Royal Albert Hall

To appreciate some kinds of music, you have to be in the right mood. Adolescent angst is handy for Mahler’s vast, self-regarding symphonic canvases. A sense of adventure and a dose of hallucinogens are helpful when embarking on one of Scriabin’s mystical flights of fancy. Self-pity is apt for Sinatra’s None but the Lonely Heart. But there are some composers who are so immense and all-encompassing that they sweep “mood” away, the way a March wind sweeps away winter’s dead leaves. And of those composers, J.  S. Bach is the one who is truly infallible. On Easter Monday, the Royal Albert Hall hosts an extraordinary nine-hour celebration of his music, led by the musician for whom Bach means more than anything, John Eliot Gardiner.

There’ll be organ music on the Albert’s Hall’s stupendous instrument, played by John Butt. Three starry soloists will play music for solo cello, violin and harpsichord. And crowning everything will be Bach’s sacred music, played by Eliot Gardiner’s own Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, culminating in the great Mass in B minor (BWV 232). All this forms the climax of the BBC’s Baroque season and will be broadcast live on Radio 3.

But is Bach a Baroque composer at all?

Many people feel he floats outside history altogether. That’s why listening to Bach confers a mysterious sense of coming home, as if he’s both the origin and the center of classical music. All the great composers who come after him acknowledge that, even if they go through a stage of rebelling against him. Stravinsky is a case in point. When he was a young man, he said sniffily, “Bach is always compared to a cathedral, but there are many free spirits outside the cathedral.” Decades later, he repented.

In any case, the “timeless” Bach was in many ways a man of his time. He was conventionally pious, had the same smattering of Latin and rhetoric, the same loyalty to family and community, as all his neighbors. Look at the well-known portrait of Bach, and what you see is the face of a determined, hard-working German burgher, not some mystical dreamer. He liked a drink and a pipe, was prickly about his status, and didn’t suffer fools gladly. He once flung an insult at a bassoonist who’d let him down in a performance. The incensed “nanny-goat bassoonist” later met Bach in the street and gave him a slap. Bach drew his dagger, and the two “tumbled about” in front of some gleeful students.

That’s not the only evidence of Bach’s quick temper. As for Bach’s music, it shows a deep reverence to his German forebears, but he wasn’t immune to changing fashions. When galant gracefulness came in, in the 1740s, he showed he could be as galant as anyone. And he was alert to the virtues of other nation’s traditions. While some German composers scorned the graceful, ornamented style of French keyboard music, Bach loved it, and according to one of his sons played it “fleetingly and with much art.” He was keen on the Italian concerto style, which courses through his own Brandenburg Concertos (BWV 1046-51), and can even be heard in his sacred music.

So this most German of composers turns out to be the most universal. It’s a paradox, one of several that keep Bach familiar and yet mysterious. Here’s another. Bach is often praised for being the most abstract of composers. Such pieces as the Musical Offering (BWV 1079) are like geometry in sound. They unfold in calm, beautiful lucidity, aloof from human concerns.

Yet Bach is also the most sensuous of composers. He relished the sound of instruments. As Stravinsky put it: “You can smell the resin in his violins, taste the reeds in his oboes.” The joy of the Suite in D Major (BWV 1012) for solo cello arises from the physical pleasure of crossing the strings with the bow, and the ringing sound of the open D string. Many of the Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) are born out of the sheer fun of crossing hands at speed.

Fun isn’t a word that normally springs to mind when thinking of Bach, the great “lawgiver” of music. In fact his name is a byword for all the difficulties and constraints of technical rules in classical music. Generations of music students have struggled to harmonize a chorale or compose a fugue “in the style of Bach,” and yet, the composer often broke the rules himself. Some of his pieces are wild and willfully eccentric, such as the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor (BWV 903), or the cantata Widerstehe doch der Sünde (BWV 54), which actually begins with a dissonance – something unheard-of at that time. In Brandenburg Concerto no. 5 in B flat Major (BWV 1050) the harpsichordist, who for most of the piece fulfills the role of a modest “filler-in,” suddenly takes off in an extravagant solo. At that moment the solo keyboard concerto is born before our ears.

