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Tag Archives: CBSO Chorus
Wednesday, 13th July, 2016 by azuriteenigma
Wednesday 13th July, 7.00pm
Verdi Falstaff, 115′
Edward Gardner – Conductor
Ambrogio Maestri – Baritone (Falstaff)
Nicholas Pallesen – Baritone (Ford)
Corinne Winters – Soprano (Alice Ford)
Sofia Fomina – Soprano (Nannetta)
Justina Gringyte – Mezzo-Soprano (Meg Page)
Jane Henschel – Contralto (Mistress Quickly)
Sam Furness – Tenor (Fenton)
Graham Clark – Tenor (Dr Caius)
Peter Van Hulle – Tenor (Bardolfo)
Lukas Jakobski – Bass (Pistola)
CBSO Chorus
Tutto nel mondo è burla: "All the world's a joke". The final words of Verdi's Falstaff bring down the curtain on one of the warmest and wisest comedies in all music. What better way to celebrate the Bard than with this uproarious operatic re-imagining of The Merry Wives of Windsor ? A world-class cast joins Edward Gardner to end our season in a burst of laughter and joy.
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
There will be a 20-minute interval after Act 2.
Review by Rian Evans, Guardian:
… "Having marshalled a first-class cast, and in dynamic form on the podium, it was Edward Gardner, in his final appearance as the orchestra's principal guest conductor, who masterminded the occasion, sparky and sparkling from beginning to life-affirming final chord.
In the title role was Ambrogio Maestri, with girth to match his vocal might, and whose authoritative assumption of the fat knight's persona is internationally acclaimed. Maestri, every bit as magisterial as his name, extrapolated every ounce, no, every gram, of comic possibility from the music, varying his sound from big, booming resonance to mischievous falsetto and bringing lovely variety to the colouring.
Remarkably, this was a performance with neither director nor props, but with Gardner making the action flow so naturally and with such pace as to belie that fact. The singers wore evening dress but, in the case of the men, cleverly subverted, with Lukas Jakobski's tall Pistola and Peter van Hulle's shorter Bardolph roughed up to make a classic partnership. The wit and humour of the Garter Inn came over well, both Falstaff's relationship with his sidekicks and the nature of the man, with his twin obsessions for food and women, manifestly clear. Not only did Gardner get the essential comic timing of this just right – and thus the rest of the opera – but in the part of the Garter landlord, handed Falstaff the bar tab to cue another grand bit of Maestri belly-boasting."
"Edward Gardner gives the downbeat, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra bursts into Verdi's great opening guffaw. Enter stage left Graham Clark, as Dr Caius. Enter stage right Ambrogio Maestri, as Falstaff. And before a note has been sung, the audience is laughing. I know that in the post-Dumpygate era we're not supposed to discuss a singer's physical appearance. It's just that everything about Maestri – his stature, his gait, his rolling eyes, his genial manner and his big rubbery smile – suggests that he was born to play the Fat Knight. He simply is Falstaff.
That being so, he's not merely witty in himself, but the cause that wit is in others. His very presence on stage creates a glow of warmth and good humour. It made an excellent starting point for this concert performance, the final instalment in the CBSO's Our Shakespeare season. […]
[…] And Gardner certainly knows how to assemble a cast. Corinne Winters, as Alice Ford, was a perfectly chosen foil for Maestri: all knowing smiles, flashing eyes and sassy self-confidence, with a voice as bright as it was expressive. Falstaff didn't stand a chance. Jane Henschel found tenderness as well as a hint of steel as a Mistress Quickly who was very much one of the girls while Clark, Hulle and Lukas Jakobski (Pistola) made a suitably gangly bunch of reprobates; reedy of tone and exuberantly in character (it helped that Hulle is small enough to be physically lifted off his feet and bounced up and down by Maestri).
The darkness of Justina Gringyte's mezzo as Meg Page was nicely chosen to set off Winters's soprano, just as Pallesen's tighter, harder-edged baritone made him a suitable contrast and adversary for Falstaff: a combative figure, with a menacing flash of Iago in his jealous outbursts. And gleaming through it all, Fomina's sweet, sunlit singing as Nannetta: a luminous performance, which Furness (deputising for an indisposed Allan Clayton) matched in ardour if not sonic beauty.
They played off each other like a dream, and it would be a joy to see this lot together on stage. At times, it really felt like they were – swept along by Gardner's brisk, fluid tempi and the all-pervading presence of Maestri: whether singing a mocking falsetto as warmly and richly as his great monologues, sitting back and drumming his fingers with a huge, satisfied smirk, or unleashing a truly volcanic surge of black, sonorous tone." …
Review by Mark Pullinger, BachTrack:
… "To say that Maestri has made the title role his own is an understatement. He simply is Falstaff, inhabiting his character even without any trappings of costume. His warm baritone filled Symphony Hall with ease, from growling exclamations of "Ladri!" to falsetto impressions of his supposedly enamoured Alice. But what makes Maestri's Falstaff incomparable is his appetite for the text; he greedily savours every word, inflecting each with distinctive flavour. He is a vocal actor nonpareil. We don't just laugh at his Falstaff – we laugh with him. We empathise with him too. His hangdog expression and lugubrious "Mondo ladro" as Falstaff bemoans the wickedness in the world struck a chord, I suspect, in many of us. "Everything's going downhill." I know the feeling, pal.
Although this concert performance lacked a lot of the visual comedy – Falstaff squeezing himself snugly into a laundry basket, dressing up in his finery to woo Alice, or masquerading as Herne the Hunter – it still radiated good humour aplenty. There were precious few props, but still a sense of drama as singers – performing off-book – entered and exited each scene, although suspension of disbelief was required when Ford and his henchmen, searching for Falstaff, somehow seemed to miss Maestri cowering behind a gerbera! Maestri's physique du rôle meant he towered over the cowering Bardolph and lifted Alice clean off the ground.
Corinne Winters, in peachy voice, offered an impish Alice, leading Windsor's 'Merry Wives' in their plotting to teach Sir John a lesson or two. Deliciously phrased, Winters' Alice is the real deal, soaring in ensemble, sighing in mock adoration at Falstaff's clumsy courting. […]
[…] Cast apart, most of the joy came from Ed Gardner's assured handling of the orchestra. Verdi's miraculous score fizzes and teems with detail and the CBSO revelled in it, from double basses scrabbling around like elephants en pointe as the disgruntled Falstaff recovers from his Thames dunking, to wispy flute fluttering skywards in the great 'Honour' monologue. Horns whooped their cuckold motif gloriously, gauzy strings accompanied Nannetta's Queen of the Fairies. Sir Edward Elgar, describing his Introduction and Allegro, referred to its "devil of a fugue". No fugue is as fiendish, though, as that which ends Falstaff and Gardner kept tight control, each cog ticking away merrily. As Maestri uttered the words "Tutti gabbàti!" (All are cheated), he pointed his finger at every one of us… and we all laughed together. "
… "The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra was on ebullient and scintillating form, enjoying the changing moods and revelling in its part, Edward Gardner leading a fleet and breezy outing, relishing the raunchy, the ethereal and the deliberately overblown passages in equal measure – this was a Falstaff that passed by all too quickly!
The cast was excellent. In the title-role was Ambrogio Maestri, the leading exponent of Falstaff today. Large of frame, and with an impressive and flexible voice, he also has great stage presence and made every syllable of the text brim with meaning… and double meaning. He captured the geniality and the self-delusional aspects of the character perfectly and communicated these in a wonderfully artless way.
Equally impressive was the Ford of Nicholas Pallesen. He has a wonderful sappy baritone, with a ringing top and also much charisma. 'È sogno o realtà' was thrilling in its depiction of pent-up jealousy, bewilderment and emotional hurt. He was also very effective in the ensemble passages, always in the picture – and not just because of his dazzling co-respondent shoes!" …
Review by Christopher Morley, Critics' Circle:
"The CBSO's concert-season and Edward Gardner's tenure as principal guest conductor could not have ended on a more joyous note – a scintillating performance of Verdi's final opera, which had a packed Symphony Hall setting the rafters ringing.
This was a predominantly youthful cast, the Merry Wives themselves (Corinne Winters as Alice Ford, Justina Gringyte as Meg Page) pert and winsome, Nicholas Pallesen's Ford a blustering, insecure paterfamilias, and Sofia Fomina and Sam Furness enchanting as the young lovers Nannetta and Fenton, who cannot keep their hands off each other.
Other roles were characterfully filled in this lively semi-staging, but most engaging of all were the portrayals of the opera's two wily schemers, Jane Henschel the resourceful Mistress Quickly delighting in her plotting, and, above all, Ambrogio Maestri as her old mucker Sir John, pompous in his self-esteem and touching in his awareness of his decline." …
Tagged Allan Clayton, Ambrogio Maestri, CBSO, CBSO Chorus, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Corinne Winters, Edward Gardner, Graham Clark, Jane Henschel, Justina Gringyte, Lukas Jakobski, Nicholas Pallesen, Peter van Hulle, Sam Furness, Sofia Fomina
Wednesday, 1st June, 2016 by azuriteenigma
The Seven Ages of Shakespeare
Wednesday 1st June, 2016, 7.30pm
Nicholas McGegan – Conductor
Fflur Wyn – Soprano
Sandra Piques Eddy – Mezzo Soprano
Andrew Henley – Tenor
Duncan Rock – Baritone
Nicolai The Merry Wives of Windsor – Overture , 8′
Arne Songs, 8′
Sullivan The Merchant of Venice – Masquerade Suite, 12′
Vaughan Williams In Windsor Forest , 18′
Porter Kiss Me, Kate – highlights , 12′
Berlioz Béatrice et Bénédict – duet , 10′
Purcell The Fairy-Queen – highlights , 20′
"Sounds and sweet airs, that delight and hurt not…" No-one serves up musical entertainment with a sunnier smile than Nicholas McGegan. And there's laughter in the air tonight, as he introduces four centuries of musical tributes to Shakespeare: from Cole Porter to Purcell's all-singing, all-dancing take on A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Fairy-Queen. In between, there's Berlioz, Arne… and you've heard of Gilbert and Sullivan? Now discover Sullivan and Shakespeare.
… "And when he uses that knowledge – as in the shimmering, whispered closing bars of the duet Vous soupirez, madame? from Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict – he can hold an audience breathless. What did work – gloriously – was Vaughan Williams's cantata In Windsor Forest, a suite of choral offcuts from his operatic version of The Merry Wives of Windsor, Sir John in Love. McGegan's trump card here was Simon Halsey's CBSO Chorus: bright, clear and alert, they made each phrase dance as well as sing, relishing the Tudor drolleries of the Drinking Song and providing great glowing arcs of sound in the Bridal Chorus. McGegan and the orchestra responded with a huge Sea Symphony swell.
The best came last: effectively the whole of Act IV of The Fairy Queen, with the three soloists plus tenor Andrew Henley taking their season-themed solos with poise and a rich palette of colours, and the full CBSO – yes, all on modern instruments, and with at least 30 players on stage – playing vibrato-free and drawing from Purcell's score a range of shades and textures to match any period-instrument band. McGegan, beaming with enjoyment and looking at times as if he was about to start bodypopping, draped violin lines artlessly over Purcell's melancholy plaints, detonated volleys of trumpets and timpani, and shaped big, dramatic dynamic contrasts. A choir of over 120 in Purcell's lively little refrains? Well, why shouldn't we get to hear music this good sound this magnificent, at least once in a while? It's a celebration, after all. And if this concert proved one thing, it's that genius is infinitely adaptable."
Review by Ruth Horsburgh, Redbrick.Me:
