Yesterday was Canada Day (aka “Canada’s Birthday”), and I trust my Canadian friends spent the day doing appropriately Canadian-ish things — you know, like singing “O Canada” and drinking an appropriately Canadian alcoholic beverage. With that in mind, the good folks at Molson Brewing honored Canada Day by sharing the most ingenious and wonderful kind … Continue reading
A new composition for a new year. Seems rather poetic, doesn’t it? Often such gestures work better in concept than in practice, but thanks to Martin Grubinger‘s virtuoso performance of The Tears of Nature, Tan Dun’s new percussion concerto receiving its U.S. Premiere last Friday night care of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, this one worked … Continue reading
Back in 2007, long before All is Yar was a mere Fig Newton of my imagination, Victoria Bitter (VB) beer company teamed with the Melbourne Symphony and Orchestra Victoria — playing together as the “Victoria Bitter Orchestra” — to create a unique commercial: it featured the combined orchestras playing VB’s jingle using variations on a theme … Continue reading
The beginning of autumn is a bittersweet time of the year. On one hand, days are getting shorter than nights, dropping air and water temperatures make for less-than-ideal beach conditions, and the family’s free-time and flexibility gives way to more structure and routine. On the other hand, the football season is in full swing, performing … Continue reading
You know, some things just don’t get old, especially when it involves the combination of two of my favorite things: orchestras and beer. Here’s a real 2007 Australian commercial for Victoria Bitter beer starring the Melbourne Symphony and Orchestra Victoria (playing as the “Victoria Bitter Orchestra”) in a performance of “The VB Stubby Symphony.” Also … Continue reading
I ordered a bottle of “Damnation” by Russian River Brewing Company. Surprise #1 was that it came with a cork like a bottle of sparkling wine. Upon popping it open (turn the bottle, not the cork), Surprise #2 was that there were instructions for choosing the proper glasswork printed right there on the side of … Continue reading
All is Yar 