A teaser for things to come...

A teaser for things to come over the coming weeks and months:

 All the musicals will get a post on my thoughts. As for the cross stitch...I'll be posting progress reports as I go.

Once the tigers are done though...I'm doing Indiana Jones!

Bridge of Madison County - Broadway Cast

One of my (many) passions is Musical Theatre. If I could I'd go to the theatre every week. But, I can't, so the next best thing is to buy the CD of a show I like the look of.

I know nothing about musical composition, so I'm not going to be able to give in-depth critiques on individual tracks.
What you'll get from me is an opinion on the show on first listen and then I will usually post later with updates.

First up...is the new Broadway Cast Recording of The Bridges of Madison County.

Composed by Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Songs for a New World, The Last Five Years and 13). Based on the book of the same name.

I'd never seen the film or read the book; but I did remember reading very good reviews of the film when it was released. So, being a fan of the composer, I decided to take a risk.

Boy, am I glad I did.
On first listen I hate this show. Kelli O'Hara's voice sliced through my head like a pickaxe and a couple of others voices seemed nasal.

At the time of listening I was on my PC and not giving the show my attention. Lesson learned! When listening to a new musical it's best to actually listen!

Yes, Kelli O'Hara has a strident soprano voice but the moments of tenderness she portrays are beautiful. Likewise, the 'nasal' voices are nothing of the sort -what they are is tinged with local accent. A mark of authenticity and nothing to criticise.

The story is about a married woman who falls in love with a visiting photographer. She's married. He's not. They have a brief affair before he leaves town. She doesn't go with him. There's more to it, but that's the gist.

Anyone who knows Jason Robert Brown's work will know he writes particularly good ballads. There are many in 'Bridges', but of special note are the following:

Temporarily Lost
Falling Into You
Always Better
Almost Real

If you like your musicals rewarding and beautiful then this may be the show for you.

This wonderful show can be bought here:
Bridges of Madison County - Broadway Cast

Cross Stitch Commission...

Ok, I guess the first thing I should do is explain what cross stitch is for anyone who stumbles across my blog and doesn't know.

It's actually exactly what it sounds like....it's the art of using little crosses of thread to create a picture. Think of each stitch as a pixel working to create a bigger picture.

This picture shows a close up of a cross stitch chart. Each symbol represents a stitch or a particular colour. The boxed are shows a box with 2 symbols, which represents 2 colours in one square.

The above square looks like this when stitched:

 There are literally thousands of designs out there covering every conceivable subject. Over the years I've stitched animals, houses, battle scenes, ships etc.

On occasion I will undertake a commission from a friend to do a cross stitch for them.

They buy the kit but I stitch it for them and they pay me for my time. Usually at the rate or £1 per day.

I'm currently stitching a design from Anchor called Siberian Gold, which shows two beautiful tigers in the snow.

Here's what the finished picture looks like:

I'm currently on the 37th day of stitching this and here is my current progress:

 

That's it for today.  I'll probably post more tomorrow.

....And so it begins....

Ok. Here goes.

Totally new to blogging. Thought I'd give it a go. Why? Because, sometimes I think I might actually have something to say that people will find interesting.

I called my blog 'The Eclectic Bloke's Blog' because I've got a lot of interests and there was no way I could define my blog with one word and still make it sound interesting. Besides, I've always loved the word eclectic.

So, what do you need (or want) to know about me?

I'm male and in my forties - or my mid-life crisis some would say; and I have a lot of interests.

What you won't see on my blog is the any of the following (so if these interest you leave now!): football or pretty much any other sport (except some tennis). Details of pubs, clubs or restaurants (I might be lying about that last one occasionally).

What you WILL find is my thoughts on:
Books - I read a lot and all the time so I may post my thoughts and feelings on what I'm reading.
Films/TV - I collect DVD and Blu-ray so I may post reviews on what I watch.
Places I've Been - I like to post about new places I go. Not in boring detail though!
Cross Stitch - Counted CS is one of my main hobbies; and, according to some, something of a rarity among men. Although, if facebook is anything to go by, that is changing. I will probably be posting pictures of my current progress and photos of my finished projects.
Writing - I'm a budding writer (aren't we all at one point or another) so I may post short stories or poems. All will be copyrighted so hands off!

So, now you know what my blog is all about. Hopefully you'll find something you like! Happy reading!