Not an early Valentine!

This is the young (oh, so young) composer, Freddy Viner, after the World Première of his String Sextet, Tracing Sunbeams. It was the last work to be performed in the wonderful Brundibár Festival on Tyneside this week.

The other Marjorie, Margret next door and I went to the concert together. We heard the Brahms String Sextet in B Flat Major, Schulhoff's Sextet, Shoenberg's Verklärte Nacht  and Freddie's sextet.

It was another stunning concert. For us all the highlight was the Schulhoff. It's a brilliant piece and I don't suppose it is often performed. The musicians had me, for one, on the edge of my seat, listening intently to the quietest pianissimos I have ever heard. Magical.

Natalie Klein played in the two sextets in the first half and stayed as an audience member for the second.

The audience was much too thin, but was enthusiastic.

Earlier today I did lots of computer work for the festival. Then Zoe and I went to Wark to walk. The river was too high for us to cross to Gold Island so we went on the riverside path north.  Zoe behaved pefectly on her lead today and came back to me when I called her away from two other cocker spaniels. I won't mention that she didn't come when I had opened the boot and there was a German Shepherd, plus a child on a bike, coming towards us. Too much of a distraction!

PS My extra is taken in Dean Street beside the turn into Shakespeare Street and shows the Theatre Royal and other Newcastle landmarks. I love it in the city at night.