This year has consisted of multiple journeys.
The move to Auckland to embrace the excitements and opportunities of city life.
The pursuit of a new degree in Humanities and Information and Library Studies.
The challenge to keep my wits in the notorious city traffic and harshly materialistic Auckland pharmacy world.
The quest to discover the intrigues of Maori culture in order to become one of the pioneering Mandarin Experience Hosts at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
And of course, the next chapter of my travel series…
An adventure to England, the heart of the Great British Empire, or otherwise known as the Land of Hope and Glory – famously depicted by Sir Edward Elgar in his Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1.
When I returned from Italy last year - so intoxicated by Tuscan sunshine and glorious operas that I needed a few weeks just to rid myself of the lingering haze and settle back into the dreary reality of work- the last thing I expected was to have an opportunity to go on another music-themed trip with The One Travel Agency. But fate (and EXTREME generosity from Dad!) obviously had a mind of its own. For who's to know that not a year later, I would be ecstatically researching English restaurants, shopping for evening attire appropriate for the operas, and all the while throwing T-shirts (on hindsight, probably should have been thermals) and sandals (...snow boots?) together to welcome another two weeks of Summer in Europe! I imagine I had probably been someone like Winston Churchill in my past life to deserve such good fortunes.
What made the trip even better was, apart from being in the lovely company of Mum and Dad again, the accompanying musicologist in charge of music briefings to this tour group on the bus was once again the hilariously quick-witted and incredibly knowledgeable 焦老師, whose funny personal stories and innovative way of simplifying the daunting classical music genre had been, I admit, often sadly missed since the Italy trip. So this time I made sure I was more fully prepared, and armed myself with another newly bought travel journal and voice recorder. Not being able to remember that fascinating fact behind a piece of music, or a scandalous gossip about a composer? Not this time.
The itinerary for this trip was shorter and simpler than the one to Italy last year, but with a similar focus. The first week of the trip would be once again with the tour group. Although overnight stays were organized for Oxford, Winchester, and Brighton, the key emphasis was to be nights out to an opera (or musical) performance in four of the evenings. This was to be followed by a second week of self-organized sightseeing mainly centered around more common tourist attractions in York, Cambridge, and London.
While the opera performances themselves as well as their unique settings were obvious highlights of the first half of the trip (to be described in more detail later on, rest assured!), we most certainly cannot forget all the other experiences that has made this week so memorable and fascinating. One of these was, no doubt, listening to the wide variety of "extracurricular" music shared by 焦老師 throughout the trip in between locations. Ranging from the symbol of English Baroque music Henry Purcell (1659-1695), to leading figures in the 20th-century music scheme including composer of the famous "The Planets" orchestral suite Gustav Holst (1874-1934), Brighton-born Frank Bridge (1879-1941), and composer of the opera "Peter Grimes" Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), 焦老師 managed to touch on almost all the representative British composers that helped shape the classical music world in their times.
Having only known about the special place Sir Edward Elgar held in English people's hearts and heard snippets of "The Planets" before the trip, the broad overview was a real eye-opener (or perhaps "ear-opener" might be more appropriate!). Even more amazing was the fact that he squeezed all these introductions and background stories, along with extracts from some of their most symbolic works, into the time already limited by the need to explain about the operas to be performed and also the "feedback sessions" by tour group members after each performance!! …Dare I say a bit of time management and organization skills clearly goes a long way to getting a PhD from Kings College in London!
Of the composers that 焦老師 shared with us, two in particular left very lasting impressions on me, and they were Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), and Granville Bantock (1868-1946). In particular Williams' pastoral "The Lark Ascending" (1914), accompanying our journey into the beautiful English countryside of Coltswolds, and Bantock's epic "Celtic Symphony" (1940), introduced to us for its association with (and Bantock's specific interest in) English prehistoric times on our way to see the Stonehenge. I think what deepened the connection for me was the extensive use of pentatonic scale in both these two pieces of music, which was apparently characteristic of both English folk songs and traditional Chinese music. It is simply incredible to think that two cultures so far apart geographically could be so similar in their traditional music composition – although as 焦老師 demonstrated (with a fork!), the fact that pentatonic scale derived from the natural law of sound from the surrounding environment probably explains its feature in such a wide variety of ethnic groups.