… "Nicholas McGegan expertly and energetically conducted the orchestra and chorus with an infectious enthusiasm. There was an abundance of skill on display on stage, with excellent solos performed from all sections of the orchestra. The orchestra performed every piece strongly, with pinpoint accuracy in achieving the softest and tender dynamic to relay poignancy or a wave of sound which triumphantly enveloped the music hall, as was evident in their commanding performance of Sullivan's 'The Merchant of Venice – Masquerade Suite'. This effect was also enhanced by the CBSO Chorus, which is made up of, as was said in the programme notes, 'amateur professionals'. Their skill as a choir was particularly evident in their performance of Vaughan William's 'In Windsor Forest', with sweeping and beautiful melodies filling the auditorium.
There were also vocal solos performed throughout the evening, including a memorable and charming duet of 'Wunderbar' from Kiss me, Kate by Cole Porter, between Mezzo Soprano Sandra Piques Eddy and Baritone Duncan Rock. Soprano Fflur Wyn beautifully performed several solos, a highlight being 'When Daisies Pied' by Thomas Arne, which epitomised the harmonious relationship between Shakespeare and music, with a call and response 'Cuckoo' section. This was then followed by tenor Andrew Henley who sang Arne's 'Fear No More the Heat o' the Sun'.
Shakespeare is renowned for his ability to convey the complexities of love and human relationships and this variety was reflected in the performed pieces, from the poignant Berlioz performed by the two soprano soloists to the feisty and amusing 'I Hate Men' performed by Piques Eddy. The evening culminated in a united and compelling rendition of Purcell's 'The Fairy Queen'." …
Tagged Andrew Henley, Arne, Berlioz, CBSO, CBSO Chorus, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Duncan Rock, Eflur Wyn, Nicholas McGegan, Nicolai, Porter, Purcell, Sandra Piques Eddy, Sullivan, Vaughan Williams
Thursday, 7th January, 2016 by azuriteenigma
Thursday 7th January, 2016, 7.30pm
Samuel West – Narrator
Strauss Macbeth, 18′
Vaughan Williams Three Shakespeare Songs, 8′
Verdi Macbeth – ballet music, 12′
Walton Henry V: A Shakespeare Scenario (arr. Christopher Palmer), 60′
"O for a Muse of fire…" Shakespeare's Henry V crammed the Battle of Agincourt into a tiny wooden theatre. Four centuries later, William Walton matched that vision with music that redefined British cinema, and this lavish concert version weaves all the play's greatest speeches and Walton's score into a compelling musical drama. Edward Gardner launches our year of Shakespeare celebrations with passionate Shakespearean masterpieces by Verdi and Richard Strauss.
Available on BBC Radio 3 iPlayer here for 28 days
… "The CBSO Chorus, prepared by Julian Wilkins, performed Vaughan Williams' Three Shakespeare Songs and excelled in the charmingly delicate Full Fathom Five.
They ended the concert in full cry with the stirring Deo gratias conclusion to Walton's music for Laurence Olivier's 1944 film of Henry V.
Christopher Palmer weaved the film cues, some other Walton filler material and the play's great speeches into a convincing and moving hour-long Henry V: A Shakespeare Scenario.
The narrator Samuel West played the King, the Chorus (and more) switching between swagger and sobriety with ease and delivering a St Crispin's Day speech that would have made even a pacifist feel like taking up arms.
Gardner elicited playing of equal ardour from the orchestra. Splendid!"
"As the orchestra closest to Shakespeare country, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra naturally has a role to play in this year's anniversary celebrations of the Bard. But there is nothing dutiful about its approach to Shakespeare 400: this start of the CBSO's "Our Shakespeare" season showed it not only getting in ahead of other British bands with its Shakespearean programming, but doing something more interesting than most.
Edward Gardner opened the concert by conducting a great rarity, Richard Strauss's early tone poem Macbeth. This work's neglect is not hard to fathom, for it lacks big tunes, but as a study in darkness it is fascinating. Sounding a little as if the midsummer light of Wagner's Meistersinger had been switched to midwinter, with touches of Tchaikovsky at his gloomiest, this music blows in stormily and seldom lets up. Icy shivers accompany Lady Macbeth's entry, and the textures run deep. Gardner drew a taut, brilliantly energised performance that showcased the orchestra at its surging best.
Balancing this was the ballet music from Verdi's Macbeth, an obligatory addition when the composer revised his opera for Paris. Verdi's sophisticated scoring, evoking supernatural elements, inspired the orchestra to play with colour and bite." …
Review by Sam Chipman, TheReviewsHub:
… "Walton's score was written for the 1944 Henry V film, starring Laurence Olivier – at one of the darkest periods in Britain's history the film was a propaganda effort commissioned by the government to buoy the national spirit during the onslaught of World War II. From the court in England to Falstaff's death and the send-off of the troops to the battlefields of France, Walton's score tells the story vividly, making no attempt to hide in the background, and complements the famous words of Shakespeare. The brass and percussion come into their own during this section of the concert, adding the much needed triumphant feel that rings around the magnificent Symphony Hall, a jubilant performance from all involved. Falstaff's death features an exquisitely played lower string melody which much resembles a theme from Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, and a rustic bassoon melody adds a real English courtly feel. Seasoned Shakespearian actor, Samuel West masterfully weaves his way through Shakespeare's iambic pentameter, a performance of real stature and variation. He is compelling throughout, and his St Crispin's Day speech is a stand out moment, truly rousing. The CBSO make an enormously full sound, leading to a powerful and climactic end befitting of the evening and Shakespeare's magic.
"In sweet music is such art…" Shakespeare's work lends itself incredibly well to the musical world, and the imaginations of those that inspired such musical feats – when the words and the music come together a higher emotional plane is reached."
… "Under Gardner, the orchestra and its chorus made it a vivid enough experience, though, and there was a nicely judged virtuoso performance from Samuel West as the narrator, who took on a variety of roles, from the Chorus to the king, via Falstaff, Pistol and the Duke of Burgundy.
The concert had begun with another rarely heard work, Macbeth – one of the least known of Richard Strauss's symphonic poems. It's a dark, turbulent piece, without too many memorable moments, though Gardner made its fierce climax impressive enough. There was more Macbeth-inspired music in the shape of a taut, rhythmically snappy account of the ballet from Verdi's opera, while in between came Vaughan Williams's Three Shakespeare Songs, insubstantial, but a chance for the CBSO Chorus to shine without the orchestra getting in the way."
Review by Geoff Read, SeenandHeard, MusicWeb:
… "The Olivier film of Henry V had started as a piece of propaganda in 1943 and thankfully co-producer Dallas Bower convinced the actor that William Walton was the best man to provide the backing score. This combination, together with the later arrangement by Christopher Palmer, lives on in the concert hall and its enactment proved to be the ideal platform from which to launch CBSO's commemorations to Shakespeare: vibrant music from the conductor and orchestra, patriotic delivery from the narrator. Gardner induced a sense of period colour and mysticism before sheer grandness took over in the Prologue, a royal sensation reinforced by trumpet fanfares (the trumpet section crisply led throughout by Jonathan Holland) and a flamboyant crescendo of the choir. The scene was set, as in the play by the commentator 'Chorus', actor Samuel West dramatically entering stage left for 'O for a Muse of fire'. Elizabethan merry-making and enthusiastic drum rolls (the CBSO percussion section had a busy night) gave way for the bassoon and brass to introduce the corpulent Falstaff, jug in hand, At the Boar's Head. But the flatulent jester is dead, his heart broken by the king, having been rebuffed by Hal's 'I know thee not, old man' at the end of Henry IV Part Two, the solemn tone of West and the orchestral accompaniment knitting together impeccably. This eventually gives way to the jubilant familiar Waltonesque strains of Embarkation and a resolute 'No king of England, if not king of France' from West. The leave Pistol takes from Mistress Quickly in Touch her sweet lips and part seems an Interlude somewhat out of place to me, not being from Shakespearean text. By contrast Harfleur was dominated by the iconic 'Once more into the breech' and although no Olivier (who is?) West oozed inspiration and patriotism, fortified by the ranks of the CBSO willing to follow him. After Chorus describes the early skirmishes, Gardner brought a tension to Walton's swirling dark music in The Night Watch as West portrayed a 'little touch of Harry in the night', the lowering of the hall lights and subsequent total extinguishment, adding to the atmosphere. West was at his best for the philosophical and prayer-like Upon the King, verse so appropriate on the eve of such an historical day in 1415, an execution worthy of the stage of Stratford's Memorial Theatre or London's Globe. Agincourt and the St Crispian address to the 'rememberèd…. band of brothers', the first 'few' to whom so much is owed, saw West begin in conversational mood, gradually building up the fervour in his voice to match the exciting loin-girdling score. Mid-battle King Henry has another word with his maker 'to dispose the day…. how He pleaseth' and as the battle raged Gardner seemed to squeeze that extra ounce from the strings (well by Zoë Beyers) fiercer than ever amid the Spirit–of-England theme on the brass, leading to an excruciating musical climax. Against the odds Henry is rewarded – West's 'The day is ours' poignantly heard across the hushed auditorium before praising God. The choir gleefully rejoiced with the Agincourt Song, continuing this mood into At the French Court, where the Duke of Burgundy acts as mediator with more beautiful Shakespearian lines; this sentiment made more contextual by the orchestra's pastoral back-drop that dissolves into a snatch of Cantaloube's Baïlèro, hauntingly played by the oboe of Rainer Gibbons. In the Epilogue, the French King offers his daughter Kate to seal the truce. Now with something to genuinely celebrate, Gardner and the CBSO let it rip, revisiting earlier Walton themes. Chorus resumes his story-telling role with 'Thus far…' relating how for Henry V 'Fortune made his sword', the Agincourt Song and 'Deo gratias Anglia' wholeheartedly rounding it all off.
A five star send-off to Our Shakespeare."
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Tagged CBSO, CBSO Chorus, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner, Samuel West, Strauss, Vaughan Williams, Verdi, Walton
Mahler's First
Saturday 28th November, 7.00pm
Lahav Shani – Conductor
Ives The Unanswered Question, 7′
Bernstein Chichester Psalms, 19′
Mahler Symphony No. 1 , 56′
"The symphony should be like the world," said Gustav Mahler. "It should embrace everything." And from its breathless opening to the roof-raising triumph of its final bars, his blockbuster First Symphony does exactly that. It's a thrilling showcase for guest conductor Lahav Shani; first, though, our superb Chorus shouts for joy in Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Charles Ives sets one of music's most intriguing puzzles.
Tagged CBSO, CBSO Chorus, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Ives, Lahav Shani, Mahler
Thursday, 22nd October, 2015 by azuriteenigma
Brahms' German Requiem
Thursday 22nd October, 7.30pm
Andrew Manze – Conductor
Francesco Piemontesi – Piano
Eleanor Dennis – Soprano
Mark Stone – Baritone
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25, K.503, 30′
Brahms A German Requiem, 70′
Francesco Piemontesi's encore –
Unfortunately, Susan Gritton has had to withdraw from the these concerts due to illness. We are grateful to Eleanor Dennis for taking her place at very short notice.
"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted". Brahms didn't believe in God, but he did believe in love, and as he grappled with personal tragedy he created a Requiem intended to comfort those left behind. Andrew Manze conducts our acclaimed Chorus in this most tender of all great choral works, while Francesco Piemontesi rejoices in the sunlight of one of Mozart's noblest concertos.
Q&A with Francesco Piemontesi in the Guardian "Facing the Music".
