It is in the nature of my kind of journalistic
commentary that many readers will disagree strongly with what I write. I would
like to explore some of these issues, so that the controversy can be kept alive,
if it deserves to be, before disappearing permanently below the horizon.
(1) King Charles III’s Coronation.
I am delighted we now have a date (6 May 2023)
for this special event but I am dismayed that the Palace plan to have a
truncated version, and are not even sure if there should be a Bank Holiday to
celebrate. I am old enough to remember Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation
(wet, but wonderful) and of course it must be up-dated, but forget about
“cut-price coronations” – we need a glorious and glittering occasion followed
by lavishly memorable celebrations, from which we will require a Bank Holiday
(or 2!) to recover.
I well understand that the public do not want
an expensive display of privilege and we live in economically dicey times but a
Spartan approach to the Coronation is entirely misplaced.
The ceremony itself could be drastically
trimmed of some ancient formality without any great offence. I doubt if
anointing Charles with holy oil is in keeping with the modern spirit, but he
should be invested with the Crown, if not with all the other regalia. The now
irrelevant peers can be banished entirely with their ermine and coronets, as
can the judges in their silks and wigs and most of the lawn-sleeved,
mitre-topped bishops. In the Abbey, the music of Handel, Purcell and Vaughan
Williams should resound from the rafters competing with the Vivat Rex of
the scholars of Westminster School and of the congregation. The congregation
should represent the nation, all professions, and all condition of citizen. The
King wants to be Defender of all the Faiths, so we must make room for
Protestant sects, Catholics and Orthodox with a modest sprinkling of rabbis,
imams and Hindu priests. The religious service is scheduled to take about an
hour or so – plenty time. Receiving Homage from any quarter is redundant, as it
is a given.
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The (uncomfortable)
Golden State Coach
The public want to see their crowned King in
his golden coach and a splendid procession to Buckingham Palace is a necessity.
Ranks of servicemen, marching or mounted, military bands by the bucket-full,
supplemented by a Pageant celebrating the past and present achievements of our
great country, crowds cheering, bells ringing, canons booming, flags in
profusion. Please spare us woke guff about the wonders of the NHS, immigrants
and the transsexual community. Finally, a fly-past and a massive firework
display will complete the official (tax-payer funded) ceremony.
I would
not expect the Exchequer to foot the bill for the subsequent feasting and
conviviality but roast oxen, gallons of beer and the best Champagne would be on
my menu. The people will be happy, London will rock, the tourist trade will be
ecstatic and our friends and neighbours filled with admiration.
So, your Majesty, do not stint – make sure it
is a truly memorable day!
(2) André Rieu
I used to be sniffy about performers like André Rieu, who took
pieces of popular classical music out of context and played them in a lush
orchestral setting. But as usual, I was entirely wrong. There is a similar
musical tradition in Britain, exemplified by the historic careers of Max Jaffa
with his Palm Court Orchestra and Mantovani of “cascading strings” fame. Okay,
they were never edgy or fashionable but they served up well-loved popular
classics to a loyal and appreciative audience. André Rieu, the hero of Maastricht, in the
Limburg province of the Netherlands is more ambitious and he is a ubiquitous
presence on European TV.
André gets their
feet tapping
André (now 73) has prospered mightily
since his version of The Second Waltz by Shostakovich became a Dutch hit
in 1994. His Johann Strauss Orchestra and singers have expanded in numbers and
he gives lavish concerts globally and to audiences of 8,000 + in the town
square of Maastricht (the Vrijthof) and its surrounding cafes. His concert
stock in trade there is an entry to the strains of 76 Trombones, a
selection of familiar Viennese waltzes, the stirring Limburg provincial anthem,
operatic “lollipops”, as Beecham described them, often by Puccini, jokey
business with the orchestra members, many guest performers displaying singing
or instrumental talents and an extended finale with its rousing Adieu, meiner
Kleiner Gardeoffizier ending the evening.
Multilingual
André tours to, for example, Chile, Australia, Romania and Britain adjusting
his programme to the native audience (he was recently in my home town of
Aberdeen to the delight of my venerable brother aged 86, a great fan, who
naturally attended). André is a flamboyant showman and I have to admit his
polyglot entourage is a great advertisement for European unity and solidarity.
He is one of the world’s life-enhancers and should be warmly cherished.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=681186609354946 You’ll never walk alone
(3) Hilary Mantel
Hilary Mantel, the mistress of historical fiction, passed away only a few weeks ago at the age of 70. She produced a wide range of novels but her greatest claim to fame was the Wolf Hall Trilogy, three novels (the first two won the prestigious Booker Prize) following the rise and fall of Tudor statesman Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell was at least partly responsible for the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the execution of Anne Boleyn, the protection of Lollards, the suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace and Henry VIII’s disastrous marriage to Anne of Cleves. He paid with his head in 1540
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Hilary well deserves the accolades heaped upon
her and few would disagree with the Observer verdict: The Cromwell novels
are, for my money, the greatest English novels of this century.
Fascinating, meticulously researched, intelligently written to be sure, but
Hilary, they were just too long!
Wolf Hall 482
pages
Bring up the Bodies 650 pages
The Mirror and the Light 875 pages
I am presently on page 205 of the 3rd
title and am not even a quarter nearer the finishing line! As a decrepit
80-year-old I do not read quickly any more. I want a handy book, not a
door-stopper. I think there should be a heavy tax on books over 300 pages –
maybe that would help us all, Liz Truss!
SMD
13.10.22
Text Copyright © Sidney Donald 2022
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