Monday
Lovely morning, sunny but
cool. Pale blue mists across the Links,
Braid Hills a darker blue in the distance.
Saw in 'The Scotsman' that a plane crashed last night at Haddington, 10 miles
away, probably the one I heard. House
destroyed and some relatives of Earl Haig killed.
Wrote to Father again. Suppose he must be alright as I have not
heard a word from him. Went to Library
for an hour, and to Grant’s. Bought Bloomfield ’s Poems in 2
vols. Beautiful copy, for 1/.
This afternoon, reading and
writing. Had tea in the flat, looking
out over the links. Lights appearing in
the great school up the hill, and boys and girls going home in the misty
dusk. Sound of horses hooves on the
stone sets.
Decided to go to the Mikado by
the D’Oyly Carte Co. No seats left, so had to wait in queue. Darkness falling, lights coming on, trams
going by packed with work people, and old “busker” singing “Drink to me only”
in a hoarse dirgelike voice. Got a good
seat in 2nd row of gallery.
Place seemed to be very largely filled by young girls, mostly very
pretty, chattering in soft, Scottish voices.
At last the orchestra came in and tuned up. Then they swung into the first
bars of the music, and all the little girls with their pretty hair and shining
eager little eyes leaned forward entranced, never thinking I suppose that their
grandmothers were just as entranced 60 years ago.
About 1890 this opera was taken
off in London on the occasion of the Mikado’s
visit, as it was regarded as an insult to Japan . In 1941 it was again more or less banned as
showing Japan
in a pleasant or facetious manner. Now
apparently it is to be regarded merely as a piece of play acting and
music. I enjoyed it immensely, all the
old tunes, the old songs. The dresses
and settings were changed a few years ago, and are certainly very gorgeous. Some of the acting did not seem to me to be
as good as I should have expected from the D’Oyly Carte Co. themselves but of
course it is difficult to make so old a play go with a swing, with its feeble
late Victorian jokes (although everyone laughed at them most dutifully). “The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring” was
encored enthusiastically, and I think “Tit Willow” could easily have been as
well. What delightful tunes these
are. Made me think of the old days at
school, when we did this show at Easter.
The “Mikado” was Darrell Fancourt, very good, and Grahame Clifford did
Ko-Ko in such a clowning manner that I should expect the people who regard
G&S as a religion rather than an entertainment to be disgusted. The orchestra played some numbers a little
slowly, and were just inclined to be a bit “brassy” but it was all a delight to
me.
Came out into the cold starlit
night. Nice supper, friendly chatter. Money is now becoming short, in fact I have
not got enough to pay my fare home.
Thinking about cycling as far as Hadrian’s Wall .
About 11 o’clock heard 2 fire
engines rushing by towards Marchmont. While in the cafe, five ATS came up, with an ATS Officer. She seemed to be on very good terms with
the girls.
They all spoke with Yorkshire or Lancashire
accents, and the officer with the usual English “cultured” accent. They were talking about service abroad, and
the officer said “Well, the only reason I’m
not keen to go is that as soon as I go out my husband will be coming
home.” A pleasant piece of
optimism. Shortly after a Major came up,
and greeted the officer in a very affable manner. He attached himself to the party, and finally
paid for them all.
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