Beethoven and Boris Bikes

So this weekend I went to the 28^th Proms with my dad. The orchestra played Strauss’ By the Beautiful Blue Danube, James MacMillan’s Violin Concerto and Beethoven’s Overture Coriolan and Symphony No. 5. Oh the symphony was in C Minor, obviously.

It was a great evening, if the beginning felt a little rushed because we had lagged a bit (not my fault – I wasn’t navigating). The conductor, a Mr. Donald Runnicles looked like your typical conductor and did this great little jig during upbeat parts of Beethoven’s symphony that really added to the performance.

But for me what really made the evening was MacMillan’s concerto. It had three movements or acts, from what I could tell. The first ‘act’ was of the violinist, Vadim Repin performing solo in a quick, hurried way which was answered sporadically by the orchestra with discordant notes. It was a chase and made us all feel quite threatened. The other two acts, now a blur in my mind, consisted of Repin answering the discordant orchestra with futile, trilling notes, as if fighting the orchestra off but with each response becoming more exhausted. I interpreted it as someone fighting off their insanity or sickness and failing to do so. The piece ended on one quiet, long note of the violin as it finally succumbed to whatever it had been fighting. I was near tears – a first for the RAH.

After the concert ended my dad and I headed for the nearest station when we noticed a Barclays Boric Bike station. We looked at each other and figured – why not?

I’m telling you, they are the way to get around London. It was probably good we rode at night, so I didn’t have to look over my shoulder every two seconds and the traffic was quiet. I hadn’t ridden a bike in months and was a little rusty. Those things aren’t light either, nor do they take into account some people are below the average height.

Still – they were good fun. I recommend everyone has a go on them at some point this summer.