A video of my time in Patagonia

Well, I've been back in the UK for a week and I think I've finally knocked my sleeping pattern back into something tolerable. That being said, a couple of nights ago I just could not sleep and so went though my photos and videos from the last few days of my trip to Chile. I noticed I took a fair few videos and so thought it best to do something with them, rather than let them gather e-dust in my hard drive. So here's an attempt at a proper video. It's iPhone footage, and this is my 2nd time using iMovie (which I think is very uncooperative- I particularly dont like that it took an hour to 're-finalise' every time i slightly altered the edit, but this isn't a software review)...Hope you like it. Particularly watch out for the laser like sounds created by the ice lake! Plus the mountains! And dogs! Oh just watch the whole thing :)

Here's the video:



Music is by Stumbleine & Asa, which played in the breakfast room of my hotel most mornings. I went down everyday at around 05:45 (I'm not crazy, just wanted to make the most of the time) with my book, so as I nibbled kiwi, slurped tea, read my book, and enjoyed 'huevos' (eggs), Stumbeline provided a soundtrack. It's created music memories for me, as Crazy in Love by Beyonce reminds me of being by the pool in Turkey and Chop Suey by SOAD reminds me of sitting in my friends loft when I was 14/15.

Hope you like the video, I'm pleased to have done something with the footage. Now on to organising the 10 rolls of film I just had developed....!

Hasta luego amigos

International Women's Day at the BBC

 

On International Women's Day (08.03.15) I snagged myself, and my gorgeous friend Amy, tickets for BBC Radio 3's Coffee Concert. The music was beautiful, all composed and performed by women. Female composers, I learnt, have been long been atrociously treated by the Classical Music World, largely forgotten, suppressed and underexposed. 

My personal highlight from the concert was a piece by Caroline Shaw called 'Limestone and Felt' for cello and viola. I am one thousand percent ignorant about classical music, limited to my Ludovico Einaudi spotify playlist for studying, but 'Limestone and Felt' was really very different from that. A piece inspire by contrast, as indicated by the name, it was a joy to watch the two musicians make eye contact as the piece became less conventional and increasingly intricate, strange and beautiful. 

Check out this short video that I tweeted on the day: 

Great little moment from @OdalineMartinez (founder of @LontanoEnsemble) from today's concert @BBCRadio3 #WomensDay pic.twitter.com/RbnCtng6aJ
— Fiona Nicholls (@fifinicholls) March 8, 2015

It was a lovely concert, though there was a very definite lack of coffee...

I think it's great that BBC 3 took the opportunity that International Women's Day presents to celebrate and showcase female composers, though it is sad that an event such as this is needed... it seems that every other day is dedicated to the work of male composers. I hope that the BBC Radio 3's listeners enjoyed listening to the performance and start insisting upon hearing more women composers' work. 

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After the event, Amy and I grabbed lunch at the nearest Wagamamas, in Soho. We sat with our green tea (which is free!) for hours, reading lines for Amy's upcoming role in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia, and just having a proper chinwag. As we left, we both noticed the most wonderfully lit little nook in the wall of the restaurant. Luckily I had my camera with me and I am so, so pleased to have caught this lighting on film. So lovely.