Saturday, December 6, 2008

"Our 'ero..."


Bluebear Jeff reminded me that it is about high time that I updated this blog, and I concur! I have been keeping busy on a number of hobby fronts- working on some WAS Dutch here, some French infantry (1742 and 1813 varieties) there, with some ACW stuff on the side for variety (a number of Union infantry that just need some touching up & re-basing). This time of year always has a lot of demands on my time, but I've been trying to get in at least a few hours every week of painting time.

And what better way to celebrate the coming holiday season than with a concert of music celebrating- wait for it- a victory for the otherwise fairly hapless Duke of Cumberland!

My wife and I are off to the opera here in Tokyo tomorrow. We are both baroque music lovers, and when we saw that the Bach Collegium Japan- an internationally-acclaimed group specializing in music of the Baroque era- were putting on Handel's oratorio, Judas Maccabeus, it was a no brainer- get out that 'ol plastic banker and book the tickets!

Judas Maccabeus is nominally the story of the famous Jewish leader of the revolt against the Seleucids back in ancient times, but in fact it was composed in honour of "Butcher" Billy Cumberland's waxing of the Jacobites at Culloden (the clansmen seemed to have been easier pickings than were the French under M. de Saxe).

It includes the famous tune "Hail the Glorious Hero". Toe-tapping fun, which should get the juices flowing, and a new CD to listen to while I paint!



A week ago I received the balance of my order from Eureka Miniatures- cavalry and artillery. I'm so far very impressed with them. Gorgeous castings indeed. I've already started cleaning them up and will prime them this week. Wish I had some decent information on flags for the Dutch horse and dragoons, though.

December is always a pretty hectic time of year, but I've got a full four weeks holiday coming up, from the middle of the month; I expect to get a lot of projects finished then. My wife is an accountant, and what with her company's fiscal year coming to an end in January, she will be out of the way- sorry, I mean busy (ahem)- for much of the time I am on vacation, so it is a great time for me just to chill out and to paint until my fingers are worn down to the knuckles!


3 comments:

Bluebear Jeff said...

Thanks for the update . . . enjoy the opera.

I've attended a few operas . . . but their not nearly as impressive as being on stage during an opera.

I'm a non-singer . . . but many operas have non-singing roles and I've had the pleasure in being in a half-dozen or so . . . and let me tell you that the singing is much more impressive from there.


-- Jeff

FIXED BAYONET METAL SOLDIERS said...

FALKIRK? PRESTONPANS? EASY PICKINGS? THINK NOT?
Great blog hope you enjoyed the music but I'm more Purcell

Robert said...

Ah, but our Billy wasn't there, was he? Cope and Hawley, however, clearly shared much of the tactical acumen (ahem) that the Duke's displayed in the Low Countries when taking on M. le Marechal.

Purcell! I have recording after recording of Purcell's music and am a big fan. Had he not been turned out into the cold night by his angry wife and not died of fever, what he would have accomplished in his later years.

Glad you enjoy the blog.