Strangest of all is the piece where Bach seems to invoke “law” at its most rigid, The Art of Fugue (BWV 1080). As he piles up the fugue melody in ever more complex ways, the harmony often buckles under the strain. Underlying all these tensions in Bach is the fundamental paradox about him. Bach is often thought of as suffocatingly pious. I remember my university professor grumbling that “Bach is always on his knees.” Well, it’s true that he felt the reality of sin and the pains of this life, in ways that we find hard to empathize with. There are pieces in his output which express a dignified anguish at those things and resignation to God’s mercy.

We’ll hear those moods next Monday, but we’ll also hear something else: joy at divine providence, expressed in a way that partakes of everyday joy in life. Bach’s sacred music dances as it praises, and if we can’t join in the praising, we can certainly join in the dancing. So next Monday, forget the vile weather and post-Budget blues.

Come home to Bach.

Ivan Hewett – The Telegraph

http://bit.ly/10ox4jN

I am not a poet. That is probably why I keep posting this one. I”ll bet I haven’t written more than maybe three poems since I first penned this one, in London. And then I blogged it from New England, eight years after I wrote it, on my old blog. Now I’m reblogging it here. Not because I think it’s so great, but because it’s about Easter Monday, which is today, and because it’s a very happy memory.

Also, it features my favourite flower

Easter Monday

After the Resurrection
The gave us a holiday,
So we took it
With our umbrellas
(To keep it from raining
Which they did).
We drank cappuccinos at Starbucks
And watched the foam clouds
Scud across the top of Green Park
Until the sky was blue
And we had to go for a walk in it,
As the trees exploded
Around us
Like suspended fireworks
Sizzling seedbursts down
And bringing them up
Short of the lampposts,
And the sun showered late daffodils
Onto the grassy slope,
Which begged for someone
To run spring-fever-crazy
Through them
Or to gather them up in a ball
And toss them–
Glorious glowing life.

I’d wish you a happy April Fool’s Day, too, but I can’t figure out if that is extra appropriate, or not appropriate at all . . .

1. Power that raised Jesus from grave, raise me up in Jesus name
2. Power of God, raise me up from the bed/house/office/job of afflictions n Jesus name.
3. Angels of God descend and raise me up in Jesus name.

On February 13th I visited the zoo for a biology trip. The educational purpose of the trip was to learn about biodiversity and why conservation is necessary. I suppose I did indeed leave the zoo with more appreciation for the animals I saw than prior to this visit. But mostly, it was the perfect opportunity to take plenty of photos for my art portfolio…

 This beaky fellow was actually sneaking up on an oryx (I didn’t manage to zoom out quickly enough to capture the oryx, in fear of losing the moment if I tried)

Super proud of this one ^ It was so difficult to capture this little guy. Turned out pretty good in the end…in my rather biased opinion…

Also proud of this one^ Mr Froggy was actually a lot smaller than he looks here…and he kept springing about.

and here’s a pretty mosaic thing ^ …

^Here’s my friend Yara (whom I lovingly call Yam) having her bum eaten by a shark…

And here’s Maryam (whom i lovingly call Pocky) also in a shark attack

And there’s April (whom I lovingly call Prill) in a tube ^

I have some other zoo pictures from my outing to London Zoo but I’m not sure which memory card they’re on…

Now, to end with a fact:

Chameleons don’t actually change colour to camouflage themselves (or at least, this is not the main reason)- their colour actually depends on their temperature and mood. Some scientists believe that they do it to communicate with one another.

A good day to you all!

I will be playing at the Jasond Bloom event from 12noon until 7pm today. There will be plenty of music, healthy foods, games, dance and comedy. Spend your Easter Monday at the Green Easter Family Fair.

Venue:  Sarius Palmatum and Botanical Gardens, IBB Way Maitama Opp Rhine Street Junction

It’s snowing again. Poor Easter bunny is getting his ears wet!

Maybe it’s to reflect on how much candy and food you ate over the weekend and swear that you won’t do it again next year.

