plans to open a Russian Lounge with a $5 million gift from a nickel billionaire.

The guy’s called Vladimir Potanin – make sure you get all three syllables in the surname – and he heads the Interros Company.

Michael Kaiser has been told he can use the money for programming and general expenses. Here‘s the Russian version.

Next, they can rename the Kennedy Center the Nickel and Dima Store.

Credit Suisse, a bank, and the Lucerne Festival, a summer distraction, have awarded their annual prize to Vilde Frang, the Oslo violinist.

She wins 75,000 francs and a date next summer with Bernard Haitink. Details here.

It will be 75 years next spring since the death of Karol Szymanowski. His house in the mountain resort of Zakopane has fallen into disrepair and the museum authorities in Poland cannot afford the cost of restoration.

Along comes Brussels with a cheque for half a million Euros, two-thirds of the amount required.

I’m not sure that’s an appropriate use of public, community funds. Surely every nation should be responsible for its own heritage? I don’t see the custodians of the Elgar house in Worcester or the Ravel birthplace at Cibourre going abroad with a begging-bowl. This looks like Euro pork-barrel politics at its worst – a deal with Warsaw at a time when every cent ought to count.

 

This time, they waited until the piece was over before shouting ‘rubbish!’ (The Times) and ‘What a load of rubbish. Jesus!’ in the Guardian’s hearing.

The piece was Towards Osiris by Matthias Pintscher, one of a series commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic to augment Holst’s The Planets. It is beautifully crafted and has a showpiece trumpet solo. One man in the audience didn’t like it.

What happened next is more disturbing. Hilary Finch writes in The Times: A man with a walkie-talkie and two big bouncers were immediately summoned to the offender’s seat. Now quite why this audience member’s response should be considered more disruptive than the braying bravos that frequently deafen the end of an only mediocre performance is beyond understanding.’

Clearly, the LPO is on the alert for disrupters after being involved in two major incidents this year. But it is perfectly legitimate to shout an opinion after the  music has finished. To suppress that would be a violation of the right to free speech.

Her name is Sirkka Lampimäki and she is singing with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. It happens at 0:50 on this video right here.

 

I know the individual concerned and cannot bring myself to comment on the shocking case. The man has been jailed for 32 months.

Read the court report here and here.