Just before I finished for Easter I thought that I would try my hand a little baking. Having seen so many lovely looking cakes on baking blogs I thought I would give it a go. Now I can cook two or three dishes really well, another four or five passably but baking has never been my strong point. I had a great time having a go but I don’t think Mary Berry has got anything to worry about. It didn’t quite come out how I envisaged but I was told that it tasted great, I baked it in a roasting tin because I don’t have a proper tin haha.
I travelled to my Parents for the Easter weekend and after a few days relaxing I spent the last week preparing my final essay of the year for submission when College opens again tomorrow. However it will be great to put my reference books away and immerse myself in the coming week of rehearsals.
It is going to be a packed seven days but so worthwhile, the culmination of several months preparation and practice. Throughout the week I will be taking part in the final rehearsals for Scottish Opera Connect’s production of “The Walk From The Garden”. It is so exciting to see all the individual elements come together like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Though I have a good idea of how Glen, who plays Adam and myself, playing Eve fit in to the production it’s not until everyone involved is in the same place at the same time that you get the full picture.
The opera was composed by Jonathan Dove with the libretto written by Alasdair Middleton and runs for about 50 minutes and draws inspiration from “Paradise Lost” by the great English poet John Milton ( 1608 – 1674 ). The story follows Adam and Eve as they come to terms with the enormity of their actions after eating the apple from the “Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil”, having being told by God that doing so would lead to their death.
But to see what happens you have to wait as I am not giving away any spoilers before the opera opens on Saturday. But I can say that one of the great things about being involved with a live production is the way in which the Director interprets the opera and injects a little of their own personality in to the way we portray the story.
Jonathan Dove has written many wonderful operas and is a fabulous contemporary composer with over twenty works to his name. You can read his biography over on his website, it’s very impressive.
Last night ( Saturday 11th April ) I went to see Scottish Opera’s production of “Jenufa”. I thoroughly enjoyed the opera which was full of dramatic vocals, great performances and enough vocal colour to create a musical rainbow. It was wonderful to watch the opera sat next to Lesley, a lady I got chatting to who was there to experience live opera for the first time.
If you missed the production during it’s run in Glasgow you can catch it in Edinburgh from the 16th April to 18th April. The opera is sung in Czech with English surtitles. Scottish Opera: “Jenůfa, a young woman living in a remote rural village, is pregnant, though as yet unmarried. Her stern stepmother, worried for the family’s reputation and her own status as the leader of their village, hides Jenůfa away to bear her child. Months later, the river thaws and a gruesome secret is uncovered. Suspicion falls immediately on Jenůfa, but the truth will out”.
I have several evening rehearsals this week for the RCS production of Sir John In Love which opens on Saturday 8th May 2015. It is a privilege to be involved as a member of the chorus with all my friends and fellow students, it’s shaping up to be a fabulous production.
On Friday evening, 17th April as a member of the RCS Choir we will be performing at St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow conducted by Frikki Walker. A great way to start what I hope will be a memorable weekend for me as I have two performances of “The Walk From The Garden” on Saturday 18th and one matinee on Sunday 19th April.
Oh my gosh.. you make me appear to be standing still! What a whirlwind of energy. I must address the issue of the cake… was it edible? YES! Enough then about how it was baked and on to how it was enjoyed! And speaking of enjoyed, what a thrill for both you and the first time theatre goer. I would imagine it was a vicarious thrill to experience her experiencing live opera for the first time. It would seem to me that to be reminded of that innocence and sense of discovery would be a great gift to someone who shall be presenting many with that honor over and over again!
It was lovely to have Lesley’s perspective, such a kind lady, I was so pleased to share her enjoyment as you say. I never realised how much sugar was in frosting, a very small square for me.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Ah yes, sugar… it is wise to not develop a passion for it – glad to know your secret for keeping your figure in check, I shall have to adopt your wisdom!
Wonderful post. Cake looked good to me. (well, sort of)
That’s when you find out your true friends John, who dares eat the blob 😄 haha.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Beautiful picture of you and friends
So grateful to Beth for playing piano for us in the Easter break 😊.