… "Although the Requiem is some seventy minutes long, there was not a moment when I was not fully engrossed. Beginning with some gorgeously resonant bowing from the basses and cellos, Manze created a tension in the acoustic that he shaped, moulded, folded and manipulated perfectly, remaining undaunted by the magnitude of the work nor by the 180 strong assembly of singers and instrumentalist facing him. Indeed, it was remarkable just how much they trusted him, and he held them entirely in the palms of his hands as he coaxed delicate whispers in pianissimo and sucked out the breath from their diaphragms in majestic and unrestrained fortissimo.
The CBSO Chorus were at their very best. I have seen them a number of times and hold them in the highest regard, but in this piece and under Manze's baton, they excelled themselves. Each section held its own and the distinction between the alto and soprano voices was especially clear. Yet this was not a concert of an orchestra supporting a chorus, or vice versa, but of two ensembles being played as one. At no point were any voices drowned out by the instruments, and each section played in complete sympathy with the others. The timpani (played by Antoine Siguré) was perfectly weighted in the piano passages and thunderous in crescendo, exactly as it should be. The principal flautist (Veronika Klírová) was making some wonderful sweet lyrical songs from her part, and played particularly beautifully in the final few bars of the fifth movement.
The two principal voices of the requiem, a baritone and a soprano, were provided by Mark Stone and Eleanor Dennis respectively. Stone performed admirably, his lower register seemingly sharing some of the same resonance as the bowed basses and cellos in the opening bars of the first and second movements. His diction was excellent and he projected well, making full use of the acoustics in the hall. Dennis was a last minute substitution for soprano Susan Gritton, unfortunately unable to perform due to illness. Dennis sang the part with quite a heavy vibrato which suited the solemn and melancholic mood, and her performance of the fifth movement was one of the highlights of the evening." …
"Although the text Brahms employs for his Ein deutsches Requiem is taken from the Old and New Testaments (plus two verses of the Apocrypha) it makes no reference to Christianity as such. This was intentional, giving the work universal rather than national or sectarian appeal. Indeed, after its premiere in 1869, the composer pointed out that he might well have omitted 'German' from the title and substituted 'Human'. And this performance of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of Andrew Manze on 22nd Oct 2015 was a human one, reflecting the highs and lows of life.
The piece was inspired while Brahms was mourning the loss of his mother and the first movement Selig sind, die da Leid tragen (Blessed are they that mourn) very much conveyed a feeling of bereavement. The reiterations of Selig sind from the CBSO Chorus were truly blessed; their variations of the Beatitude couplet offering both soothing sympathy and heavenly solace, emotions smoothly aided at times by the oboe of Rainer Gibbons. It was a superb opener: the German text coming across well whether the voices were in unison, the repeated Getröstet (comfort), or in sequence, Die mit Tränen (with tears). The soaring sopranos on denn sie sollen (for they shall) were inspirational. Manze added a marschemässig to the continuing langsam tempo for the second movement Denn alles Fleisch (For all flesh), Antoine Siguré solidly beating out the rhythm. The music drove forward at funereal pace to the texts of Peter and James, before liltingly celebrating the 'fruits of the earth'.
After the A Section reprise, Manze strikingly burst forth with a triumphant Aber des Herrn Wort (But the Word of the Lord). Mark Stone was imposing enough as the baritone soloist in the next section Herr, lehre doch mich (Lord make me know) although I thought his words from Isaiah more pleading that prayerful. The sopranos of the CBSO chorus led the way in the popular fourth movement Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (How amiable are thy tabernacles). Birmingham is blessed with a richly acclaimed choir, and they once again stole the show on 22nd Oct 2015 with this movement; with Director Simon Halsey seemingly taking a back seat, it was Matthew Hamilton of the Hallé who was credited as Chorus Master, proving he had done his homework well." …
… "But it's a hard sing – though you wouldn't have thought so listening to the effortless, gold plated CBSO Chorus last Thursday – and, if not handled properly by a sympathetic conductor, can be exhausting to sit through. On this occasion, however, it was not.
From the outset a wonderfully hushed opening chorus showed how alert Andrew Manze is to tone and structure which, as the work progressed, acquired an almost symphonic dimension. Admittedly, he couldn't do much about the contrived conclusion to 'Herr, lehre doch mich' (Mark Strong the robustly articulated soloist) or the cloying sweetness of 'Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen' (a waltz in all but name, clearly enjoyed by the choir).
And 'Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt', undoubtedly the most cogently wrought of its seven movements, was contoured superbly well by Manze, with clenched-fist energy at the climax and a thrilling concluding panegyric." …
Tagged Andrew Manze, CBSO, CBSO Chorus, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Eleanor Dennis, Encore, Franceso Piemontesi, Mark Stone
Friday, 16th October, 2015 by azuriteenigma
Friday 16th October, 7.30pm
Marc Silk – Presenter
Newman – 20th Century Fox Fanfare
Williams – Star Wars Theme
Williams – Episode 1: The Phantom Menace Flag Parade
Williams – Anakin's Theme
Williams – Adventures of Jar-Jar Binks
Williams – Duel of the Fates
Williams – Episode 2: Attack of the Clones Across the Stars
Williams – Yoda's Theme
Williams – The Imperial March
Williams – Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith Battle of the Heroes
Williams – Episode 4: A New Hope Here They Come!
Williams – The Cantina Band
Williams – Princess Leia's Theme
Williams – Throne Room
Williams – Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back Asteroid Field
Williams – Episode 6; Return of the Jedi Luke and Leia's Theme
Williams – Parade of the Ewoks
Williams – The Forest Battle
Encore Williams – The Imperial March
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… John Williams lifted his baton and cued one of the greatest scores in movie history. As the world awaits the launch of Episode VII, conductor Michael Seal, the CBSO and voice actor Marc Silk, who can be heard in the Phantom Menace film, present John Williams' music from all six Star Wars films, from A New Hope to Revenge of the Sith. The Force is strong with this one!
Review by Justine Halifax, Birmingham Mail:
"Breathtaking and spectacular are the only worthy words I can use to sum up a concert staged at the Symphony Hall in honour of the music of the incredible Star Wars series.
CBSO 2015-16 Friday Night Classics: Star Wars proved not only to be an audible treat, one of which the great maestro John Williams himself would be proud of, but a visual delight, too.
With a welcome in the foyer for the arriving audience from both a storm trooper and a sandman, the tone of this memorable evening was set before we'd taken our seats.
This fantastic two-hour concert, performed to a packed hall of both young and old Star Wars' fans, saw the amazing City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra join forces with the awesome CBSO Chorus. […]
[…] For me the most spectacular pieces were those that featured the Chorus, including a breathtaking rendition of the Duel of Fates from Episode 1." …
"IT's not unusual to hear people leaving City of Birmingham Symphony Hall Concerts saying 'that was out of this world'.
But this performance went even further, it was out of the universe for Star Wars fans who packed the Symphony Hall to enjoy the dramatic music of the legendary John Williams which adds so much to the thrilling movies.
Many youngsters were there with their parents for the latest Friday Night Classics, and one man admitted to going down the aisle to Star Wars music….and in full costume.
Williams, a big fan of British orchestras, sent a personal message from Los Angeles thanking the orchestra and conductor Michael Seal for performing so much of his music – written to 'smack you in the eye' – and regretting that he couldn't be in the Symphony Hall for the event." …
Review by Selwyn Knight, TheReviewsHub:
… "As the films were originally released through 20th Century Fox, there can be no other way to open than with the 20th Century Fox Fanfare, quickly followed by the Star Wars main theme. This is, of course, instantly recognisable to all, whether fans of the franchise or not. It sounds simple hiding a complex structure. The CBSO effortlessly reproduces the sound and changing moods. They are assisted in this, as ever, by the wonderful acoustics of the purpose-built Symphony Hall, an appropriate home for such grandeur.
Our conductor, Michael Seal, conducts energetically, appearing at times to be using his baton to dig the notes out.
It is astonishing to think that, despite some familial resemblances, the music for each Star Wars film is quite different to the others. There are themes – epic brass motifs, flowing strings, moments of introspection, and a vast variety of tuned percussion giving that slightly unsettling otherworldly feel – but each piece has its own personality. That is especially true of the charming and witty The Cantina Band from Episode 4: A New Hope. A cut-down jazz band featuring guitar and drum kit evokes that smoky jazz club atmosphere while still retaining an element of strangeness, causing smiles to propagate around the vast hall.
Supporting the CBSO is the CBSO Chorus, a vast choir of local people who come together under their director, Simon Halsey, to sing symphonic choral music. Their contribution to Duel of the Fates from The Phantom Menace and to the stirring and martial Battle of the Heroes from Revenge of the Sith that closes the first half is excellent, if a little surprising to some members of the audience seated behind them as they leap to their feet in unison during Duel of the Fates." …
Review by Mark Newbold, StarWars.com:
Click here for full blog review
… "Led by conductor Michael Seal, the CBSO started with Alfred Newman's 20th Century Fox fanfare before launching into the familiar Star Wars theme from A New Hope. Then came one of the many musical surprises of the night as the piece ended not with the A New Hope credits, but with the triumphant end moments of Return of the Jedi. Seal was clearly loving it, encouraging his musicians to take a bow to rapturous applause at every opportunity. His enthusiasm was infectious, feeding the music-hungry crowd and leading them into a selection of themes from The Phantom Menace. "The Flag Parade" was presented in a very unfamiliar arrangement before leading into "Anakin's Theme" and the "Adventures of Jar Jar Binks." The City of Birmingham Chorus made themselves known, standing to perform the dramatic vocals from "Duel of the Fates." In a room like this, with a knowledgeable crowd and an orchestra at the top of their game, it was an exhilarating moment.
Attack of the Clones — surely the most underrated of all the Star Wars scores — was next with Across the Stars, and from there we were treated to "Yoda's Theme" and the "Imperial March" from The Empire Strikes Back. A perennial crowd-pleaser, "The Imperial March" is certainly the best known Star Wars theme after the "Main Title" itself. Revenge of the Sith was next and once again the CBSO Chorus were used to great effect in "Battle of the Heroes," sending the audience off to the intermission on a high." …
Tagged CBSO, CBSO Chorus, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, John Williams, Mark Silk, Michael Seal
Sunday, 19th July, 2015 by azuriteenigma
BBC Prom – Beethoven Symphony No 9
Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP 0845 401 5045
Sunday 19th July, 7.30pm
Price: £9.50 – £46
Andris Nelsons – Conductor
Margaret Cookhorn – Contra-bassoon
Lucy Crowe – Soprano
Gerhild Romberger – Mezzo-soprano
Pavel Cernoch – Tenor
Kostas Smoriginas – Bass-baritone
Beethoven Overture: The Creatures of Prometheus, 5′
Woolrich Falling Down (London premiere) , 15′
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, 'Choral, 67′
Due to personal circumstances, Dmytro Popov has sadly had to withdraw from this concert. We are grateful to Pavel Cernoch for taking his place at short notice.
