Time Capsule Discovery!

I’m currently in process of moving house, my parents are moving and as an unemployed ex-student I’m going with them.  This is going to be a tough time as I’ve lived here my whole life. My rooms almost packed and in the process I’ve come across some lovely memories and hilarious mementoes of my life. 

One of the things I found was a letter from my Gran.  We did a time capsule project at school when I was 12 and had to ask a relative to write a letter predicting what we would be doing in 6 years, not to be opened until we were 18. 

Here’s my Grans Predictions (some of them not far off!)

17/06/2003

Dear Lily,

You are now eighteen and these predictions I made for your six years ago.

You will have now decided which University you would like to go to. You will have gained the highest grades in your music, and play regularly in an orchestra.

You have a boyfriend also in the Orchestra, but have no intentions of getting married until you have finished your education and had a chance to see something of the world. Maybe playing in an orchestra abroad, Vienna perhaps.

I hope you will continue with your music, you have been so lucky to have had such opportunities to study it. It is something you will always be able to use to your advantage, either for pleasure or to earn your living with.

I think teaching will be another career you have considered.

Infants and Juniors so you will teach a variety of subjects.

I am sure you will be successful in whatever you decide to do.

All my best wishes for your future,

From Granny.

She was not far off, and four years after my 18^th Birthday she is still pretty accurate!  I may not have achieved the highest grades possible throughout my education but will graduate in less than a month with a degree I'm proud of and I continue to play regularly in orchestras (although I've never had a boyfriend who's been in the orchestra with me!).  Traveling to Vienna with an orchestra is looking pretty unlikely in my future, however I was lucky enough travel to Germany, France , Edinburgh, Belgium and the USA with music tours!  I love her determination that I won’t marry until I’ve seen the world, my cousin who is a pilot has definitely managed to see more of it than me so far though.  I will definitely be continuing with my music, and for her to see this in me when I was 12 makes me confident it was the right path for me, whether it ends up as my hobbie or career.  Her teaching prediction is also accurate, I teach privately and have considered going into schools, however teaching a variety of subjects to primary school children isn't really for me. 

I’m tempted to ask her to write me another letter for me to open when I’m 30, and see whether these predictions are so accurate.

Paloma Faith and Laura Mvula - O2 Arena June 7th 2013

As my Mum’s 50^th Birthday present I brought her tickets to see Paloma Faith at the O2 with support from Laura Mvula. It was a night to celebrate as that was also the day of my final recital at Uni marking the end of my degree.

I was curious to see how Laura Mvula would fill such a huge arena as the O2 but she did not disappoint. She was wearing the most amazing peplum white skirt which made her stand out despite the fact that we were seated right at the back of the arena.  Her voice is so pure and beautiful that she soon had the whole venue entranced, and her chatter between songs only made her even more likable.

Paloma’s show however blew away all my expectations, I had expected a big show but was not sure whether the music would completely grip me as I had not been a big fan of her recorded material (prior to this gig at least!).  The show begun with her walking onto an empty stage, starting a record player with a slightly cheesy voiceover and singing a deliciously simple song.  The shows basic premise was that she began with nothing, and this was demonstrated beautifully with this serene opening.

As the show progressed more and more staging and musicians were added, and I have to say I did not immediately notice this happening, Paloma is such a captivating performer that this was almost not essential.  She has such a powerful voice, with only a few blips at the beginning which were completely forgotten.  She introduced her support, Laura Mvula, back on stage for a brilliant version of I Can’t Stand the Rain.

I loved all her soul covers, which fitted perfectly alongside her own material, particularly Liam Baileys who joined her on stage for a cover of Dark End of the Street.

Her performance with an artist who was new to me was the highlight of my night, Ty Taylor from the band Vintage Trouble, who was slightly reminiscent of performances I've watched of Otis Redding.

Paloma has such a bubbly personality that she really made the whole arena feel like they were her friends, she came from nothing and then, in her words, “Half filled the O2 Arena”.  It was obvious how big a deal this gig was for her, which was lovely as sometimes artists seem to take their luck for granted.  She was hilarious at the end when, instead of taking a bow and walking off she listed everybody’s names, even the stage crew (who were wearing tuxedo’s throughout the show) reading their names from a soggy piece of paper “There’s been a spillage!!”

Overall, this gig made me love Paloma as an artist, as well as the funny personality with the amazing dress sense I'd seen on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, she really knows how to put on a show!