This blog title is inspired by a car window sticker seen sometime in the 1990s

I suppose the height of the Buxton International Festival, along with probably the busiest period for tourists, holiday makers, and visitors was an appropriate time to schedule major road works in the Centre of Buxton, necessitating temporary control of four streams of traffic!

Not long after midday on Monday, I rang for a taxi to take me to the station in time for the 12.46 local train service to Stockport from where I would hop on the next train to London.  My godson’s wife was celebrating a fairly big birthday in Southeast London. Theoretically, I was in plenty of time for its 7.30 start.  The taxi became stuck in traffic on the way to my house; thus, I missed my train just by two minutes.  The taxi driver explained about the unavoidable roadworks.  Never mind. I had an hour to chill out at Cafe Nero. (I almost missed the next train!)  

The main route to London was (and maybe still is) blocked by engineering works.  The train I should have just missed at Stockport arrived in time to leave 50 minutes late!   I was unaware of the engineering works and was slightly miffed when we were crawling through stations I recognised as being in the West Midlands.  Another 38 minutes were lost en route to London Euston.  I arrived at Audrey’s party at 9 pm!   However, I was still in time for the musical treats and excellent pizzas on offer, and I was made to feel very welcome.  It was over all too soon, and I would be on my way to Blackheath where I would spend the night at a favourite hotel, The Clarendon.

There was a “medical emergency” in the family. But, thankfully, this turned out to be rather more temporary than the roadworks in Buxton! Nevertheless, I returned home much later than I intended to originally.  Again, the train was diverted, and the schedule was amended. But we were only slightly late arriving at Stockport.  My neighbour rescued me from an almost deserted station car park.  I was on my way back home and the Buxton International Festival. 

Buxton INTERNATIONAL Festival, the latter part of the final week.

Il Re Pastore Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

On Thursday, I attended a performance of Mozart’s gentle opera Il Re Pastore (The Shepherd King). Buxton Festival had staged this in 1994. Being such a long time ago, I typed in the opera title on YouTube and was able to watch part of a performance from the Salzberg Festival of 2008. I preferred the Buxton stage setting of local photos projected on to a backdrop, to the ultra modern presentation from Mozart’s home town.

The LAND of MIGHT HAVE BEEN. Ivor Novello (1893-1951) Lyrics, Michael Williams. World Premiere 7th July 2023.

I know that Vera Brittain lived in Buxton in the early part of her life. I had heard of, but knew very little of A Testament of Youth. I had even met her daughter, the late Shirley Williams. On Friday evening, I would learn quite a bit about Vera Brittain, her family, and post Edwardian attitudes, alongside becoming acquainted with and appreciating the music of Ivor Novello. It never occurred to me that he was Welsh! A couple of hours, again in the Upper Circle and I come away, “blown away” by the fabulous musical The Land of Might Have Been, charting episodes in the Life of not only Vera Brittain, but members of her family, as well as close and important friends. I am still debating whether going to Norwich, where it is being performed over a seven night run. It is worth travelling to see it again.

La Sonnambula Bellini (1801-1835)

I read the synopsis of Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini’s La Sonnambula (The Sleepwalker) and watched a bit of the opera on YouTube in an attempt to better follow the story when actually at last night’s performance. This time, I had a seat in the Dress Circle, 20 quid more expensive than one floor up. The back row of the Dress Circle offers quite a decent leg room, essential when sitting for over an hour. The view of the stage is slightly enhanced, being one floor lower. But you don’t get to see the gorgeous ceiling, which is obscured by the overhang of the Upper Circle, at least where I was sitting. Further forward in the Dress Circle, there is far less legroom and the resulting discomfort can distract from the enjoyment of the performance. I won’t go into the details of the plot. Suffice it to say that like many operas, it one of misunderstandings and resultant chaos, set, in this case, to some pretty spectacular and glorious music. The ending seems unusual in that one doesn’t actually know if the misunderstanding was completely resolved. Although I had looked at the synopsis, I found the side titles (the libretto translated into English on TV style screens) very useful. The story may seem far-fetched, but it did come across as plausible and was (for me) quite involving. I would go again given the opportunity.

The very last event this year was the Buxton Festival Mass at St. John’s, set to the Missa Brevis of Giovianni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c1525 – 1594) Although very much a special event, this is still an act of worship. It was good too, that this service was well attended. But after I left the church yard in drizzle that had drenched July, even despite my lack of involvement (i. e. helping) with this year’s Buxton Festival, I still feel something special has come to an end.

Many thanks for reading, David, at home, 23.35hrs, Sunday 23rd July 2023