Beethoven's 'Choral' Symphony is a celebration of human endeavour, as is his ballet score The Creatures of Prometheus. This is Latvian Andris Nelsons' final concert with the CBSO as Music Director. John Woolrich's dark, sardonic contra-bassoon concerto was written for the CBSO's own contra-bassoonist Margaret Cookhorn.
This concert will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3
Available on iPlayer here – until 18th August 2015
CBSO Storify here
"Chorus Soprano Eluned Mansell writes about performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the BBC Proms with the CBSO"
… "Nelsons' performance, though – echoing the one he gave last autumn as part of his complete Beethoven cycle in Birmingham's Symphony Hall – would have been blazingly memorable whenever and wherever it had taken place. There were all the hallmarks that have become so recognisable over the seven seasons he has been in Birmingham, especially the meticulous attention to detail and the knack of making it all seem utterly fresh, combined with an unwavering certainty about what the music's ultimate destination is. The dynamic range of this performance was huge – the pianissimos intense, the fortissimos immense – whether in the first stirrings of the opening movement, the furious rush of the scherzo or the careful building of the finale, layer by layer, towards its huge choral affirmation, in which Nelsons' gestures seemed to invite the whole Albert Hall into celebrating along with the CBSO Chorus and soloists Lucy Crowe, Gerhild Romberger, Pavel Černoch and Kostas Smoriginas." …
… "At first, it felt understated; but as Nelsons let inner voices sing out, and gave space for the woodwinds and horns to be their gloriously musical selves (has Marie-Christine Zupancic's flute ever sounded more sweetly, poignantly expressive?), you began to sense a massive, tidal undercurrent of symphonic movement. By the time the CBSO Chorus was blazing with white-hot fervour through Beethoven's final chorus, the build-up of emotion was almost unbearable. With its glowing sound, cosmic vision and quiet, piercing moments of both pain and joy, it's tempting to say that this felt like a Ninth filtered through Parsifal – "made wise through compassion". It certainly proved just how far Nelsons and the CBSO have come together since 2007, and how all the energy, spontaneity, and mutual affection that this orchestra and conductor have shared since day one – and which was pouring off the stage tonight – has matured into a great artistic partnership, cut heartbreakingly short."
Blog post by Richard Bratby:
Click here for full blog
… "It was one of those occasions where personal emotion takes precedence over critical detachment – something you'll only really understand if you've been in Birmingham for the last 8 years. I'm not a fan of Beethoven's Ninth: last night, though, I heard it say something new, surprising and very moving. There's absolutely no sense that the CBSO / Nelsons relationship has run its natural course – I've never seen an orchestra and conductor have so lengthy a honeymoon, and last night's performance made it sound as if the relationship is only now reaching its artistic peak. The loss of Nelsons is bitterly felt in Birmingham. It's untimely, to say the least, which made last night a doubly poignant occasion."
Review by Sebastian Scotney, ArtsDesk:
… "The virtues of Nelsons's way with Beethoven had been there from the very start of the concert, with the short, early overture to the ballet The Creatures of Prometheus. He took it, on this occasion, surprisingly fast. It had humour, sparkle and charm, and made the very most of the contrasts of loud and soft. Nelsons has a way of crouching and reining himself in, of making himself almost invisible in quieter passages, and then presenting audience and orchestra with a far taller and more imposing version of himself when the volume and intensity are higher. The Prometheus overture was just a small-scale foretaste of what would be offered with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The performance of this infinitely complex work seemed to evolve naturally and organically. In the first movement the build-ups from very quiet to very loud were organic, accretive, totally convincing, the sense of landing harmonically always just right. In the second movement Nelsons's gestures were a delight. Phrases in the minuet seemed to be treated as people, they were welcomed into the room, and waved goodbye. The trio section was expansive, free with tempo, giving soloists – particularly first horn Elspeth Dutch – opportunities to shine. The string section playing in the third movement was delightful, and this was an occasion when the whole movement cohered with nothing wasted.
The final movement with lower strings flawlessly energetic, and later with soloists (Lucy Crowe, Gerhild Romberger and Pavel Černoch Kostas Smoriginas, pictured right) and chorus in fine balance, again showed the strengths of Nelsons's approach. He knows precisely how to get the best out of an English amateur chorus, by extracting each and every syllable from their mouths. They even got a jokey visual aid for the word "Götterfunken". The first involvement of the solo quartet, placed in the chorus at the back of the stage, prompted the only brief moment of tempo-uncertainty of the whole symphony." …
Review by Ivan Hewett, Telegraph:
… "Then we arrived at the peak itself, Beethoven's Ninth. In recent years, Nelsons has led the CBSO in an entire Beethoven symphony cycle, which was distinguished by huge, questing energy, as if the music were eagerly searching for its own future. This performance of the Ninth felt different, more majestic and spacious, less concerned to grip us by the throat with sheer rhythmic excitement. The slow movement was luxuriantly slow, and the way each section melted into the next via a change of harmony was beautifully eloquent, like a door opening onto a new landscape. In the Finale, though the jubilant moments were indeed jubilant (thanks to a fine quartet of soloists and the CBSO chorus), it was the reflective moments and impassioned invocation to "join in one embrace, you millions!" which really struck home."
Blog post by Mark Berry – Boulezian:
Click here for full post
… "Nelsons forestalled applause, thank goodness, by moving immediately to the finale. He and the orchestra fairly sprung into and through its opening: very impressive on its own terms, although it would surely have hit home harder, had it been properly prepared by what had gone before. The cellos really dug into their strings too. Nelsons had them and the double basses paly deliciously softly for their recitative; now, a true sense of drama announced itself, expectant rather than merely soft. Bass-baritone Kostas Smoriginas delivered his 'proper' recitative, 'O Freunde …', with almost Sarastro-like sincerity and deliberation. I liked the way the rejection of such 'Töne' was no easy decision. The soloists as a whole did a good job; that there remains a multiplicity of options, and dare, I suggest, a residual insufficiency to any one quartet, says more about Beethoven's strenuousness of vision and humility before his God than performance as such. The CBSO Chorus, singing from memory, was quite simply outstanding. Weight and clarity reinforced each other rather than proving, as so often, contradictory imperatives. Nelsons imparted an unusual sense of narrative propulsion, almost as if this were an opera, or at least an oratorio: I am not sure what I think of such a conception, but it was interesting to hear it, and there was no doubting now the conviction with which it was instantiated. The almost superhuman clarity of the chorus's words – 'Und der Cherub steht vor Gott!' a fitting climax to that first section – certainly helped. It was fun, moreover, to be reminded of the contrabassoon immediately afterwards. (Was that the tenuous connection with the Woolrich piece?) The infectious quality to the 'Turkish March' brought with it welcome reminiscences of Die Entführung aus dem Serail. And the return to 'Freude, schöner Götterfunken' proved exultant in that deeply moving way that is Beethoven's own." …
Review by Melinda Hughes, Spear's:
… "John Woolrich's 'Falling Down' composed for double bassoon and orchestra was written especially for Margaret Cookhorn, the CBSO principal double bassoonist. What a piece, a highly spirited rhythmical onslaught of the senses, and what an instrument, reminiscent of the sounds of the mothership from Close Encounters.With Andris Nelsons conducting this Prom, one could be guaranteed a lively evening. This was his very last concert with the CBSO so it was a fitting farewell. Nelson's energy and novel expression are very entertaining, yet he can be grand and regal when required, particularly in the hugely sonorous Ninth Symphony. He accentuated dramatic pauses in the music, producing a majestic moments of silence which seemed to fill the Albert Hall. The choir and soloists were in fine voice, particularly soprano Lucy Crowe, whose beautiful timbre simply thrilled me. What a luxurious tone she has. I simply love the Proms."
Review by Colin Clarke, SeenandHeard, MusicWeb:
"Andris Nelsons has been Music Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra since 2008, and this Beethoven Ninth formed part of his farewell for pastures new – Boston and its Symphony Orchestra, to be precise. The programming was intriguing: two works by arguably the greatest master of them all framed an over-long, inconsequential London première.
The Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus is a slim piece, a mere five minutes. But there is something of the core of Beethoven there, concentrated into a perfectly proportioned morsel. Beautiful orchestral balance, pinpoint scampering strings and razor punch to tutti chords characterised Nelsons' Beethoven; and promised much for the Ninth of the second half.
But first came the London première of John Woolrich's Falling Down – a "capricho" for double bassoon and orchestra dating from 2009. The soloist, Margaret Cookhorn, is the dedicatee – she also gave the world première of the piece, which was a CBSO commission – and her way with the long, resonant lines exuded confidence. This could have been such an eye-opening piece, and the Stravinskian element to the opening in particular augured well from the pen of a composer whose music in this writer's experience has so often been characterised by its greyness. Yet the length of the piece far outweighed its invention. Effects abounded, not least antiphonal timpani, and the way that the lower orchestral instruments, such as cor anglais, tuba and trombones, both supported and extended the soloist. The opening gestures move towards the top of the orchestra's range, from which the piece descends." …
Review by Nahoko Gotoh, BachTrack:
… "The second movement was swift and breezy, in fact too breezy so that the scherzo section lost some of its earthiness, and the contrast between the scherzo and the trio became blurred. Here too, Nelsons took the music in longer phrases, moving the music forward, but so mellifluously that the timpani interjections felt too abrupt. It was elegantly played, with some interesting attention to detail, but was this the "Affekt" Beethoven intended in this movement?
Elegant cantabile playing was certainly intended in the sublime Adagio movement and indeed there was beautiful playing especially by the woodwind and the violins. Nelsons took a decidedly Romantic approach and he micro-managed and shaped every single melody out of sheer enthusiasm, but I felt he pulled around the tempo too much (even in the first clarinet entry at the beginning was delayed for effect). In fact, throughout the work, there were some dynamic contrasts and ritardandi that seemed exaggerated.
The work regained momentum in the final movement, joined by the excellent CBSO Chorus and a harmonious vocal quartet of Lucy Crowe, Gerhild Romberger, Pavel Černoch and Kostas Smoriginas. The opening recitatives by the cellos and basses were fluent and eloquent, as was Smoriginas' solo entry "O Freude". Interestingly, in the Alla marcia section, Nelsons avoided bombast, taking a lighter approach and making sure the tenor could be heard over the choral forces. In the vocal quartet, Lucy Crowe's soprano soared and her top B was spectacular. Nelsons controlled and inspired the massed forces and at one point in the first choral climax of "Freude schöner Götterfunken", he seemed to turn around to the audience as if to say "join us!". All in all, it was a warm, passionate and lyrical performance – if lacking a little in interpretative depth – to close CBSO's magnificent chapter with Nelsons."
Tagged Andris Nelsons, Beethoven, CBSO, CBSO Chorus, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Gerhild Romberger, Kostas Smoriginas, Lucy Crowe, Margaret Cookhorn, Pavel Cernoch, Prom, Woolrich