The first composer 焦老師 introduced, however, was William Walton (1902-1983), as he was one of the most symbolic composers from Oxford where we were to spend our first couple of days. What made Walton more relevant to our itinerary was also the fact that he began as a chorister and undergraduate at Christ Church Cathedral School in Oxford, where we also had the pleasure of attending the Evensong service on our first day in England. As beautiful and surreal as the experience was though, I was more pleasantly surprised by the Oxford Covered Market. Located in the centre of town with a few discreet entrances tucked away between shop fronts, the Covered Market offered a livelier and altogether more "ordinary" atmosphere than the rest of Oxford that rather appealed to a commoner like me!
The shops that lined the aisles were mostly small and tightly packed with one another, but each had a distinct vintage aura that felt more welcoming than the medieval Gothic spikes and intricate stone ornaments outside that proudly announced the township's (or rather, the University's) intellectual prestige. What amazed me was that according to our tour guide, many of these seemingly ordinary shops are solely responsible for the daily supplies of each of the Colleges in Oxford University, and have been for generations – including a butchers that also claims they are in possession of (and displays in a glass cabinet) the world's oldest ham (imported from Chicago in 1892!!). Although as our tour guide kindly pointed out, the crown of the best photo spot in the market undoubtedly went to The Cake Shop. The unbelievably detailed decorations and fondant creations were simply works of art, and of course sent us all first into stunned eye-boggling silence followed quickly by a mad snapping frenzy. The experience was then made all the better when 焦老師 eyed the exquisite icing doll that is Her Majesty the Queen and said (with his usual dramatic flare):
"把她的頭砍下來吃了!!"
Loved it.
Besides the Covered Market, there were other highlights such as getting the chance to see the spot where countless executions took place especially during the Reformation over the 16th and 17th centuries (including that of Thomas Cranmer in 1556), and to admire original sketches by J.R.R. Tolkien as well as Holst's hand-written score for "The Planets" displayed in the Weston Library. But as fascinating as these physical attractions were, it was also intriguing to learn about some of the traditional customs laid down by one of the world's oldest and most famous universities.
A tradition that our tour guide specifically drew our attention to was the fact that in order to sit their undergraduate exams, all students are required to wear academic dress – the design of which was laid down in the Laudian Code of 1636 and resemble the clerical robes worn by medieval students in the early years of the University. And the formalities don't end there – it is also traditional to wear a carnation with these robes, but of course not just any old carnation. Taken directly from the Oxford University website – "the colour of the flower supposedly symbolizes the blood from a scholar's heart as they bleed all they know onto the exam paper; the darker the flower, the closer to the final exam, from white, through pink, to red". And it was just our luck that our visit coincided with one of the University's exam periods, so in our wanderings around town we did often brush past first-year students with white, second years with pink, and third years with red blossoming on their chest. It was impressive how small and seemingly negligible details such as these spoke volumes about the great pride the University had in upholding traditions, as well as the hope and expectations they invested in each of their students.
Perhaps another bonus we had for being in a town known for its outspoken intellects was the witnessing of a casual debate on Cornmarket Street involving campaigners from the two parties in the upcoming referendum that held opposing views on whether the UK was to remain or exit the European Union! Unfortunately we didn't stay long enough to listen to the full debate, but from the gathering crowd it was clear the arguments were stirring some interests if not striking a few chords.
Solemn academics soon gave way to beckoning birdsong as we made our way to the picturesque Cotswolds. Having long heard about the beauty of this region with its lush rolling hills, vibrant country gardens, and cottages built out of the lovely golden-hued Cotswold stones that resembled something out of a fairytale, this was no doubt one of my most-anticipated stops. Although we were not scheduled for a long stop (and probably for the best – judging from the steady stream of tourist buses beginning to queue up by the time we left!), we still had a good opportunity to stroll along the river and feast our eyes on the mesmerizing bursts of colour that seemed to spill out from every corner of the village. It was somewhat as if we had just stumbled in on an elegant royal ball, just as we thought it was impossible to tear our eyes away from the poppies curtsying gracefully in their dainty red skirts, we were dazzled by a sudden swirl of pink as the peonies beckoned with a shy flattering blush. When coupled with an occasional trickle of sunlight as the clouds parted – it was a scene of true serenity and sheer perfection. But what really captured my heart and woke a strong yearning to go back to NZ, throw all my belongings in a suitcase and buy a one-way ticket back to the UK was, in fact, our next destination.