I find it a bit interesting that we are celebrating Easter Monday on an April Fool’s Day. April Fool’s Day is a day when practical jokes and tricks are played on unsuspecting people. April Fool’s Day is also referred to as All Fool’s Day. Some sources say that the special meaning of April 1 originates in the French change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar ordered by King Charles IX of France in 1582. Before that, the New Year was celebrated from March 25 to April 1. With the change of the calendar system, New year was ‘’moved’’ to January 1. People who forgot or didn’t accept the new date system were given invitation to nonexistent parties, funny gifts, e.t.c.

Easter Monday is the Monday immediately after Easter Sunday. It is a day to reflect on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the blessings He brings into our lives.

A fool can be defined in different ways. A sage once said only fools doubt proofs. Today, many refuse to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As such they have not accepted Him as Lord and Saviour.

A man of experience is never at the mercy of a man of arguments. A lot of people have had life-changing revelations that have pointed to the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Millions of people have experienced the saving and transforming power in the blood of Jesus Christ. I am one of these millions. I can tell you that it is real!

A fool is anyone who believes there is no God or refuses to fear God. Nature, indeed everything inside and outside our bodies prove that there is a Creator who is all-wise, all-knowing and all-powerful. If you believe God doesn’t exist, you better have a change of mind today. Let me give you an instance of someone I consider a fool. It was reported that one of the employees of the White Star Line at the launch of Titanic on 31st of May, 1911 said, ‘’ Not even God himself could sink this ship’’. The ship eventually sank and many lives were lost. It was a huge disaster. And that is what happens to fools, who reject or defy God – their lives or projects ends up a failure. There are so many people in history who got fooled by the devil that there is no God. The devil is still very much in the game of deception. If you are an atheist or agnostic, I plead with you to take time to sincerely ask God to reveal Himself to you and I can assure you that you will get a life-changing revelation. It would be disastrous for you to die in your state of unbelief.

Don’t be fooled by the vanities of this life. Life is vanity. Even the richest, the most beautiful people die and leave behind all their beauty, fame, riches and possessions. Living a godless life is nothing but foolishness. The devil is in the business of making people fools. Refuse to be a fool.

Don’t be fooled that you cannot live above sin. That’s another big lie of the devil that you can’t break free from the bondage of sin. If you truly repent of your sins and turn to God, your sins will be forgiven. The Lord Jesus Christ will transform you and give you the power to sin no more. Yes! You can have victory over sin. You can love righteousness and hate sin.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that the most people are ashamed to associate with God. There are two ways to eternal destinations: Narrow Way and Broad Way. The Narrow Way is the way of godliness and surrender, while the Broad Way is the way of lust and sinful lifestyle. The Broad Way is quite attractive to some many people because it gives freedom to live a wayward and ungodly life. Don’t follow the multitude to do wrong. The majority is not always right.

Accept Jesus Christ in your heart. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. As you celebrate, make a wise choice. Don’t be a fool. Choose Jesus and it shall be well with you!

Cheers!

IDOWU OMISORE
Speaker. Author. Talent Coach. Youth Consultant.

Order for Idowu Omisore’s bestsellers; Invest Your Youthful Years, Dream and Achieve Greatness (with the Foreword was written by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola [SAN]).

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Easter Monday: Missa “Introduxit vos Dominus”

Station at the Basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome. This Octave is entirely consecrated to the neophytes. The week was for them a continual feast, a spiritual feast; and they kept their white baptismal garments, which were not laid aside until the following Sunday (in albis deponendis). The Masses of this Octave allude, like that of Pentecost, sometimes to the Resurrection, sometimes to Baptism. Let us follow the example of the neophytes, let us all be one in mind and heart, in proclaiming together our faith in the risen Christ Jesus our Lord.

Among the early Christians the Easter festivities were prolonged for the entire week; to no other feast was so much solemnity given. During this week Rome kept continuous festival; business transactions were suspended; every morning the stational Mass was celebrated at one of the chief basilicas. The station at St. Peter’s brings to his tomb the newly baptised and bears witness in the Mass to the lively faith of the Apostle in whose house today the Roman Church is desirous of renewing, as it were, the paschal feast.

