Brass first, then strings

We concert goers sitting on lawn chairs in the grounds of Rideau Hall were lucky this afternoon in that the raincloud passed us by and rained heavily on Rockcliffe airport instead, where Chris, refueling PTN, was having to shelter under its wing. Meanwhile the combined forces of the Rideau Lakes and True North Brass Quintets continued to play, their only worry being the wind that flapped at their music, so that they had to hold it on with pegs that made it awkward to turn the pages. We heard another captivating variety of music from recently composed selections to Bizet, to Duke Ellington, to Bach. This was a free concert open to anyone who felt like turning up. I had an unobstructed view near some parked bikes right at the front, so was able to get a few photos.

In the evening Chris joined me to attend a more serious concert, St Andrew's church once again packed with enthusiasts. A friend from the flying club told us he'd been queuing for a good seat for two hours. We heard music by Hindemith and Dvorak (the fourth quartet of each of those composers) and the Shostakovitch Octet, opus 11, a violently intense composition for which the St Lawrence String Quartet was joined by the Tokai String Quartet, all of them except the two 'cellists standing up to play for the sake of more freedom of movement. This was really exciting both to listen to and to watch; we were all on our feet too when they came to the end of it! A great concert.

I have never seen a less submissive second violinist than the one in the St Lawrence Quartet!

Walking back through town we got mixed up in the good-humoured crowds of tourists on Parliament Hill and in the market, with strains of the buskers fest in the background as well as the live music from the pubs, which is rather a different kind of chamber music from what we'd been listening to. Ottawa was in a lively mood tonight. There's been a "Flugtag" with a lot of competitors in flying contraptions falling into the river.