Normally, on a Friday morning, I’d be up and out of the house by 07:30, on my way to the ICA for supplies. This morning, however, I looked out of the window and decided against it. I then had to reverse my decision because, in a very Mother Hubbard situation, there wasn’t any dog food in the house.
My initial decision wasn’t so much based on the almost continuous fall of snow outside. After all, I’ve walked to the shops in falling snow before. In fact, the weather rarely stops me. I’m a bit of a Postman Gaz when it comes to weather conditions. No, it wasn’t the falling snow as much as the fallen snow.
The temperature was hovering a bit above zero, which was turning the snow into slush. The slush, in turn, drenched my feet and froze my ankles, calves and toes. It was not pleasant.
Also unpleasant was the handful of pebbles that somehow managed to take up residence in my right shoe. I think they were flicked up by my trolley. Or my left shoe. In whatever way they managed to get in, they weren’t leaving without my sitting down and removing the shoe. I didn’t want a wet slushy bum, so I had to persevere.
I finally managed to extricate the pebbles in the toilet at the ICA. It made walking around the shop a lot easier.
By the time I returned home, my bottom half was pretty much drenched and I felt just as bad on the inside. I stripped off, dried off, redressed and sat with a coffee, only to have Emma present me with a tennis ball. It was only fair, I suppose. I threw it for her until she tired.
Last night, I’d booked a ticket for a string quartet at the Skärborgarnas Hus. It was another concert, organised by Trosa Kammarmusikförening and, before this morning’s walk into ICA, I was really looking forward to going. I have to admit that the pending enjoyment was somewhat dampened by the conditions outside.
I shouldn’t have worried. By the time I left the house, a lot of the slush had gone, the snow had stopped, and the evening was approaching mild. I walked to the venue and back quite happily. Not a skerrick of slush or any pebbles to blight my journey.
The concert was performed by the Uppsala Kammarsolister (Uppsala Chamber Soloists) and featured Per Nyström (cello), Klara Hellgren (violin), Brusk Zanganeh (violin) and Johannes Sciacco Schantz (violin). They were all fantastic. Though I do wonder what happened to the fifth member advertised on the poster; Ylvali McTigert Zilliacus and her viola.
Having read about them, it occurs to me that we may have heard them, as they are frequently featured on P2, the Swedish radio station we listen to most days.
The music comprised three pieces I’d never heard of before. All string quartets (obviously) with two of them from the 1970’s and the third, in 1900.
It was the third, with all four movements making up the second half of the concert, that was the highlight for me. It was Wilhelm Stenhammar’s Stråkkvartett nr 3, op 18 in F major and, I thought, had a few hints of Variations on a Theme of Paganini by Brahms, within it. I could be wrong but I heard a few snatches.
For the entire programme, the four played everything effortlessly and tirelessly. And beautifully. I thoroughly enjoyed it all.
In the meanwhilst, Mirinda was baking in Lisbon with the weather being 24° and sunny. I think I prefer the slush.