In the Epistle St. Peter lifts up his voice and proclaims the glory of Christ’s Resurrection. In the Gospel mention is made of the apparition of Our Lord to Peter on the evening of Easter Sunday. The disciples on the way to Emmaus knew the Lord in the breaking of the bread. It is probable that this was the eucharistic bread; as the Savior at the Last Supper received the Eucharist first Himself, in all likelihood He did so again after His Resurrection.

The Prayer speaks of the paschal Sacrament as being closely bound up with the redemption of the world. The spiritual Israel has come forth from the slavery of Egypt. May the Lord then protect this newly won liberty.

INTROIT  Exod 13:5; 13:9

And when the Lord shall have brought thee a land that floweth with milk and honey, alleluia; and that the law of the Lord be always in thy mouth, alleluia. Ps 104:1 Give glory to the Lord, and call upon his name: declare his deeds among the Gentiles. Confitémini Dómino et invocáte nomen ejus: annuntiáte inter gentes ópera ejus. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. And when the Lord shall have brought thee a land that floweth with milk and honey, alleluia; and that the law of the Lord be always in thy mouth, alleluia.

COLLECT

O God, Who dost heal the sick world by the solemn gladness of the Passover, continue, we beseech thee! to pour forth thine heavenly gifts upon thy people, till the same shall bring them into perfect liberty, and finally avail them unto life everlasting. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever. R. Amen.

EPISTLE Acts 10:37-43

Lesson from the Acts of Apostles. In those days Peter standing among the people, said: You know the word which hath been published through all Judea: for it began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached, Jesus of Nazareth: how God anointed him with the Holy Ghost, and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things that he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed, hanging him upon a tree. Him God raised up the third day, and gave him to be made manifest, Not to all the people, but to witnesses preordained by God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he arose again from the dead; And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is he who was appointed by God, to be judge of the living and of the dead. To him all the prophets give testimony, that by his name all receive remission of sins, who believe in him.

Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia! Ps 117:24; 117:2. This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein. V. Let Israel now say, that He is good: for His mercy endureth forever. Allelúja, allelúja. Matt 28:2 An angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.

SEQUENCE
Christians! to the Paschal Victim offer your thankful praises.
The Lamb the sheep redeemeth: Christ, who only is sinless, reconcileth sinners to the Father.
Death and life contended in that conflict stupendous: the Prince of Life, who died, deathless reigneth.
Speak, Mary, declaring what thou sawest wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ who now liveth: and likewise the glory of the Risen.
Bright Angels attesting, the shroud and napkin resting.
Yea, Christ my hope is arisen: to Galilee He goeth before you.”
We know that Christ is risen, henceforth ever living: Have mercy, Victor King, pardon giving. Amen. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Luke 24:13-35

In that time two of them went, the same day, to a town which was sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, named Emmaus. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that while they talked and reasoned with themselves, Jesus himself also drawing near, went with them. But their eyes were held, that they should not know him. And he said to them: What are these discourses that you hold one with another as you walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleophas, answering, said to him: Art thou only a stranger to Jerusalem, and hast not known the things that have been done there in these days? To whom he said: What things? And they said: Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in work and word before God and all the people; And how our chief priests and princes delivered him to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we hoped, that it was he that should have redeemed Israel: and now besides all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea and certain women also of our company affrighted us, who before it was light, were at the sepulchre, And not finding his body, came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, who say that he is alive. And some of our people went to the sepulchre, and found it so as the women had said, but him they found not. Then he said to them: O foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all things which the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures, the things that were concerning him. And they drew night to the town, whither they were going: and he made as though he would go farther. But they constrained him; saying: Stay with us, because it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent. And he went in with them. And it came to pass, whilst he was at table with them, he took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him: and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to the other: Was not our heart burning within us, whilst he spoke in this way, and opened to us the scriptures? And rising up, the same hour, they went back to Jerusalem: and they found the eleven gathered together, and those that were staying with them, Saying: The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way; and how they knew him in the breaking of the bread.

OFFERTORY Matt 28:2; 28:5-6

An angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and said to the women: Jesus, whom you seek He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Allelúja.

SECRET

Adept, O Lord we beseech thee, the prayers with the sacrifices of the people, and grant that what we have begun at these paschal mysteries, may with thy help be a remedy for life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R.Amen.

