I don’t often get invited to high-falutin’ functions. Indeed, I wasn’t originally, personally invited to this one. But Michael Mainelli was invited and realised that the venue was just around the corner from my flat and would probably be music to my taste. Michael asked if his business partner might attend in his place, so I was graciously invited instead.
Simpler times, politically, the spring of 2013, I realise, writing now in the spring of 2018 – the aftermath of the “Russian spy nerve agent” debacle.
But I don’t think I am disclosing any Russian state secrets, nor am I likely to trigger the wrath of any bad guys, by reporting in glowing terms this absolutely splendid evening at the Russian Ambassador’s residence.
It is a beautiful building for a start, with charming reception rooms and an ideal large chamber for music of this kind – solo voices accompanied on the piano.
The drinks reception before the concert was relatively low key and brief. Ideal in a way, as I suspect that many of the diverse guests, like me, knew few other people present, so it was much easier to socialise after the concert, once we had a topic of shared experience to discuss.
As it happens I did see a couple of people I knew; one couple I had met through cousins Angela and John at the LPO (another, relatively recent, high-falutin’ experience) – click here or below:
I also had a brief chat before the concert with one of Michael Mainelli’s colleagues from the City of London Corporation crowd.
Then the concert:
A very high quality of performance from the young performers, as you might expect. All bright young stars.
After the concert, the performers circulated with the guests – I enjoyed chatting with a couple of them who, as is often the case with music people, had superb English and sparkling personalities.
I met the Greek Ambassador and his wife, with whom I had a very interesting chat for quite some time, not least about economics, Greece and the economics of Greece.
I also remember meeting Rupert Gavin from Odeon Cinemas and chatting with him for a while.
The food was excellent – Russian-style grub to the very highest quality. Much of it finger food, but also fishes, meats and salads. Lovely wines – with vodkas on offer for brave folk (not I).
I thought I should make my exit before I started to get ideas above my station and spotted my opportunity to thank the Russian Ambassador in person, so made my retreat at that moment. I told the Ambassador that we were neighbours while thanking him – he told me that I should pop round again.
I had a truly Pooteresque moment a couple of days later when planning my thank you note, when I realised that. although I could get away with a simple “your excellency” when addressing the Ambassador in person to say goodbye, I needed to do a more through piece of research to write him a thank you note addressed correctly…
…confusingly difficult these days because there are now fully formal and less than fully formal written modes of address to choose from.
Joking apart, it had been a very unusual and enjoyable evening for me – very memorable.