Henry vac at the Albert Hall

Did it have Henry written on it? My wife said it had 'Numatic', but with my sight I couldn't be sure (well, that and the booze).

In message , JTM writes

"A Grand Grand Overture" by Malcolm Arnold (I think)

I have it on a Hoffnung Record performed at the RFH in 1956

Henry wasn't even a twinkle in Numatic's eye

Likewise (well, a CD of that same performance in my case). The piano concerto is excellent too. Actually, that's just made me listen to it...

I had intended to watch the Last Night, but forgot about it until now.

All I saw was Numatic. I looked for Henry but didn't see it.

The 'Henry' didn't come in to shot, but that was my immediate impression. There is another one of similar size but not that colour.

Well, Henrys come in lots of colours (not to mention Hettys in pink). I wondered if it was either (a) an industrial model or (b) a subtlt product placement 'special' direct from Numatic.

No (this is sad, isn't it?) I've just looked it up. It was probably a NRV200-22, which is a commercial model...

"The 200 series has all the many features of the Henry design with full professional Twinflo' power and performance; Hi-Lo operation; Tritex filtration but with the addition of our extended commercial 12.5 metre cable rewind and storage system."

And it has Numatic written on it...

probably the same plastic mouldings so would look the same.

Seems a shame not to use 1950's appliance models. I could have lent them a working Hoover Constelation. The one in the 1956 recording has a definite audiable snap to it's on/off switch, probably because it's a spring loaded toggle designed for DC operation too like the Constelation, but unlike modern appliances.

The Radio 3 version (not sure about the televised version) is available until next Saturday on the BBC iPlayer.

I recorded the first half because I was out during the early evening, and watched the second half live - and I have to say that I preferred the music of the first half. The Arnold/Hoffnung thing was a bit of fun - but not particularly great music compared, for example, with the Hadyn trumpet concerto in the first half.

The soloists were very good - Alison Balsom's trumpet playing was fantastic, and Sarah Connolly has a fine mezzo-soprano voice - even if she does look a bit like Stephen Fry in drag.

I thought it sucked - but Attenborough swept the floor...

Regards,

No, he polished everyone else off.

In message , Roger Mills writes

Err ...

Who watches / listens to the second half of LNOTP for great music ?

At one point the BBC had Martha Kearney saying that she was playing the rifle and clearly holding an open shotgun.

I am no sure if I will ever believe any reports that she does in the future about military matters!

Michael Chare

Radio 4 aired a play yesterday about Hoffnung putting together the first music festival: "Hoffnung - Drawn to Music". It's on Listen Again for next 5 days or so

Which end was she holding?

Owain