PREFACE of Easter

It it truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, at all times to praise Thee, O Lord, but more gloriously especially this when Christ our Pasch was sacrificed. For He is the Lamb Who hath taken away the sins of the world: Who by dying hath destroyed our death: and by rising again hath restored us to life. And therefore with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with all the hosts of the heavenly army, we sing the hymn of Thy glory, evermore saying: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY…

COMMUNICANTES

Communicating, and keeping the most holy day of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh and also reverencing the memory, first, of the glorious Mary, ever Virgin, Mother of the same our God and Lord Jesus Christ: as also of Thy blessed Apostles and martyrs Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Thaddeus: Linus, Cletus, Clement, Xystus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian, and of all Thy Saints, through whose merits and prayers, grant that we may in all things be defended by the help of Thy protection (He joins his hands.) Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

HANC IGITUR

We therefore beseech Thee, O Lord, graciously to accept this oblation of our service, as also of Thy whole family, which we make unto Thee on behalf of these whom Thou hast vouchsafed to bring to a new birth by water and the Holy Ghost, granting them remission of all their sins: and to dispose our days in Thy peace, preserve us from eternal damnation and rank us in the number of Thine Elect. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

COMMUNION Luke 24:34

The Lord is risen, and hath appeared to Peter. Alleluia.

POSTCOMMUNION

Pour forth upon us, O Lord, the spirit of thy charity and thy loving kindness make to be of one mind those whom thou hast fed fully with these paschal sacraments. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever. R. Amen.

It’s Easter time and you know what time means; yep, its time to indulge in that family favourite tradition of murdering strangers and taking their body parts to reconstruct Christ.

Goats In The Machine pays tribute to day we remember when Geysus Christ rose from the grave and stalked the earth again with its film commentary of Resurrection.

In this month’s webcast we compare the acting of Christopher Lambert to Leland Orser, ask how prepared the police really are to deal with decapitated fat people on toilets and question whether the sight of a Christ muti-corpse really dissaudes American distributors.

So gather the family around, put the German second-hand DVD on and celebrate a more believable kind of Resurrection with Louise Boyd and RJ Bayley.

Resurrection Webcast

RJ Bayley & Louise Boyd, from left to right.

By RJ Bayley.

What do you think of the webcast? Is Christopher Lambert the plucky underdog of the acting world? Where have I seen that Leland Orser guy before? Let us know in the comments below!

You can follow RJ Bayley on Twitter: @Chunder_Thunder
You can follow Louise Boyd on Twitter: @wanderingloulou
Or you can follow Goats in the Machine directly for updates: @GoatsinMachine

A quick Google search reveals that there’s a wacky world out there of food that looks like other food.

And we figured, what better way to celebrate the confluence of Easter Monday and April Fool’s Day than with a big piece of meatloaf mascarading as carrot cake? Add a little nutmeg and granulated lemon peel in keeping with the cake theme and surprise your Easter guests with dessert for dinner. Readers Digest can tell you how to do it.

You want gravy with that?

Come to think of it, why not have dinner for dessert?

Here’s a whole Pinterest board full of inpiration to get you thinking.

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John 19 vs. 17-18:  17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: 18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

After he was beaten, scourged, slapped and forced to wear a crown of thorns, Jesus was forced to carry the Cross and he was so much burdened by this that at a stage he could no longer carry it and some one else had to assist him.

The cross is the symbol of salvation. Jesus was assisted by a passer by to carry the cross Calvary. Even today, workers are still needed in the vineyard to spread the good news to all the ends of the earth.

Are you willing to make yourself available to carry the cross of Jesus?

