Iain Cameron's Diary
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2005-07-04 - 8:47 a.m.

Got back from Oxford and set the alarm for an early meeting. Woke up - the alarm still said 11.50pm - obviously broken. Got up and fiddled with those chords and decided to drive to work early - listening to S Vega - Objects of Desire . There was one song from the Wwk concert I recognized. A lot of the material seems to be about the margins of desire - a very overtly produced album - from the mid 1990s - it seems married the producer. I suppose she is reacting to the edgier treatment of themes by younger fem songwriters like P J Harvey.

Oxford was charming, of course. Actually the concert was excellent. They started with Haydn�s Lark SQ - one of the last he wrote for the Esterhazys - I had never heard it before and was well impressed esp with the first movement. Then a stunning version of Wenlock Edge that comletely brought the house down - I have never heard it performed before - only on record and radio - it is so modal Then Barber�s Dover Beach which he wrote in 1931 at the age of 21 - again I hadn�t heard this before although I think it is very famous.

To finish off they lightened up and did some fave opera pieces - but the 3 main works were a real treat. Cathy Bell - who was in Lullabies and sings on both the initial MfHV Cds had organized the concert for the charity she now works for in Oxford. She had got some really good performers to donate their services. I bought a CD by the tenor (James Gilchrist) performing Finzi songs .

Exchange of ems with Henry which led me to order the USA CD to replace my lost original vynil.

Yvonne has finished her thesis on problem-based learning - I took a copy to show to colleagues.

Then off to a hotel near the NEC for a fairly strenuous meeting on the future of motorsport and back to the office for a late afternoon discussion in the office - quite hard work and too many snacking opportunities. Felt quite dozy by the end of the day.

Peter sent me the WAVS of 10 Short Stories which are lost on one of my dead laptops somewhere. This provoked me into thinking a bit about the configuration and technique which I had used to produce them - something I haven�t done for at least a year.

Saturday morning drove to Gfd then Chessington to recover Amazon delivery for Vita -books about Cartier-Bresson and Raymond Briggs , the illustrator. Most of the rest of the day on Live 8 - nothing like it before so who knows what will result - some great playing eg from Townshend and Craig David�s guitarist. I thought maybe virtuosity is on its way back. Dipped into J Culler on identity and individuation in literary theory.

Sunday drove to Old Sarum to see Ruth and Stuart and their dogs and then lunch by the Hampshire Avon. Then north up the Avon Valley to Marlboro , Swindon, and Cirencester - Fosse Way back to the outskirts of Leantown. Only got lost once. Maybe too much sun by the Avon prompting another early night. Too many aches.

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