A grand day out Gromit?

The Yucatan Symphony Orchestra started it's 15th season and wow what a start. The programme was Johan Strauss and Franz Von Suppe. The orchestras home is the Jose Peon Contreras Theatre but this is closed for renovation so they are performing at the Teatro Armando Manzanero this season.

This theatre is mostly on one floor with a small first floor balcony. This is really a lovely art deco theatre inside and out and was  jam packed as they have reduced their program to just Sunday afternoons .

A little glimpse of the inside. Darn it I should have taken more photos

 It was a rousing performance  by Johann Strauss and Franz Von Suppe with all the familiar classics we know so well but can't always put a name to.

The encore  was brilliantly chosen to get us all clapping  .... The Rodetsky March.

It also gave us all an earworm too.... you know that tune that you just can't get off your brain and can be quite annoying in the end.

We didn't get our tickets until quite late and so most of the better seats were taken which is how we ended up in the neckcricking second row. It's funny what you notice when you are that close too.  For instance, 'd.j's' and stringed instruments !  Overall very dapper looking indeed , never the less on closer scrutiny ... bow ties are skew-iff and collars askew where that meddlesome little stringed instrument has interfered with that overall  touch of elegance but in doing so gave a rather whimsical appearance to the string section.

Also the poor harpist who sat bolt upright waiting patiently for her moment to strum so elegantly just to play maybe three chords. Wouldn't you think they would be better just skipping that bit? After all how many of us would really notice the missing  three chords?

Christopher Collins ( smiler) to the
left of the conductor

Last but not least I have to mention Christopher Collins,  guest first violin. This man plays the violin with such enthusiasm, he almost pops right out of his chair with his conviction to the piece he's playing. You can imagine what he was like when he played the Rodetsky March.... damn now I have the earworm back. He also has this permanent aura of amusement which you can't help but be affected by it. And to boot he is apparently ( not that I am up on these things) world renowned too.

During The Rodetsky March.

   All in all not bad for a little unknown place in the Yucatan.....see
   there are things I will miss. Oh and all this for I about $ 12 and
   thats for the best seats!  Beat that anywhere else in the world?


To finish the day we went to our usual little Italian just off Parque de la Maternidad where as it happens we began the day with a coffee and mooched around the local artists who display there every Sunday.

The usual crew..Jonna, Les and Nan, Stephen.

Parque de la Maternidad.