      1 Corinthians 15 vs. 20-24:

  20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

24Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

1. 1.        Jesus Christ accurately predicted his death, the manner of his death, the number of days he would spend in the grave, and his resurrection.
2. 2.       Jesus Christ was actually crucified on the cross, his body lowered into the grave, guards were assigned to keep watch over the grave to prevent his body from being stolen, and a stone was rolled to cover the entrance of the grave.
3. 3.       His blood was shed on the cross, and this is the sacrifice for the remission of our sins. 
4. 4.       After his death, he went into hell, encountered Satan who had held the Saints captives, defeated him, set the Saints free, and collected the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and Hell. Before then, even the Saints that died were held captive by Satan.
5. 5.       He is the first man to die, resurrect, and ascend bodily into heaven- all individuals that other religions claim as the Messenger died like ordinary mortals.
6. 6.       He appeared to over 500 people after his resurrection. Many eyes saw him and witness to his resurrection.
7. 7.       He finished his earthly assignment after his death and resurrection and all powers in earth and in heaven was given unto him

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Black Berry Pin: 286431e3

In the meantime, we’ll leave you with a quote:

“Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life.” – By S.D. Gordon

Stuck for something to do this Easter Monday and Tuesday? A day off work and you want to get out and do something?  This Monday my boyfriend and I are both off and I wanted to plan to do something fun together, not waste the day.  So I decided to look online after hearing that a few things were going on and seeing the odd advertisement up around town.  Here’s what I found, I thought I would share it with you all! xx

BANGOR

Why not come to Bangor this Easter Monday, for a day packed full of family fun at the annual Easter Parade and Funday where Bangor’s seafront will have something to appeal to everyone from 10.00 – 6.00 pm. This year, is a very special year for Bangor as 400 years ago the Town was first issued its charter by King James I and to mark this occasion, the spectacular parade will have a Bangor 400 theme and everyone is encouraged to join in the fun by coming along in fancy dress.

• Spring Fair- 10am – 6pm

Bangor & Holywood Town Centre Management in partnership with North Down Borough Council will be hosting a Spring Fair in The Sunken Gardens where an array of local crafts and speciality foods will be available. This fair will also take place on Easter Saturday from 11am – 4pm and Easter Sunday from 1pm – 5pm.

• Karting – 10am -6pm

Starting at 10am on Easter Monday, at The McKee Clock Arena, Eddie Irvine Sports will be running a special karting event. Everyone will have the chance to kart around on a specially created outdoor track, great for the budding F1 stars! The charge for this will be £5 per ride.

https://www.facebook.com/eddieirvinesports?fref=ts

• Laserquest  – 10am – 6pm

Taking a stroll down The Promenade, you can try your hand at Laserquest, the fast-paced action combat game which will cost £5 per go or check out the variety of animals at Phil’s Farm. This speciality farm will be in situ all day and children will be able to pet the animals and learn how to care for them. Just watch out for the giant Chick Eggs which will be making their way through the crowds, entertaining everyone along the way!

• Pickie Fun Park

Finish your walk at Pickie Fun Park which will be open all day with lots to do and see, take a ride on a swan, play in the play park or just have a coffee and relax in the refurbished café.

 Open Daily 9am – 7pm
From the promenade stroll round to Pickie Fun Park where you can enjoy the ever popular Pickie Puffer, giant pedal swans and children’s play area as well as new activities including an 18-hole maritime themed mini golf course, a children’s electric car track and splash pads.

https://www.facebook.com/pickiefunpark

• Street Parade – 3pm

At 3.00 pm over 200 children and young people from St Gall’s Brownies, North Down District Scouts, St Comgalls Primary School, St Malachys Primary School and many more will be taking to the streets as part of the spectacular Bangor 400 themed carnival Parade. Look out for Kings & Queens, a giant birthday cake, live music bands and lots more when this colourful spectacular makes its way around the Town. Get into the spirit by colouring in and cutting out the special 400 crown which can be found in this edition of The Junior Spectator. Wear the crown on the day and be part of the Bangor 400 celebrations!

This year, The Parade will be led by the The Mayor of North Down, Councillor Wesley Irvine who will be travelling in a beautiful horse drawn carriage.  The Parade’s route will start at The Town Hall, then onto Main Street, along Quay Street, turning into High Street and making its way back up Main Street to The Town Hall – an extravaganza not to be missed!