Although it was not originally on my list of most-anticipated places to visit in England, Winchester soon became unmistakably my favourite town on this trip. Without the intimidatingly privileged air of Oxford and Cambridge, the distracting tourists in Cotswold and York, nor the claustrophobic crowds of London, Winchester seems comfortable in its size of forty-five thousand people (around the same as Nelson! Hence the appeal?), yet also quietly boasts of a long history of settlement that stretches back to the Iron Ages. In fact, Winchester once served as the capital of the Belgae (a confederation of Gaulish tribes) sometime during the first century BCE, and was among the largest towns in Roman Britain by surface area at the beginning of the third century AD.
However, apart from its major landmark, Winchester Cathedral (one of the largest cathedrals in Europe and the burial place of author Jane Austen), and the Winchester Round Table in the Great hall of Winchester Castle (said to be the legendary "Round Table" in the King Arthur legend, but actually dates from the 13th century and therefore could not be contemporary to Arthur), Winchester held a closer resemblance to the image of an idyllic English town that I had somehow conjured in my mind. Tilted taverns, cobbled stone roads, a winding river, a scattering of stone statues, some quaint little shops and cafes that fanned out from a lush cathedral square... the town combined it all with a sense of tranquility and class.
As awe-inspiring as the architecture of the Cathedral or the historical significance of Jane Austen's House was, I truly fell in love with the town when our tour guide took us back to town centre via the "scenic route" along the riverside. Perhaps it was the impeccable timing of the sun choosing that moment to sprinkle its golden dust, or maybe it was getting the time to slowly take in the old English manors and delicate flowers that lined the sides of the river – regardless, I instinctively felt my shoulders relax and my heart swell with profound contentment as I strolled down that path with the rest of the tour group members. Never mind what I said a day ago about trying to be a student at Oxford! If there was ever a place I would choose to call home in England, let it be Winchester. It really was such a shame that due to the tight schedules of the operas we could not get more time to look around the town (the sight of Mum and I dashing into as many shops as we could in the precious half an hour of free time must have seemed quite ridiculous!) – but no doubt I will be lured back here soon enough to explore all that Winchester has got to offer.
Now, the reason why the final tour group stop I am going to mention is Portsmouth and not Brighton (where we actually spent our last night with the group), is partially because from what I saw of Brighton it was unfortunately a little too… young and modern for my tastes (think student party town – probably a bit unfair since we did stay quite close to the train station! And of course we never had enough time to make it into the famous Royal Pavilion), but mainly it's because of the significance HMS Victory holds for someone who has grown up in a place named after its commander, Lord Horatio Nelson. HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy that was ordered in 1758, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. After many years of service at sea – including her starring role in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 as Lord Nelson's flagship – she was at last moved to a dry dock at Portsmouth in 1922, where she was preserved and has remained there as a museum ship to this day.
I have to say the whole experience of touring the inside of the ship, though immensely enlightening, was not exactly comfortable or heart-lifting. Even the highlight of seeing the small memorial plaque nailed onto the top deck of the ship that marked the exact spot where Admiral Nelson was shot down was rather somber – but I did nevertheless feel a thrill of awe shiver down my spine as my eyes caught the Naval Ensign flapping proudly in the breeze, and for a brief moment it was as if the triumphant chorus of "Rule Britannia" was echoing in my ears, crashing through and drowning out all the other noises on the deck like the waves that had rocked this ship long ago. Perhaps it would not be so terrible, then, to wonder what it would be like to be English for a day? Although preferably not in the Navy and not in the time of Lord Nelson… Even with the ship restored to its most immaculate condition, it was not difficult to imagine the daily horrors the crew faced of crawling up and down the narrow steep ladders and the back-breaking fatigue of ducking through damp claustrophobic cabins in near-pitch-blackness. Not to mention the rodents and constant rocking of the ship that more than explained the presence of hammocks and a treasure chest-full of empty liquor bottles (trust 焦老師 to openly chastise this with some loud tsks XD). No doubt it was an unbearably rough and probably lonely life on the sea – but there was also no doubt that this hardship had helped shape countless boys into men, and simple sailors into historic heroes.
And on that glorious note, we shall sail towards the shore of garden operas, where music triumphs over war, humanity prevails over cruelty, and heroes are made legendary through glittering arias instead of blasting cannons! (Now if only all battle speeches could be that pretty!)
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