The end of a relationship can be painful, messy and confusing. What happened to your relationship? Where you do you go from here? How do you rebuild your self-esteem? These questions (and more) form the topics that get covered on the Rapid Breakup Recovery Podcast. Hosted by long-time breakup recovery coach Jesse Martin, this is a show geared towards helping men of any age deal with the difficulties that arise after a failed relationship.
All content © 2019 The Rapid Breakup Recovery Podcast.


Saints WR Keith Kirkwood caught 1-of-3 targets for 30 yards and a touchdown in Thursday night's Week 13 loss to Dallas.
Although Kirkwood was held to only one reception in back to back games, they both went for scores. Outside of Michael Thomas, the Saints wideouts are hard to trust in fantasy due to a lack of volume going to anyone outside of Thomas or Alvin Kamara.


text:
Rainer Schwarting (* 27. Juli 1955 in Berlin) ist ein deutscher Neuropsychologe und Hochschullehrer der Philipps-Universität Marburg.

Leben
Schwarting bestand 1974 sein Abitur am Gymnasium Josephinum in Hildesheim. Er begann 1976 ein Studium der Psychologie an der Universität Hamburg. Sein Diplom erwarb er 1982 an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf. Nach einigen Jahren als wissenschaftlicher Angestellter am Institut für Physiologische Psychologie wurde er ebenfalls in Düsseldorf zum Dr. rer. nat. promoviert. Nach weiteren fünf Jahren als wissenschaftlicher Assistent erwarb er 1993 in Düsseldorf mit seiner Habilitation die Venia legendi in Psychologie.

1994 bis 1998 war er mit einem Heisenberg-Stipendium ausgestattet und leitete 1996 bis 1999 eine Forschungsgruppe im Biologisch-Medizinischen Forschungszentrum der Universität Düsseldorf. Seit 1999 ist er Professor für Allgemeine und Biologische Psychologie an der Philipps-Universität Marburg. Seine wissenschaftlichen Schwerpunkte sind: Basalganglienfunktionen und -dysfunktionen, Biopsychologie von Lernen, Gedächtnis, Motivation und Emotion, Individualität im Tiermodell, Psychopharmakologie, Neuropsychoimmunologie. Er ist mit seinem Team beteiligt an dem mit EU-Fördergeldern finanzierten Projekt zur Erforschung der molekularen Ursachen der Epilepsie: "Micro-RNAs in der Pathogenese, Therapie und Vorbeugung der Epilepsie" (EpiMiRNA).

Schwarting ist Mitglied der wissenschaftlichen Fachgesellschaften: Neurowissenschaftliche Gesellschaft, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie, Neurotoxicity Society, European Brain and Behaviour Society, European Behavioural Pharmacology Society sowie der Society for Neuroscience. Er übernahm Gutachterfunktionen für die Alexander-von-Humboldt-Stiftung, die Leibniz-Gemeinschaft, das Kultusministerium Sachsen-Anhalt sowie die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Bei mehreren neurowissenschaftlichen Fachzeitschriften gehört er seit einigen Jahren zu den Herausgebern, darunter Neurotoxicity Research (seit 1999), Neuroforum (seit 2007) und Behavioural Brain Research (seit 2008). Bei der Zeitschrift Neuropsychobiology gehört er seit 1994 zum Beirat, bei Frontiers in Neuroscience ist er seit 2007 Review Editor.

Rainer Schwarting ist verheiratet, das Ehepaar hat zwei Kinder. Er lebt und arbeitet in Marburg.

Schriften
 mit N. Jegan und M. Wöhr: Situational factors, conditions and individual variables which can determine ultrasonic vocalizations in male adult Wistar rats. In: Behavioural Brain Research. 182, 2007, S. 208–222.
 mit M. Wöhr: Ultrasonic communication in rats: Can playback of 50-kHz calls induce approach behavior? In: PLoS One. 2, 2007, S. 1–12.
 mit V. Ludwig und Y. Mihov: Behavioral and neurochemical consequences of multiple MDMA administrations in the rat: role of individual differences in anxiety-related behavior. In: Behavioural Brain Research. 189, 2008, S. 52–64.
 mit C. Natusch: Using bedding in a test environment critically affects 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in laboratory rats. In: Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 96, 2010, S. 251–259.
 mit M. T. Eckart und M. C. Hülse-Matia: Dorsal hippocampal lesions boost performance in the rat sequential reaction time task. In: Hippocampus. 22, 2012, S. 1202–1214.
 mit M. Wöhr: Testing social acoustic memory in rats: Effects of stimulus configuration and long-term memory on the induction of social approach behavior by appetitive 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations. In: Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. 98, 2012, S. 154–164.

Weblinks
 Wissenschaftlerprofil auf der Webpräsenz der Philipps-Universität Marburg
 Studium generale: Forscher zeigen Einblicke ins Gehirn, Oberhessische Presse 17. März 2015
 Lachende Ratten an der Universität Marburg, Science meets Society 4. März 2009

Belege

Neuropsychologe
Neurophysiologe
Hochschullehrer (Philipps-Universität Marburg)
Absolvent der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
Deutscher
Geboren 1955
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Welcome to Nanaimo. Scroll down this page to find your favorite travel destination in Nanaimo and browse our extensve inventory of accommodations in Nanaimo. Leisure travelers planning their family vacations can get offers directly from owners of Nanaimo vacation homes or houses in Nanaimo. Sometimes these single rental units are referred to as Nanaimo cabins or Nanaimo villas. Other popular lodging options include vacation rentals in Nanaimo, Nanaimo apartments and condos in Nanaimo. For business travelers we offer several convenient hotels in Nanaimo or small boutique hotels in Nanaimo area, many with the ability to book online. If you are planning a romantic getaway in Nanaimo, we highy recommend our unique inventory of bed and breakfasts in Nanaimo. B&Bs can also referred as small country inns in Nanaimo.
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Canada > British Columbia > Nanaimo | 6691 Medd Rd, Nanaimo, B.C.


The 46-story tower comprises 310 guestrooms, 90 suites and 227 condominium residences. Based atop a podium made of zinc, titanium, granite and limestone, the building rises vertically into a façade that draws inspiration from traditional Chinese motifs. Vertical panels of aluminum and glass interlock with horizontal frit to create this dramatic appearance. Shuttle elevators take guests past the 48,000 sf Spa and Pool on the sixth and seventh floors to a the Sky Lobby on the 22nd Floor that greets visitors with a wall of windows, offering spectacular views of the Las Vegas skyline. The Sky Lobby contains seven dining and cocktail venues, including two signature restaurants, a Lobby Lounge, Bar, Cake Shop and Spa café.
The project was designed to withstand the desert heat in an environmentally responsible manner, using a highly efficient central plant to mitigate the local climate. The project received LEED® Gold Certification in November 2009.


Caravan are from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan in 1968.
The band have never achieved the great commercial success that was widely predicted for them at the beginning of their career, but are nevertheless considered a key part of the Canterbury scene, blending psychedelic rock, jazz and classical influences to create a distinctive progressive rock sound which continues to delight their audiences.
The band were originally based in Whitstable near Canterbury but moved to London when briefly signed to Verve Records. After being dropped by Verve, the band signed to Decca Records, where they released their most critically acclaimed album, "In The Land of Grey and Pink" in 1971. Dave Sinclair left after the album's release and the group split up the following year. Hastings and Coughlan added new members, notably viola player Geoffrey Richardson continuing on before splitting in 1978.
The band reformed several times in the following decades, and Caravan still remain active as a live band in the 21st century, despite Coughlan's death in December 2013.