Best wishes
Charlotte
:star: Stars :star:
Wow..now I wonder if you ever sleep.
I sleep like a log, I can even sleep sitting up lol 😄
Best wishes
Charlotte
Hard to believe you find time to squeeze in a bit of baking with all those other exciting activities!
I hope the essay is well-received. Sometimes a brilliant one simply strikes the wrong chord. Anyway, it will be great to set the books aside!
I do so much research and get wrapped up in it so that I try to express how much I’ve learnt and that’s when it all goes wrong 😳. I’ve been trying to get my word count down to 2750 😁. I see others whizzing off essays in no time with highest grades but it takes me too long. I’ve got to find a way to do this more efficiently and effectively.
Best wishes
Charlotte
As long as all you have set out is relevant to the topic, the more should be the merrier. Maybe the marker/s have an attention span deficiency? 🙂
I can only try my best 😁
Thanks you so much to have take time to share with us . Don’t forget to take care of you . Youre a nice personne, a fabulous singer and a great soul Charlotte. All the very best for you !!!
My Mum keeps saying don’t forget to eat, drink plenty of water and sleep so I’ll disappear soon and get some 💤 sleep.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Nothing wrong with your cake in my eyes! Yum. Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday sooo excited😃😘
I should have saved you a piece 😋. See you soon have a safe journey.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Such a busy and exciting time you are having! I hope all your rehearsals and performances go really well,Charlotte. Practise makes perfect with baking so I am told! If you’ve used all the right ingredients in the right proportions it should taste fine. Proper cookware helps but isn’t necessary. Sometimes, some ovens’ thermostats aren’t correct and the wrong temperature when baking can make a lot of difference. I expect you are glad you have done your final essay!
Thanks Clare, it tasted great, I didn’t realise frosting had so much sugar in it so that was one benefit I won’t be eating too much frosting from now on 😄.
Lots of research and essays this year, I’ve learnt a great deal it’s been really enjoyable.
Up early tomorrow full day ahead 😊.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Yes, frosting is almost all sugar! Sleep well!
Your cake might not look the best, but you knew how to make do with what you had, many people would have given up if they didn’t have the right pan.
I might try to borrow my Mums tins and have another go when I’ve a bit more time 😊.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Hi Charlotte,
Baking is such a stress buster, plus it’s fun! Even the mistakes taste great! Keep up the good work and enjoy what you are doing, then it don’t seem so much like work, Darlene
It was good fun, I want to try pastry next, maybe a savoury pie.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Taste good is what counts 🙂
It was very tasty 😋.
Best wishes
Charlotte
😀 the cake looks suspiciously like a frosted roast chicken :D…..I bet it tasted grand as it appears to have turned out. 🙂 today was sing-a-long and as i got the impetus to do so I waited til dinner ish to have most folk about…not one note emanated. snaps fingers.
😄😄 so true it does look like a chocolate covered chicken. I’m always singing you’d be glad of the silence 😄
Best wishes
Charlotte
chuckles. that is a nice line as if arrow into the heart 😀 so 😀 with great joy I will tell you that always singing is an improvement over always barking even if I like the dog anyways. and you can bake if I provide the tin. 😀 things are really looking up for me! now if you think this is yeah yeah yeah whats in it for me? well you still can fight the war to get me into art 😀 and that lend of a tin 😀
Great blog Charlotte, Really excited to be seeing you on Saturday in the opera..Good luck.😘
So excited to see you all 😘
Best wishes
Charlotte
Are you sure this isn’t a typo? Shouldn’t it say what’s coming up in the next month instead of the next week?😉 What an energy! Toi toi toi for the live show you’re going to be in! And to me, the cake did look good, because it looked like a LOT of chocolate, and that’s always good isn’t it?
I must admit I’ve not much energy left now, started first lesson at 09:30 and finished choir practise at 8:30pm, so I’m having a silent hour before I have an early night. I should have saved some of my cake 😄.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Take your rest! ☺ Wishing you a good night!
