Hmm, it took me over 3 hours to get to Inglewood on Friday afternoon again. Left just after 2.30pm and arrived around 5.45pm
And the weather was shocking - rained pretty much all the way. This wasn't too bad on the Calder, but it was white knuckling on the Calder alternative. Reason being when a big truck passed going the other way, it displaced so much water, it was like a wall of it was dumped on my windscreen - temporarily completely obscuring any vision- was actually a bit scary.
That said, I did get to Inglewood safe and sound
Dave from Black Wallaby dropped over 8 bottles of wine - 2 x red, 2 x white and 4 x bubbles in preparation for tomorrow (photo from their website)
Leanne had said that she would get here late afternoon, so I wondered if she would be there before me - but she ended up arriving around 7.30pm, and she had had a similar challenging drive
Anyway, we had a light dinner - pate/dips and then pumpkin soup. Had a relatively early night
Saturday, and after my quizzes in bed I started organising the dining room ie moving chairs/bottles etc
Leanne came down at 8am, and we had porridge for breakfast and more organising ie plates/glasses in preparation for our reception/after party for the Keys of Gold VIPs who were coming over after the concert....
You see, David from Loddon Shire had asked me some time ago if we would be prepared to host a "party" after the Keys of Gold Concert in St Augustine's Church. The Shire would provide the catering ie sandwiches, cakes, tea/coffee and wine. That sounded just fine, and I said would cook something too
Below is a photo of St Augustine's - taken from the internet, as it was a very grey and rainy day today
The concert started at 11am, and Leanne drove us there at 10.30. Yes, we could have walked, but it was too miserable
Got a good seat in the middle - the organ was around to the right - and you can just make out the pipes on the wall (once again this is a photo from the internet, I had turned my mobile phone off - and so couldn't take any photos)
Coincidentally, David S and Rosemary came and sat with us
The concert was fantastic - and below is the program
Thomas Heywood - world renowned organ virtuoso was the organ player, and also the MC and told us numerous informative and amusing stories
He had organised the program with "Olde World" favourites - which could have easily been played on this organ when it was first used in the church
The first piece was by Philip Charles Plaisted - who was a gifted composer - but ended up hacking his wife to death - and therefore becoming an axe murderer (Thomas joked that mushrooms may not have been available)
Another interesting fact was that Joseph Tivey had purchased the Fincham pipe organ for St Augustine's in 1878, including a number of stops (but not all of them) - he thought the community could pay for the rest. But they never did. Then by chance a set of Fincham stops were surplus to needs in a Hobart organ restoration - and coincidentally - the oboe swell was available. It was meant to be - installed and now the organ is complete!
Below is a photo from the Loddon Herald - of Thomas and the oboe stop of the St Augustine's organ
Anyway, the concert was superb - with Meryln Quaife singing many favourites
They even did an encore
It finished around 12.15, and Leanne and I hurried back - as we had to get there before the guests
I had left the heaters on - my room and the dining room - to take the chill out of the air. By the way it had been freezing in the church
Jill knocked on the door almost immediately with the sandwiches and cakes, so we put them on the table - along with my pate/dip/crackers. And I put the chicken balls and frittata in the warming oven
Val from across the road came first, with her son Dale. She's 90 now, and used to play the organ at St Augustine's.
The rest came in quick succession - Thomas and his wife Simone, David S, Meryln and a friend, Pip J her husband Denis, and his brother Robert, Daniel the organ builder, Caroline (Ulumbarra Board member) and her friend Susan - and I think that was about it - with obviously myself and Leanne
We all had a lovely time
Thomas told me how he had watched our Restoration Australia program - 5 times and loved it ! And that they had also contacted him and Simone - as their house had also been designed by Vahland
Except "house" is an understatement - it's an Estate ...
Langley Estate in White Hills - 50 rooms - wow!!
