Music

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Concert, PEI Symphony, piano, Von Eccher

We recently attended a concert of the PEI Symphony where Zueignung by Richard Strauss was on the program. The singer Tracy Cantin was accompanied on the piano by our friend Magdalena Von Eccher.

A beautiful piece here sung by Joyce DiDonato.

Life Events

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Birthday, Halifax, Harness races, Mont Blanc cake, PEI Symphony

This evening is the 51th Gala of the PEI Symphony with our New York Juilliard Maestro Mark Shapiro at the Top of the Park restaurant at Red Shores raceway. Live orchestra with a well known Island singer Tara MacLean and comedian Patrick Ledwell. It is sold out and it promises to be a very nice evening with harness racing live on which we can place bets, live auction the items are wonderful, plane tickets, pounds of lobsters, Canadian artist art work, designer jewellery, etc and great food, I really like Top of the Park, their food is alway tops and the menu changes daily. The guest list is impressive, the ”gratin” of the Island will be present, all the big names. Will has worked very hard at organizing this event, preparing things and giving interviews to the press.

 

Tomorrow is my 63rd Birthday, friends will come for a glass of bubbly and a Mont Blanc Cake which has chestnut purée and whipped cream. This is my favorite cake, we use to have it all the time in Rome. Will surprised me today with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

The cake I ordered from my favourite pastry chef Valerie. A Mont Blanc with Chestnut purée. “Mont Blanc” cake. Layers of vanilla sponge, soaked with chocolate liquor, then chestnut mascarpone cream, meringue, more chestnut cream, whipped cream, more meringue, more cream… more… more…more. Topped off with shaved white chocolate.

We will be going to Halifax about 3 hours away for a few days, change of scenery and to see friends.

Birthday Bouquet it has a subtle fragrance

1 May 2016 and today

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art., Charlottetown, life, Music, Neighbourhood, PEI, PEI Symphony

Well it has been one year since we moved to Charlottetown,PEI. Last year when we arrived the weather was sunny and cool like today. We are well settled in our new home, busy with various volunteer jobs. Today I walked in the neighbourhood in late afternoon and took these pictures.

We should not forget that they too came with us and are now also well settled in their new home.

The Haviland Club on Dundas Esplanade which until 1919 was the US Consulate in Charlottetown.

The Government Bog in front of the Gates of Fanningbank, the Residence of the Lieutenant Governor.

Low tide in the bay at the entrance into the Strait of Northumberland.

The houses on West avenue

Today we are invited to Fanningbank (Government House) for the reception given by the Lieutenant Governor and PEI Symphony Board welcoming the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Maestro Alexander Shelley and violinist James Ehnes who came to Charlottetown for a concert to start the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of Canada. I just hope they don’t ask me to do a tour of the house, since I volunteer as a docent.

Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra
Colin Davis conducting. Mozart, Magic Flute, the march of the Priests.

 

 

Social Events.

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Ball, Charlottetown, PEI, PEI Symphony, Social events, The Social Season, Water Street

When we moved to PEI some 7 months ago, little did we realize how many or much social events there are here. The newspaper The Buzz provides a full month of events and other things to do in Charlottetown and in other towns and villages on the Island. It is all very accessible for all not just a niche group as you so often see elsewhere.

This weekend we had our anniversary dinner, then a big party at friends just 3 blocks away, the food was out of this world good, there must have been about 100 people in this great 19th century apartment which is part of the late Governor, Sir Robert Hodgson Mansion, a whose who kind of party. Earlier we had been at the Santa’s Parade on University Street, a really big parade with Mickey Mouse from Disneyland as Grand Marshall, the parades here usually have 40 floats and lots of marching bands, most if not all is volunteer generated. Earlier in the week we had been at the lighting up of the Capital’s Official Christmas tree with full choir and in the presence of the Lieutenant Governor and other dignitaries. Today we have a concert at the Theatre of the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

Earlier in the Season we attended the Mask Ball of the PEI Symphony Orchestra at the Culinary Institute. That was a beautiful evening with candlelight dinner with full orchestra and a jazz band. All in all not a bad life on the gentle island.