I can cook well. Indeed my mother-in-law even admitted I was a better cook than my wife. Howeffer, if I was hanged as a baker I would died innocent. Everything I have ever tried has been a disaster. I am told I don’t have the hands for a baker – whatever that means. I always meant to go to St. Mary’s Cathedral but for some reason I never did. If I get the opportunity to come back on a holiday, I will make a point of it. I can only agree with the other comments – you have some energy!!
The men in my family are fab cooks, my Great Grandad was a hospital chef, my Grandad a cook to Chief Steward in the merchant navy and he ran his own cafe and my Dad and brother love cooking, I’m improving 😃 lol.
I’m enjoying a bit of peace and quiet now to wind down.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I don’t know how you find the time to bake, given your full schedule, but you. I hope the production goes well, as no doubt it will. Good luck with that.
When I was young, the first operas I bought were by Janacek (on Vinyl): Katya Kabanova and ther Excursions of Mr Broucek.
It’s not too bad time wise, my Mum said the trick with cake is to put it in the oven and don’t keep opening the door, leave it, it’s the cleaning up that takes the time 😁.
The operas moved to Edinburgh now, it had an excellent cast, I love that it was your first opera vinyl album. This was my first time of watching this opera.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Best wishes for the opening of the show! I know, the final rehearsals when it all comes together and you get the idea of what the real performance will look like are always so exciting. I won’t show your cake to my pastry–chef sister, but as far as I am concerned personally, I never worry about how my bakes look as long as they taste good–I never understand why my mother and sister are so particular about hair’s-breath evenness on the top of a cake, etc. I try to make my biscuits (American savoury scones, not cookies) rise high, but that has to do with texture, not looks–they’re usually quite rustic in appearance. And I loved how your cake looked–delicious! The roasting tin was not only creative, but it had more room in it, always a good thing for sweet bakes.
Again, best wishes for the show! I know you’ll do great!
Best regards,
Cate
Thanks Cate, my elder brother is the perfectionist, I can just see him shaking his head if he saw my picture 😄.
Thanks for your confidence that’s lovely.
Best wishes
Charlotte
You are busy as always – I used to love baking but never got the hang of it once I switched to gluten-free.
I’m hoping my parents take over the cooking from Thursday 😄 then I can just eat without having to think about buying, planning and cooking.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Non-stop as usual, I hope your voice takes wing in all your performances. I have never managed to be a successful baker (and I’ve had many years and children’s birthdays to practise), but it’s the taste that counts!
This is a very busy week even for me 😀. I’ve promised myself 12 hours not talking tonight. I love birthday cakes our family favourite was cornflake or rice crispie cakes with little marshmallows in 😄.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Lovely post! Looks like a rich and delicious chocolate cake… yummy 🙂 All the best and have a great week!
Thank you Iris 😊
Best wishes
Charlotte
It sure looked chocolaty! As long as it tasted good! I would have tried it! Lol! Best wishes for a great week!
I wish there was some left now I could just eat a square 😀.
Thanks Janice.
My best wishes
Charlotte
Have you ever seen a theater production as part of the audience, then been in the play later on? I have always wondered what different insights there might be from both sides of the curtain. Best of luck as Eve in “The Walk from the Garden!”
I’ve seen musical theatre productions then been part of a stage version with school, we saw We Will Rock You and then I was on stage as a GaGa girl. I also saw the Lion King and played Pumba 😀. This Walk from the Garden is a new interpretation designed by Scottish Opera Connect, a 21st C contemporary piece. I can’t wait now final dress rehearsal tomorrow.
Best wishes
Charlotte
That is the chocolatiest cake i’ve ever seen. You certainly have some lovely friends and beautiful places to make music. Have a good weekend.
Thanks Diane, there are so many talented people at the RCS, I didn’t challenge them all to try my cake though 😜.
Best wishes
Charlotte
extremely chocolate
Extremely tasty ☺️.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Thanks!
You’ve definitely been busy ~ and while the cake may not have looked as pristine as those on other food blogs, it looks perfect for eating. Cheers to a great weekend.
I didn’t want to cut off the miss-shaped bits and waste cake 😊.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Never met any chocolate I did not like. Great photos.
I agree shame I can’t chocolate coat some of my other experimental disasters!
Best wishes
Charlotte