He said that he had been looking for the right place for 15 years - wanted a beautiful house, but also with room for a concert hall for 100 people
There had been a good contender in Hobart - the old Governor's House - but Simone didn't want to live in Tasmania - and then Langley Estate became available - and the rest is history
Simone (Thomas' wife) was interested in our mural - so I showed her - she also said that the artist's parents had stayed with them. I didn't quite understand - not realising that their "house" also had a bed and breakfast facility. And I knew it wasn't Shawn's parents - but his uncle and aunt from Sydney - as they had wanted to come and see the house/mural midweek a month or 2 ago - but I couldn't make it up there at the time
Merlyn was also lovely - and she told me how she had spied our front door open one day - and wondered what it would like inside
Because I had enjoyed the concert so much, I tried to buy tickets for the closing concert on the Sunday - however they had closed off the ticketing. That said Pip/Denis assured me that I should be able to get in - and if not - Denis would give me his seat. Leanne wasn't able to come, as she had to leave on Sunday morning
I guess we finished off around 3pm or so
Anyway, most of my chicken balls, frittata and pate went - quite a few sandwiches, cakes and my red dip were left
Leanne and I tidied up - and then I suggested that we both retire for a few hours to rest- and to re-emerge at 7pm
So we did
Toasted some of the sandwiches on the aga hob and had more pate and some cheese etc - very simple dinner
And then we went into the dining room and played cards - gin rummy which was fun
Sunday - and I had more toasted sandwiches on the Aga for breakfast
Leanne left soon after breakfast - and I did some more tidying up - and also took a photo of the back wall - as Dave the plumber had moved the hot water service in preparation for the extractor fan
And yes, the daphne flowers were a little more out, but the hellebores still hadn't opened - I hope we won't have missed them by the time we get back
The rhubarb is starting to shoot
And the almonds are close to bud burst
The two types of jonquils look pretty
And lots of lemons (or whatever they are)
The jonquils are looking better than my Melbourne ones - I wonder if they will actually flower?
I dropped in on Damo and Nicole around 11am and saw their progress on the School room
Damo had put down floor sheeting and got the services ready. They hope to be finished by October - which I thought was pretty good
I had also brought the box of cakes - so we had some with a cup of tea
Back to the house, packed up, and drove to Bendigo - to St Pauls Cathedral. The concert started at 3pm, but I left Inglewood at 1.30 - as I wanted to get there nice and early in order to be able to buy a ticket and to also check out the parking situation
Well, I literally got the rock star park - right outside - and carefully checked the parking restrictions - all good for a Sunday - no chance of a ticket
I went and stood - waiting outside the Cathedral, a young guy was standing around also - and I chatted with him a little
Then a rather loud fellow arrived with a bunch of flowers - he immediately started talking to me - and saying how much he loved the Restoration Australia program and how good I was ....I was stunned
I had seen this guy at the St Augustine's concert - and he was lovely and very effusive
The Cathedral doors opened soon after, and Merlyn was there selling tickets
She told me how she had also watched the program last night - and had loved it ! and yes, she was able to sell me a ticket
We were the first ones inside - there weren't any other audience members for a while
Thomas was there, and seemed pleased to see me (and remembered my name)
David took a selfy of the 3 of us
And Thomas showed me around the organ - very impressive 3 layers of keys and many many stops
Lovely painted pipes - with gold leaf
The sides of the pews were also rather fancy with carved eagles?
David and I sat in the front row - well why not? - and obviously had a fabulous view
Well, the cathedral soon started filling up, and Thomas came out to MC
The first performer was Yasmin Rowe - on a very fancy Steinway concert grand piano which had previously been played in the Sydney Opera House for many years. She played beautifully
Next up was Alexey Yemtsov. he came onto the stage without any sheet music, or an ipad (Yasmin had an ipad which she controlled with a foot pedal.
So he obviously played it all by memory - extraordinary!
I took these 2 photos of the screen - you can just make me out at the top left of Alexey's head- looking toward the screen and taking a photo of it with my mobile phone
And then of course Thomas played some pieces - some solo and some with either of the pianists
It really was superb!! I'll definitely go again next year
Given that this was the last concert,- there were refreshments in the supper room - some lovely canapes and also Mandurang Wines - I had a cheeky glass of bubbles
I also spoke with Carolyn and Susan, and Pip & Denis etc which was nice
I didn't stay long - maybe 1/2 hour,
Got home around 6.30 or so
