Lohengrin. opera. sandwiches. cake

I usually expect to doze comfortably through the second act of an opera, and awake with some good ideas for poetry in my mind. However, the WNO production of Lohengrin at Wales Millenium Centre this evening was so thrilling and beautiful that I stayed conscious for the whole evening.

Our usual Wagner tribute picnic in the two intervals celebrated the swan, of course. Here are the sandwiches, photographed on a stylish leatherette seat;

and here is the cake, with a curiously relevant cake tin in the background;

Wagner birthday artefacts

Celebrating Wagner's significant birthday with knitting, collage, and letterpress. Photographed in front of my beloved Adana 8x5 letterpress machine you can see Brunhilde looking for a horse, Lohengrin looking for suitable transport, and the Flying Dutchman looking for love. The birthday cards have music from Lohengrin, birthday gift wrap and a letterpress printed name.

 I am taking them and lots of others to the Diffusion Festival Publishing Weekend at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, 25th and 26th May. www.diffusionfestival.org

Here are the cards, with Brunhilde, who as you can see, has been looking in the Horse and Hound magazine for a new steed.

Flying Dutchman. Lovelorn. Film.

 Here is a link to a very short film about the Flying Dutchman, and his search for love.  Made with a fingerpuppet Dutchman, and various artefacts. Musical director is Peter Reynolds, who is actually a rather serious composer!

   http://youtu.be/jdyD7yOiLdk

                             The photo shows the Dutchman, stranded on a collage.