There are several online places in the UK to search for used cars. The majority of cars listed for sale in the UK will be physical cars from legitimate sellers, However there are scams in any country and we come across several obviously faked adverts every week. Scammers are aware of the sort of vehicles that get exported so target those particular models. Any car that we inspect we will have satisfied ourselves completely of the seller and the vehicle before we even travel to view, however you should be aware of what to look out for even if you decide not to use our service.
1/ You are safer buying a car through a paid advertisement site. Scammers list hundreds of cars to catch one victim so it is economically unviable for them to spend £15-£50 per listing on eBay or Autotrader. Thats not to say these sites are bulletproof but the majority of scam advertisements we come across are on the free listings classifieds sites.
2/ Have a sensible budget and know what you should be paying. There are always some bargains in the marketplace but be realistic. The UK has a big population and hundreds of car underwriting services. A desperate seller would have no problem receiving several bids in an afternoon from well advertised car buyers if they really needed to sell in a hurry. If you see a £10000 car advertised for £6000 it is most probably a dodgy listing.
3/ Scammers dont have the time to write up new advertisements every day, Instead they "clone" previously advertised cars. This means they find a previously advertised car and copy the advertisement verbatim; apart from a 50% reduction in the asking price. As they are advertising cars that have an online traceable history you can use a search engine to see if it has been advertised previously. By copy/pasting parts of the advertisement into Google you could turn up the same car advertised previously for a different price in a different part of the country.
4/Photographs also get cloned. Try scanning photographs through a reverse image search service such as Google images Again, this may bring up the same car advertised elsewhere for a different price.
5/ If you decide to pay a seller through an escrow service you are exposing yourself to great risk. If the seller offers to send you an invoice through an eBay or Paypal guaranteed service then they are trying to scam you. eBay do not offer such a service and it is a known scam.
The above are some basic checks you can take to minimise your risk. If you choose to use our service we carry out substantially more checks and offer a complete handover service where we complete the entire deal for you. For the reasons listed above these are some of the sources we would recommend for you to find your new car.
Autotrader is the prime used car sales portal in the UK. The majority of cars that get sold in the UK will be advertised in the Trader.
eBay Motors is used by private sellers and now retail dealers are listing stock on eBay. Can be good for classics and specialist commercial vehicles.
For Advertisers Motors is a cheaper alternative listing source and so attracts sellers that may not advertise on other platforms.
Parkers have used car facts and figures and have been growing their classifieds listings so they are worth checking.
Pistonheads is a car enthusiasts site. For that reason it is the best source for genuine Sports, Performance and Specialist vehicles sold by petrolhead owners and specialist dealers.


text:
HyperX's Wrist Rest is the $15 Gift Your Friends Don't Know They Need
By Avram Piltch
Reduced from $20 to $15, this memory foam wrist rest will upgrade anyone's tech life.
(Image credit: Amazon)
The best holiday gifts are items that your giftee doesn't own and wasn't shopping for, but can't live without once they're in use. Case in point: the HyperX Wrist Rest, an amazingly comfortable accessory that elevates your typing game and keeps your hands comfortable all day.
If you look through most people's wish lists or ask them what they want, few would mention a wrist rest. That's because many people either don't have wrist rests or they settle for the rock hard slabs of plastic that come attached to many gaming keyboards.
Reduced from its regular price of $20 to $15 (opens in new tab) on Amazon as part of the holiday tech deals frenzy, the HyperX Wrist rest changes the game, both for gamers and for anyone who spends a lot of time in front of a keyboard. It uses a combination of cooling gel and memory foam to provide a surface that's cool and soft enough to gently cradle your wrists, but firm enough to keep them from sinking.
HyperX Wrist Rest - was $20, now $15 @ Amazon
(opens in new tab)This wrist rest not only raises your wrists for reducing strain, it's also cozy. That's because it's stuffed with thick memory foam and cooling gel. Plus, it'll stay in place, thanks to its anti-slip grip on the bottom. It's currently selling for its lowest price.
Unlike many gifts that go unused in a drawer, a wrist rest is one that your giftee can take advantage of every single day. Even if they already have a wrist rest, the HyperX one is more comfortable than whatever they own now.
I've compared the HyperX Wrist Rest to other gel wrests I've used and the cooling gel makes it the better choice. Its black design with red accents also looks much more stylish than any of the wrists rests I've bought at Staples over the years. In fact, this is one gift you might also want to buy for yourself.
Avram Piltch
Avram Piltch is Tom's Hardware's editor-in-chief. When he's not playing with the latest gadgets at work or putting on VR helmets at trade shows, you'll find him rooting his phone, taking apart his PC or coding plugins. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram developed many real-world benchmarks, including our laptop battery test.
Still using my ALLSOP palm rest from 20 years ago, it's great.
Crypto Miners Are Painting GDDR Memory to Make Graphics Cards Look New

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Peñarol 0 - 1 Defensor Sporting
Stadium : Estadio Campeón del Siglo (Montevideo)
Head to Head Trends
Peñarol v.s Defensor Sporting
Over 9.5 Corners
Defensor Sporting
League: 2.6
League 4.5
League 10.3
Uruguay - Primera División
Overall L
Away L
Win % 0% 0% 0%
Goals 1 0 1
Scored 0 0 0
Conceded 1 0 1
Both Teams to Score 0% 0% 0%
Failed To Score 100% 0% 100%
1st to Score 0% 0% 0%
-0.53 0 0.47
Home L
Failed To Score 100% 100% 0%
-0.23 0.8 0
-0.58 0.42 0
Peñarol - Last Matches
05/02/2022 Fénix 1 : 0 Peñarol
Defensor Sporting - Last Matches
05/02/2022 Defensor Sporting 0 : 3 Liverpool
Both Teams are equal in terms of Form
Both Teams are equal in terms of Goal Scored
Peñarol (1)
(3) Defensor Sporting
Peñarol is +200% better in terms of Goals Conceded
(3) Liverpool
-0.53/Match
+-57%
Defensor Sporting is +-57% better in terms of Expected Goals
Peñarol is +8% better in terms of Expected Goals Against
Peñarol is 100% better in terms of Forms 1st Half
2.5 Offsides / Match
Match Offsides are calculated with the sum of the averages between the team Offsides of Peñarol and Defensor Sporting during the Uruguay Primera División 2022 season.
Match Corners are calculated with the sum of the averages between the team corners of Peñarol and Defensor Sporting during the Uruguay Primera División 2022 season.
3.5 Cards / Match
Match Yellow Cards are calculated with the sum of the averages between the team yellow cards of Peñarol and Defensor Sporting during the Uruguay Primera División 2022 season.
5.5 Shots On Target / Match
Match Shots on target are calculated with the sum of the averages between the team shots on target of Peñarol and Defensor Sporting during the Uruguay Primera División 2022 season.
Both Teams are equal in terms of Goals Conceded
Peñarol is 100% better in terms of Expected Goals Against
Peñarol - Home
Defensor Sporting - Away
28/01/2021 Peñarol 1 : 2 Defensor Sporting
01/11/2020 Defensor Sporting 2 : 1 Peñarol
14/19 Matches
Find Out More About the Match of Peñarol vs Defensor Sporting
When and where is the Match for Peñarol vs Defensor Sporting
The Match between Peñarol and Defensor Sporting takes place at the home of Peñarol, in 13 February 2022, at 23:00. The match is part of the 2nd round of the Uruguay - Primera División, where Peñarol is in 13th place in standings and Defensor Sporting is in 16th in standings. The match will take place at the Estadio Campeón del Siglo (Montevideo).
Peñarol Performance
Peñarol is in 13th place in the Uruguay - Primera División. They have played 1 match, with a total of 0 wins, 0 draws and 1 loss. Peñarol averages 0 Points Per Match in the Uruguay - Primera División with a total of 0 Goals Scored and 1 Goal Conceded.
Playing at home, Peñarol is currently at 9th place. They have played 0 matches in total with 0 wins, 0 draws and 0 losses. Peñarol averages 0 Points Per Match in Uruguay - Primera División at home with 0 Goals Scored and 0 Goals Conceded.
Defensor Sporting Performance
Defensor Sporting is in 16th place in the Uruguay - Primera División. They have played 1 match, with a total of 0 wins, 0 draws and 1 loss. Defensor Sporting averages 0 Points Per Match in the Uruguay - Primera División with a total of 0 Goals Scored and 3 Goals Conceded.
Playing away, Defensor Sporting is currently in 12th place. They have played 0 matches in total with 0 wins, 0 draws and 0 losses. Defensor Sporting averages 0 Points Per Match in Uruguay - Primera División at away with 0 Goals Scored and 0 Goals Conceded.
What is the Form of Peñarol?
In the past 5 matches, Peñarol has won 0, drawn 0 and lost 1. They averaged 0 Points Per Match in the past 5 matches compared to their 0 average in the competition.
At home, Peñarol has won 0, drawn 0 and lost 0 in the past 5 matches. They averaged 0 Points Per Match at home in the past 5 matches compared to their 0 average in the competition.
What is the Form of Defensor Sporting?
In the past 5 matches, Defensor Sporting has won 0, drawn 0 and lost 1. They averaged 0 Points Per Match in the past 5 matches compared to their 0 average in the competition.
Away, Defensor Sporting has won 0, drawn 0 and lost 0 in the past 5 matches. They averaged 0 Points Per Match at away in the past 5 matches, compared to their 0 average in the competition away.
Head 2 Head between Peñarol and Defensor Sporting
In the past five years, Peñarol and Defensor Sporting have played 19 times against each other. Peñarol has won 8, and Defensor Sporting has won 6 with 5 matches ended in a draw.
When the match is played at Estadio Campeón del Siglo (Montevideo), there were 5 wins for Peñarol, 3 wins for Defensor Sporting and 1 match ended in a draw.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Runtime.Serialization;
using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary;
using System.Threading;
using System.Runtime.Remoting.Lifetime;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Drawing;

using NationalInstruments;
using NationalInstruments.DAQmx;

using DAQ;
using DAQ.HAL;
using DAQ.Environment;
using DAQ.NIScope;

namespace ParityHardwareControl
{
    /// <summary>
    /// A Hardware controller for the Parity experiment.
    /// For the moment, it's just operates the fast NI card and does a few DAQmx operations.
    ///
    /// </summary>
    public class Controller : MarshalByRefObject, NIScopeControllable
    {
        #region Constants
        //Put any constants and stuff here
        private static string profilesPath = (string)Environs.FileSystem.Paths["settingsPath"]
            + "ParityHardwareController\\";

        private static Hashtable calibrations = Environs.Hardware.Calibrations;
        #endregion

