Thanks, tinners.   Ardnamurchan Point is indeed reachable; we usually drive from from my niece's home, in Garve, Ross-shire, via Loch Maree/Garside - breathtaking, spectacular beauty   Judith Weir travelled much further from the east coast (Aberdeen area, also my roots).   She says;   "But once you get there, the road bends and winds so much, and we would always set off home before we got to Ardnamurchan Point.  So for me, it is a slightly unattainable direction far away."       

Something Chekhovian there - the missing 'twang' in The Cherry Orchard (Act 2); or perhaps J M Barrie, nearer home.    His play, "Mary Rose" used to be staged, regularly, and I'm trying to recall who composed the haunting theme music with the repetition of the heroine's name.   Can't stop humming it now.   Anyone out there remember the composer's name?

It's the defining moment of the whole piece, tisnow - about as seminal to the whole work as the "Slain!" in Belshazzar's Feast.

Thanks, Ron*. (I obviously need to brush up my Chekhov.)

*Oh, and George.

 I played Lopakhin when I was far too young for the role.   In Act 2, Lopakhin -always aware of his low caste status in the presence of Ranevskaya - is hectoring her about the need for change, in society, and how she could transform her dwindling capital by selling off the cherry orchard.   A begging tramp arrives - a touch of Waiting for Godot? - and there is a sudden "twang" in the distance.   Providing the cast stop and do not act 'listening' or, even, react to each other, the resonance can suddenly silence the house, too.  The sound is never explained.   Perhaps Harold McMillan would have described it as 'the wind of change'.    A truly great play.

Ah, but they've spoken over at TOP. He's just inarticulate rubbish

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbradio3/F7497567?thread=5730295

I didn't hear Private Passions today but I think it was a repeat and if so, the Dylan song featured was The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll. I can perfectly understand those who dislike Dylan's singing voice but find it strange to claim that the words are not clear because, like one poster said over there, his diction is always meticulous despite the mannered delivery. Rather like his laconic DJ style on the Theme Time Radio hour shows.
 

It certainly must have been that song, judging by the poster over there on the BBC who quotes Christopher Ricks' description of a 'song of faith misplaced in the law'.

Not that I'm sure why we need to invoke Christopher Ricks as an authority. After all, he's the writer who spends so much time on the connections between 'Love Minus Zero' and the Book of Daniel that he forgets to point out the 'raven's wing' at the end is a pretty obvious allusion to Poe. He also thinks the album title Time Out of Mind needs explaining as an allusion to Beckett's line 'Ruins true refuge long last towards which so many false time out of mind.'

Hearing on R3(where elese , Elgar Cello Concerto(Paul Watkins, BBCSO, Jiri Behlolavek(?), the recording that DG had done recently. Not too bad, although, as far as the aural/audio experience went, it was a far immdeiate impression.

A little while later after aforementioned, have the current BBC MM cover cd on. Piano Concerti by Gershwin and the G major(Ravel). Have the Gerhswin on at the moment. Whilst I enjoy the playing of Peter Donohoe(Gerhswin), the overall performance of the BBC NOW, is somewhat under par, as far as i am concerned. Rehearsal time, perhaps, or an off night. I have the Andre Previn/LSO recording, and compared to that, I am not very happy with this at all. The trumpet solo in the slow movement sounds rather bad, for example, intonation. If I remember rightly, at the time, Howard Snell was Principal trumpet of the LSO(?), so not surprised by the playing and the sound of John Fletcher(the late, alas), on tuba, is brilliant. I wonder if anybody would better this performance(Previn/LSO0?