A colleague at work was able to get extra tickets to the annual Fireworks Concert that is the finale to the Edinburgh International Festival. And I owe her many, many thanks for inviting me. It was amazing! And wonderful! And, and, and... Ok, you probably get the idea. We were treated to a concert played by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. The music was punctuated by the fireworks display, the likes of which I haven't seen since I can't even remember.
The concert started with the Overture to Candide by Bernstein, one of my favorites and so fun and challenging to play. We also got to hear some Gershwin and Copeland and a few others. The evening ended with Sousa's The Liberty Bell march. For some, this march brings to mind Monty Python's Flying Circus. The Liberty Bell was the theme music for that program. For me, it conjures up memories of endless measures playing off beats, the part assigned to French horn players 99.99999% of the time in marches. Argh. I will say, though, that marches do go very well with fireworks.
The fireworks were set off from Edinburgh Castle, and we watched from down below in the Princess Street Gardens. It's impossible to really get across just with words and pictures what last night's fireworks concert was like. I hope that the pictures below will at least give you a small taste.
20 comments:
Wow! They're incredible. I'm not sure why but the first pic puts me to mind of a flock of flamingos flying across the sky.
I can't wait to see the Saturday night photos.
OH MY BOB, those pictures are awesome. I can NEVER get good pictures of fireworks. I love the first one with the bursts over the castle. You are really good with that camera.
Sounds like a once in a lifetime event.
BTW, why do French horn players put their hand in the bell? :-)
OOoooh. Aaahhhhh. Really very nice. And fireworks are tricky to photograph too. Good job.
Now about those Men in Kilts ...
Lovely pyrotechnics.
But where are the men in kilts? Priorities, woman! :-)
Just amazing!
I do envy your getting to live in Scotland.
Thanks for letting us see these wonderful photos.
Those pictures are great T. I can almost hear the booms and the crackling as they go off. Could almost see the castle in the first "flock of flamingos".
I'd like to hear about the Queen and the men in kilts too.
Great pics! I just saw a great fireworks show at a Reds baseball game, but it doesn't sound like to music was nearly as good as yours.
Wow! I want to go back to Scotland! Really nice pics.
To play with their spit!
Thresa
Gorgeous, gorgeous, pictures.
Wapa....
The hand in the bell of a French horn is used to mute the sound....decrease volume.
Oooh! Aaaah! Wow! But I agree, Men In Kilts- Geez Girl, priorities
wow that is cool looking. thanks!
sheryl, you must have flamingos on your mind. I can't imagine why. :+)
That first picture is my favorite, too. As far as how good they turned out, I really can't take too much credit. Good camera (thanks Mom and Dad!) and we were really close to the fireworks, which I'm sure helped. And I'm not showing you the ones that didn't turn out!
Wapak, although a hand in the bell of a French horn does affect volume, it is most important for pitch and playing in tune. You can raise and lower the pitch by adjusting your hand in the bell.
There's actually a way of playing (usually only used for small bits) called stopped horn. Basically, you shove your hand all the way into the bell, which raises the pitch by about a 1/2 step. Then you play note that is a 1/2 step lower to produce the actual note on the page. It gives the horn an eerie, distant sound.
Ok, probably more on French horn playing that you ever wanted to know. :+)
Fantastic pictures. Almost makes me feel that I was there. That must have been some show. Wow.
Wapak's questions sounds like the start to a bad joke. I find myself wanting to say "to get to the other side" or "anywhere he wants to."
I went to the Cincy fireworks on Sunday night. I couldn't get a good picture of them to save my life, so I switched my camera over to video to to make it work.
I have a good camera (The picture Bryan took Krista, Bob, Jenny, and I was crystal clear...no blur at all), but my timing was always WAY off.
So...I'm very impressed.
Not as impressed as I would be with men in kilts, but still...
Great pics, Theresa!
Yup, that first one DOES look like flamingoes in flight. The rest are beautiful as well.
Ya done good!
Just finished Robin Pilcher's (Rosamunde's son) Starburst. The background of the story is the Edinburgh International Festival, culminating in the fireworks over the castle. Ta da!
Hey Ms. T,
This has nothing to do with fireworks, totally off topic, but I was reading a book on belly dance, and it recommended a teacher in Edinburgh, http://www.hilarysbazaar.com/
I know you're probably busy studying and running and procrastinating on doctrinal issues (or post-doctrinal issues?), but I thought I should mention it.
Where are the men in kilts? I'm going to whine until we see them. seriously whine. It won't be pretty.
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