        #region Setup

        // Declare that there will be a controlWindow
        ControlWindow controlWindow;

        //There will be some 'slow' analog and digital tasks
        Dictionary<string, Task> analogTasks;
        Hashtable digitalTasks = new Hashtable();

        NIScopeControlHelper scope;

        // without this method, any remote connections to this object will time out after
        // five minutes of inactivity.
        // It just overrides the lifetime lease system completely.
        public override Object InitializeLifetimeService()
        {
            return null;
        }

        public void Start()
        {
            // make the digital analogTasks. The function "CreateDigitalTask" is defined later
            //e.g   CreateDigitalTask("notEOnOff");
            //      CreateDigitalTask("eOnOff");

            //This is to keep track of the various things which the HC controls.
            analogTasks = new Dictionary<string, Task>();

            //CreateDigitalTask("aom0enable");

            // make the analog output analogTasks. The function "CreateAnalogOutputTask" is defined later
            //e.g.  bBoxAnalogOutputTask = CreateAnalogOutputTask("b");
            //      steppingBBiasAnalogOutputTask = CreateAnalogOutputTask("steppingBBias");

            //CreateAnalogOutputTask("aom0amplitude");

           // CreateAnalogInputTask("laserLockErrorSignal", -10, 10);

            // make the control controlWindow
            controlWindow = new ControlWindow();
            controlWindow.controller = this;

            scope = new NIScopeControlHelper();
            System.Console.Out.Write("Startup complete. Opening control window. \n");
            Application.Run(controlWindow);
        }

        #endregion

        #region private methods for creating un-timed Tasks/channels
        // a list of functions for creating various analogTasks
        private void CreateAnalogInputTask(string channel)
        {
            analogTasks[channel] = new Task(channel);
            ((AnalogInputChannel)Environs.Hardware.AnalogInputChannels[channel]).AddToTask(
                analogTasks[channel],
                0,
                10
            );
            analogTasks[channel].Control(TaskAction.Verify);
        }

        // an overload to specify input range
        private void CreateAnalogInputTask(string channel, double lowRange, double highRange)
        {
            analogTasks[channel] = new Task(channel);
            ((AnalogInputChannel)Environs.Hardware.AnalogInputChannels[channel]).AddToTask(
                analogTasks[channel],
                lowRange,
                highRange
            );
            analogTasks[channel].Control(TaskAction.Verify);
        }

        private void CreateAnalogOutputTask(string channel)
        {
            analogTasks[channel] = new Task(channel);
            AnalogOutputChannel c = ((AnalogOutputChannel)Environs.Hardware.AnalogOutputChannels[channel]);
            c.AddToTask(
                analogTasks[channel],
                c.RangeLow,
                c.RangeHigh
                );
            analogTasks[channel].Control(TaskAction.Verify);
        }

        // setting an analog voltage to an output
        public void SetAnalogOutput(string channel, double voltage)
        {
            SetAnalogOutput(channel, voltage, false);
        }
        //Overload for using a calibration before outputting to hardware
        public void SetAnalogOutput(string channelName, double voltage, bool useCalibration)
        {

            AnalogSingleChannelWriter writer = new AnalogSingleChannelWriter(analogTasks[channelName].Stream);
            double output;
            if (useCalibration)
            {
                try
                {
                    output = ((Calibration)calibrations[channelName]).Convert(voltage);
                }
                catch (DAQ.HAL.Calibration.CalibrationRangeException)
                {
                    MessageBox.Show("The number you have typed is out of the calibrated range! \n Try typing something more sensible.");
                    throw new CalibrationException();
                }
                catch
                {
                    MessageBox.Show("Calibration error");
                    throw new CalibrationException();
                }
            }
            else
            {
                output = voltage;
            }
            try
            {
                writer.WriteSingleSample(true, output);
                analogTasks[channelName].Control(TaskAction.Unreserve);
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(e.Message);
            }
        }
        public class CalibrationException : ArgumentOutOfRangeException { };
        // reading an analog voltage from input
        public double ReadAnalogInput(string channel)
        {
            return ReadAnalogInput(channel, false);
        }
        public double ReadAnalogInput(string channelName, bool useCalibration)
        {
            AnalogSingleChannelReader reader = new AnalogSingleChannelReader(analogTasks[channelName].Stream);
            double val = reader.ReadSingleSample();
            analogTasks[channelName].Control(TaskAction.Unreserve);
            if (useCalibration)
            {
                try
                {
                    return ((Calibration)calibrations[channelName]).Convert(val);
                }
                catch
                {
                    MessageBox.Show("Calibration error");
                    return val;
                }
            }
            else
            {
                return val;
            }
        }

        // overload for reading multiple samples
        public double ReadAnalogInput(string channel, double sampleRate, int numOfSamples, bool useCalibration)
        {
            //Configure the timing parameters of the task
            analogTasks[channel].Timing.ConfigureSampleClock("", sampleRate,
                SampleClockActiveEdge.Rising, SampleQuantityMode.FiniteSamples, numOfSamples);

            //Read in multiple samples
            AnalogSingleChannelReader reader = new AnalogSingleChannelReader(analogTasks[channel].Stream);
            double[] valArray = reader.ReadMultiSample(numOfSamples);
            analogTasks[channel].Control(TaskAction.Unreserve);

            //Calculate the average of the samples
            double sum = 0;
            for (int j = 0; j < numOfSamples; j++)
            {
                sum = sum + valArray[j];
            }
            double val = sum / numOfSamples;
            if (useCalibration)
            {
                try
                {
                    return ((Calibration)calibrations[channel]).Convert(val);
                }
                catch
                {
                    MessageBox.Show("Calibration error");
                    return val;
                }
            }
            else
            {
                return val;
            }
        }

        private void CreateDigitalTask(String name)
        {

            Task digitalTask = new Task(name);
            ((DigitalOutputChannel)Environs.Hardware.DigitalOutputChannels[name]).AddToTask(digitalTask);
            digitalTask.Control(TaskAction.Verify);
            digitalTasks.Add(name, digitalTask);
        }

        public void SetDigitalLine(string name, bool value)
        {
            Task digitalTask = ((Task)digitalTasks[name]);
            DigitalSingleChannelWriter writer = new DigitalSingleChannelWriter(digitalTask.Stream);
            writer.WriteSingleSampleSingleLine(true, value);
            digitalTask.Control(TaskAction.Unreserve);
        }

        #endregion

        #region Remoting stuff

        /// <summary>
        /// These SetValue functions are for giving commands to the hc from another program, while keeping the hc in control of hardware.
        /// Use this if you want the HC to keep control, but you want to control the HC from some other program
        /// </summary>
        public void SetValue(string channel, double value)
        {
            SetAnalogOutput(channel, value, false);
        }
        public void SetValue(string channel, double value, bool useCalibration)
        {
            SetAnalogOutput(channel, value, useCalibration);
        }
        public void SetValue(string channel, bool value)
        {
            SetDigitalLine(channel, value);
        }
        #endregion

        #region The Fast NIScope card

        public double[] GetShot()
        {
            return scope.GetShot();
        }

        public void ArmAndWait()
        {
            scope.ArmAndWait();
        }

        public void StartAcquisition(string channelName, double sampleRate, double referencePosition,
            double range, int numberOfPoints, int numberOfRecords)
        {
            System.Console.Out.Write("Initialising NI-Scope card and starting acquisition...");
            scope.StartAcquisition(channelName, sampleRate, referencePosition, range, numberOfPoints, numberOfRecords);
            System.Console.Out.Write("complete.\n");
        }

        public void StartScan()
        {
            scope.StartScan();
        }

        public void FinishScan()
        {
            scope.FinishScan();
        }

        public void FinishAcquisition()
        {
            System.Console.Out.Write("Finishing acquisition on NI-Scope card.");
            scope.FinishAcquisition();
            System.Console.Out.Write("complete.\n");
        }

        #endregion
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Good morning! Wanns see more of this piece? COMMENT BELOW! - Back to business with details of upcoming stuff. A huge #resinsanity 80 by 80 cm masterpiece. Especially for the structure lovers.
The opening for this show coincides with Pioneer Square's Art Walk. Make it a night out with art!
This is about a fourth of a larger piece. Love the #texture details in this section.
The serenity of white is the perfect canvas for the bold power of black!