BELFAST

• Nearly True Tours

Belfast City Hall (meet at reception) Sunday 31 March – Tuesday 2 April 12pm, 2pm and 4pm Free event; ticket required Tickets available from the Belfast Welcome Centre Recommended for those aged seven years and over.
Take an unforgettable Nearly True Tour of Belfast City Hall and meet captivating yet eccentric characters along the way. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

• Live music

Great Hall, Belfast City Hall Saturday 30 and 31 March, 2pm – 4pm   Monday 1 and 2 April, 11.30am – 1.30pm A four-day celebration covering various aspects of Belfast’s musical development. From the tunes of the ancient harpers and Vivaldi through to compositions of the 21st century; from traditional reels and jigs to the music played aboard Titanic; from industrial songs to those of Thomas Moore, this broad programme embraces much at the core of the city’s musical history.

• Dance demonstrations

Great Hall, Belfast City Hall Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 April 2pm – 4pm
From the Charleston to the Jitterbug, ballroom to Latin, be amazed as our dancers take to the floor.

• Stripey Socks Productions invite you to the Mad Hatter’s tea party

Council Chamber, Belfast City Hall Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 April 1pm and 3pm No ticket required however access will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited spaces available All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Discover the whimsical whirlwind of wonder as Alice stumbles across the Mad Hatter’s tea party! Frolic, twist and twirl with the trio in their forbidden game of ACRO-quet, a celebratory way of rejoicing while the Red Queen is away.
Fairy cakes and tea, balloons and games make this celebration one that should not be missed!
Please note: food is used as a prop during these performances. If you or your guests have any known allergies, please do not handle or consume the food items.

www.stripeysocksproductions.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stripey-Socks-Productions/327204490703479?fref=ts

• Nuff Inc caricaturist

Great Hall, Belfast City Hall Saturday 30 March and Monday 1 April 12pm- 4pm
A crowd pleaser for all ages, watch as our caricaturist brings faces to life in a fun, memorable way that you can take home.
No festival would be complete without face painters, balloon modellers and walkabout acts; catch them each day from 12pm – 4pm.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nuff-Inc-Caricatures-Northern-Irelands-top-caricaturist/148382248537952?fref=ts

I hope this has given you some ideas for what to do this Easter with your family, friends and children!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Love

We are all enjoying Easter. Grown-ups because it is holiday time, and kids because it is easter egg time!

But nobody knows what Easter is all about – apart from a few doddery old folk who were properly brought up as Christians. Even then they probably only have a vague idea, but simply know it is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The strange thing about Easter is that it moves around like a wandering nomad. You probably need a degree in astrophysics to understand how the date is worked out – anyway it can be somewhere between March 22 and April25 in the West OR April 4 and May 8 in Eastern places, and it is officially the Sunday though in Britain we make a long holiday weekend of it (Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday).

Easter is preceded by Lent, a Christian 40 day period of fasting – but not very popular that one (Muslims are better at it maybe with their Ramadan). Church services are popular at Easter together with family gatherings and gifts (even for non-Christians). Easter is also associated with the Jewish festival of Passover (that celebrates the end of enslavement by the Egyptian pharaohs).

A year wouldn’t be the same without the ‘Easter Egg’! These special eggs (mostly chocolate these days) fill or shops before Easter (unbelievably ‘well before’ in some cases) and for Christians have a symbolic function, and for the rest to celebrate Springtime (but there hasn’t been much of that yet in 2013).

A decorated egg is an ancient practice representing fertility & rebirth, with ostrich style eggs in gold & silver being placed in graves five thousand years ago – the use of the egg in Christian practice is only about four hundred years old though.

The most expensive egg around is most likely a jewelled Easter egg, the Winter egg, completed in 1913 by a Russian jeweller Faberge, with a value of ten million dollars (thousands of diamonds though) – so no point in moaning about the price you paid in the high street for your chocolate version this year!

Those people who want England to become a secular society need to realise that the Christian public holidays of Christmas and Easter account for 4 days per year out of a total of 8 days (and most firms give even more holiday at Christmas) – so think about it!

Easter holds joy and happiness for all in the matrix of life. It is all about life from the beginning to the very end and more importantly it is about the purpose of life. The Easter weekend marks the period from the Friday before Easter to the Monday after it. Easter is a celebrated and rejoicing period where life is shown in great magnificence marking the resurrection of our lord Jesus Christ. For those around the world that celebrate Easter it should be earmarked as a period where life is actually revealed in ALL its glory. Have a Happy and peaceful Easter weekend and fill your heart with the joy of living and with the happiness of giving.