text:
Home » How Brands and Retailers Should Be Responding to the Pandemic
EDITOR'S Q&A
How Brands and Retailers Should Be Responding to the Pandemic
Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain
Consumer brands and retailers are struggling to cope with the effects of the global coronavirus outbreak. They're facing both a plunge in sales and interruptions of supply. At the same time, they need to be preparing for a resurgence of demand when the crisis ends, and the economy begins to recover. In this conversation with SupplyChainBrain Editor-in-Chief Bob Bowman, Sue Welch, CEO of retailer software vendor Bamboo Rose, discusses what the industry must do to adjust to uncertain times.
SCB: How have brands and retailers been affected to date by the coronavirus outbreak globally?
Welch: There's been a lot of confusion, a lot of chaos. They're all trying to figure out how they're impacted by the virus, which is hitting sales pretty hard, and the long-term impact on their business and supply chains. They're just trying to dig out and figure out what's going to happen to them. There's been some encouraging news out of China, which is giving people a glimmer of hope. But at this point, it's matter of seeing sales hurt. They're looking at stock that's not arriving. They're wondering, do I even want product to arrive —is there a market for it right now?
SCB: Can they diversify sourcing when the virus is everywhere?
Welch: No. It isn't like when we had the trade war. People were already starting to move out of China because they were worried about having such a high concentration of production there. Everybody was scrambling for alternative sources, but here it's everywhere, so it's not like you can move from one geography to another. Those options are cut off, and that's what makes this even more difficult to deal with.
SCB: You noted a possible improvement in the situation in China. Do you see any sign of improvement as it relates to the condition of brands and retailers, or do you expect things to continue to get worse?
Welch: I think they're going to get a little bit worse, simply because you've got the whole fallout from the disruption. The supply chain has to be put back together again — it's like a Humpty Dumpty-type of environment. But there is hope. Production appears to be ramping up. It's reaching normal states in some areas of China. A second outbreak, which people were worried about happening once everybody went back to work, hasn't occurred. All of those things are giving people hope, and now they're just trying to get back to business. But it's just so disruptive.
SCB: How must brands and retailers change their relationships with their supplier partners as a result of what they've learned from this crisis?
Welch: First of all, everybody's relearning the word "partner." In the past, retailers have sometimes had rocky relationships with their vendors, where they play the "beat the vendor." They can't do that anymore. It is a partnership. We see retailers trying to help their suppliers stay in business, while looking for alternative sources of components. There have been a lot of blank sailings — we don't have containers positioned in the right places, so some suppliers can't get components. Our retail customers are trying to help them, as opposed to just saying, "Look, it's your issue. Fix it."
SCB: I know you say that there's a need for retailers and brands to "seamlessly collaborate" with their partners. As you know, that's been one of the biggest buzzwords in supply-chain management for years now. When you talk of the need to collaborate in a way that that hasn't been done before, what are you talking about exactly?
Welch: It's about doing a lot more things virtually, as opposed to having all these face-to-face meetings or telephone calls. Retailers are willing to collaborate on the internet. We're seeing a lot more willingness to put ideas up in the cloud, to share then with suppliers. They're not just passing information back and forth, but saying, "Let's do this together."
SCB: Going forward, though, what do they need to be doing, other than just doing it online?
Welch: Here's a perfect example. The way retailers design their products, they go through a rather lengthy process which can last anywhere from 30 days to four or five months. Then they put the design out to the supplier community to bid. That can take three months. Then the supplier might say, "The design won't work because of this" — maybe the fabric won't work with those types of zippers or buttons, or the drape isn't going to be right. The supplier then gives feedback and the retailer redesigns and puts it out again. That process takes a lot of time. It isn't true collaboration; you're just passing information back and forth. But if the retailer starts to work with the supplier at the very beginning, before it designs the product, the supplier can come in and share its ideas at that stage. And they don't need three months to design anymore. They're able to get products made faster, at a better price, and at a higher quality. That's what happens when you truly collaborate.
SCB: It seems clear that we're just at the beginning of what's going to be a pretty severe economic downslide. To the extent it's possible, should brands and retailers be stocking up now in anticipation of recovery, or should they be waiting?
Welch: I'm not a big believer in hoarding or stocking up too much, but I think you have to be wise about taking positions on fabrics and components. Stocking up on finished product is probably not so good, but componentry is definitely an area of opportunity.
SCB: When it comes to logistics, distribution and order fulfillment, how should brands and retailers be preparing to handle the inevitable surge in demand when things return to normal?
Welch: I think with gratitude. It's going to be a slow process back to normal. I think it will happen in ways that people can manage. We'll see more vessels coming on, and fewer blank sailings. Everybody's got to ramp up, and that's going to take time.
SCB: Do you think things will ever return to normal?
Welch: I think there will be a new normal — it won't be what we're used to. In some ways we'll probably become less acquisitive. You can already see people growing much more aware of their surroundings, of what they need as opposed to what they want.
KEYWORDS Apparel consumer packaged goods Coronavirus Global Logistics Global Supply Chain Management Global Trade Management Retail Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
Should CPG Brands Let Amazon Lure Them Away From Traditional Retailers?
With Store Shelves Stocked for Back-to-School Sales, August Should Be Banner Month for Retailers
Podcast | The Supply Chain Workforce of the Future Is Already Here


text:
Statement from Frank Giustra, Founder and Chairman of the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (Canada)
Over the past few weeks, the Canadian registered charity I founded, the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (Canada), has come under heightened scrutiny. Many questions have been raised about the Canadian charity, how our organization works with the Clinton Foundation, the various contributions and support that allows our organization to impact the lives of thousands of underserved communities around the world, and me – personally.
An article published in the New York Times ("Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal" April 23, 2015) suggests that my contributions to the Clinton Foundation were made to further my business interests. This is not true! I support the work of the Clinton Foundation because I believe in the Clinton Foundation's mission and effectiveness. The world is a better place because of it. As a philanthropist, I am extremely proud of the significant work we do to help thousands of people all over the world. We are truly changing lives. I would like to take this opportunity to explain and clarify some of the questions that have been raised.
The Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (Canada) does not provide general operating support to the Clinton Foundation, but rather we contract with the Clinton Foundation to execute specific programs on our behalf, as they have the capacity, resources, specialized skill sets, knowledge, as well as established networks needed to successfully execute economic development activities in sometimes challenging environments. We provide ongoing direction on the use of our resources, holding the Clinton Foundation accountable for reaching established philanthropic goals that help further our charitable purposes.
On March 1, 2008, I held a gala event for the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (Canada) in Toronto, Ontario. Donations were made to the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (Canada) to allow Canadian residents to receive a charitable tax credit while supporting our efforts. There were over 1,000 attendees who contributed and collectively pledged over CAD$16,000,000. Our donors contribute because, like me, they too, truly want to make a positive difference in the world. Empowering individuals and providing them with the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty is an incredible feeling. This is why I am very passionate about the great work we are doing with the Clinton Foundation.
Some media outlets have asked us why we have not publicly disclosed the donors that have contributed to the Canadian charity – the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (Canada). The Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (Canada)'s Board has followed Canadian laws and Canadian charitable best practices where donors have a right and an expectation of privacy which we have respected as a Canadian charity. We will not share or publicly disclose our donor's information unless we received prior written consent.
Journalists have challenged this and have claimed we do not need to provide donors the right to privacy. Therefore, we have sought advice from our Canadian legal counsel and received a legal opinion which supports our statement, as per Canadian laws and Canadian charitable best practices, that donors have a right and an expectation of privacy. In addition, we have also sought independent legal advice from a leading practitioner in Canadian charity law and expect a second legal opinion to be forthcoming in the following days and which will be posted on the FAQs page of our web-site. Even though there is no formal requirement to disclose our donors, in light of these inquires, we are reaching out to our major donors requesting consent to publicly recognize their contribution. As a result of other media inquiries regarding our donors, I can confirm that the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (Canada) has never received donations from any foreign or Canadian governments or government-controlled entities.
Over 350,000 people have been positively impacted though market-driven opportunities created by our social enterprises in Latin America, the Caribbean, and South Asia. It is disheartening that all the great work we are doing is being unfairly tarnished in the press.
I have provided a large portion of my wealth towards many philanthropic causes, as I am very passionate about helping others and will continue to do so because I believe it is the right thing to do. The idea that anyone, including myself, would try to garner favours by donating to a charity is simply illogical and unethical. On June 21, 2007, in New York City there was a press conference with more than 20 reporters present where I announced my pledge of US$100,000,000 toward our joint work with the Clinton Foundation. I find it absolutely incredulous to think that anyone, specifically, the New York Times would think that I would want to hide my contributions to philanthropy. I have nothing to hide and wish to celebrate my philanthropic commitments and our many accomplishments.
In addition, I think it is important to note, The New York Times story presents no evidence of wrongdoing or impropriety, but rather is replete with innuendo and irresponsible, unfounded speculation. The article makes several errors of fact. The article is based in part on an earlier New York Times article published in 2008. Forbes Magazine wrote an analysis refuting many of the charges in that story, some of which are repeated in the current story ("Clinton Commits No Foul in Kazakhstan Uranium Deal" 12 January 2009).
Below are the relevant facts relating to me, personally:
I began working to finance the purchase of mining stakes from a private Kazakh company in early 2005. The purchase was concluded in late 2005. The purchaser was a company called UrAsia Energy Ltd. President Bill Clinton had no involvement in this transaction.
On September 2, 2005, I traveled to Kazakhstan to finalize UrAsia Energy Ltd.'s purchase of the Kazakh mining interests. President Bill Clinton arrived in Almaty, Kazakhstan on September 6, 2005 on other business. President Bill Clinton did not travel with me, nor on my plane, as the New York Times reports. President Bill Clinton and I travelled together from Kazakhstan to India on September 7, 2005.
I sold all of my shares, which were mostly held by my charitable foundation – The Radcliffe Foundation, in UrAsia Energy Ltd. in the fall of 2007, after it merged with Uranium One Inc. I would note that the shares were sold at least 18 months before Hillary Clinton became the United States Secretary of State. No one was speculating at that time that Hillary Clinton would become the United States Secretary of State.
I have devoted my life to the work we are implementing through the Clinton Foundation and will continue to take our work to many countries around the globe, improving the lives of tens of thousands of people. I am dedicated and committed to honesty, transparency, and accountability both personally and in all of my philanthropic work.
I encourage you to read more about the incredible work we are doing by visiting our web-site www.CGEPartnership.com and for more information about the Canadian charity I founded, please visit our FAQ page HERE.
Founder & Chairman
CLINTON GIUSTRA ENTERPRISE PARTERNSHIP (CANADA)


Well known for its famous customers over the past decades, Hotel Solon has become the starting point for further development of the area in one of the most popular tourist destinations throughout Greece, Tolo.
There is evidence everywhere that reminds us of its glamorous past with a retro scent.
The ideal location above the waves, the view of the rooms and all the staff of the hotel ensure you a calm and pleasant stay along with the sounds of the sea.
The hotel's restaurant with its 25-year long lasting tradition offers delicious various traditional Greek cuisine dishes and a variety of fresh fish that you can taste on the wonderful verandas of the hotel with a view of the Argolic Gulf in a very romantic setting.
Tolo is located in Argolida Prefecture 10km from the first capital of Greece, the beautiful Nafplio and only a few kilometers from some of the most important archaeological sites of Greece (Epidaurus – Mycenae – Tiryns).
No cancellation fee if room cancellation is made 20 days before arrival.
Cancellation fee 100% of the total price, in case of a no-show.
Cancellation fee 30% of the total price, if made in less than 20 days from arrival.
We do allow pets upon request.


text:
Nittany Valley Running Club Race Series - How To Participate
There are two kinds of awards in the Series. The Race Series Cup Awards will go to the people who amass the most points by competing in and volunteering at eligible races. There are place awards for the top 3 finishers as well as achievement awards for all who earn enough points according to the scoring rules found here. The Volunteer Awards will go to those who contribute to the NVRC through volunteer efforts. Volunteer Awards are non-competitive and all volunteers can earn awards according to the scoring rules found here. Awards are given according to the Awards Schedule here.


text:
Trichopterna grummi är en spindelart som beskrevs av Andrei V. Tanasevitch 1989. Trichopterna grummi ingår i släktet Trichopterna och familjen täckvävarspindlar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Täckvävarspindlar
grummi