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Fences – Spiteful Meanness, Abuse in Many Forms, Words Hurt

12-02-2017 23:39

Humans seem to have a propensity for building fences, which I have never really understood. Although many of them are physical structures, there are also the fences that are built in the mind. These are possibly the most dangerous.
Such are the Fences built by African-American father Troy Maxson as played proficiently by Denzel Washington in the film Fences, which proves that nurture will win out over nature, especially when a family is subjected to prolonged daily verbal abuse that is never red

Art & Travel Across 3 States – Rose Niland, a Summer Journey

12-02-2017 21:09

Boarding the Indian Pacific at 3:00 pm was reminiscent of childhood excitement about the wonders of travel and the possibilities of new artistic experiences.
After a night of clicketty clack clicketty clack and the rhythmic motion of the train’s constant movement I was woken at 5:30 am with a comforting cup of tea.
Route of the Indian Pacific, across Australia
The train was soon to arrive in Broken Hill, known as the Silver City, Australia’s longest-lived mining city. Two legendary O

Ties – Telling Tales of Men & Modish Life at the Top

11-02-2017 23:00

One of my favourite portraits in history was painted by the very talented American artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). It is of Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale, which is now in the National Gallery of Australia.
Painted in 1902 it reveals the public face, rather than the private life of a man we are invited to ponder. History tells us that his lordship was an Edwardian aristocrat, a landowner, soldier, sportsman and a courtier. There are many indicators in this portrait that tell us a t

The Dancer (La Danseuse) – Soko, Illuminating as Loie Fuller

09-02-2017 21:09

Since 1990, the Alliance Francaise Film Festival has enthralled Australian film lovers on an annual basis with their delightful mix of French movies each year, and it is now the largest French film festival outside France. This March, a wonderful collection of 45 French films will be on show in Australian cities at Palace Cinemas, and will be sure to charm audiences, as only the French can.
Jules Cheret (1836-1932), Poster of Loie Fuller dancing, Folies Bergere, 1893
The Culture Concept Circle w

Les Arts Florissants: Monteverdi Madrigals, Sydney Exclusive

08-02-2017 21:01

Among my favourite and most joyous recordings downloaded to my computer list over the last decade or so are those by one of the most renowned and respected music groups in the world Les Arts Florissants. Before that I purchased CD’s, which all had to go when I moved to Melbourne.
Named for a short opera by French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704), Les Arts Florissants has played a pioneering role in the revival of playing and appreciating Baroque repertoire around the world now

Hidden Figures: Proving Racism & Prejudice Must be Overcome

07-02-2017 21:09

L – R, Janelle Monáe as Mary Jackson, Taraji P. Henson as Katherine G. Johnson and Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan in Hidden Figures
American Congress created the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) in 1915 and its Virginia lab at Langley Field established in 1917, gradually became an important hub for creative ideas, helping to fuel the aviation boom of the early twentieth century.
The real facts behind those integral to winning the race that put the first American

NGV Festival of Photography – A Plethora of Picture Makers

06-02-2017 21:19

Danny Singer, Gainsborough winter sky 2015 (detail), from the Big sky series, Canadian born 1945, inkjet print, ed. 4/5, 112.0 x 190.0 cm, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Purchased NGV Foundation, 2015
Fans of photography – the still image are advised to book a trip to Melbourne, Australia, pronto!
Melbourne is the place to be in March, with the opening of the NGV Festival of Photography. The festival will include an expansive series of contemporary photography exhibitions, featur

Pantone Colour of the Year 2017 – Greening Life’s Landscape

05-02-2017 21:09

Contemporary fashion across all areas of art, design, fashion and style today includes having an active sensitivity to colour and its many nuances and textures. They range from complexity to simplicity in reaction to the stresses imposed on our 21st century technologically driven western culture.
A design style from the past, as well as of the present if successful in its aesthetic, favours a colour that has usually conformed to the ‘rule of taste’ of its time. Governed by fashionabl

Van Gogh and the Seasons: NGV Melbourne, Winter Masterpieces

02-02-2017 21:21

Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–1890, Wheat Field with Cypresses, Saint-Rémy, early September 1889, oil on canvas, 72.5 x 91.5 cm, courtesy The National Gallery, London Vincent van Gogh Dutch 1853–1890 Wheat Field with Cypresses Saint-Rémy, early September 1889 oil on canvas 72.5 x 91.5 cm The National Gallery, London
The coming of Winter is, once again, something to look forward to in Melbourne, with the announcement that ‘Van Gogh and the Seasons’ will be exh

Republic vs Democracy – Are Star Wars Closer Than We Think?

01-02-2017 21:09

The President of America (1961- 63) John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917 – 1963), spoke to the nation after a close, divisive election held at a time when the American people were growing increasingly fearful of a long, drawn-out cold war.
Instead of reassuring his audience by minimizing the dangers, Kennedy warned citizens of the long, difficult struggle ahead and about the dangers of complacency and isolationism in a modern world.
A gift of an acre of land at Runnymede in England handed to the

Kings Queens & Courtiers – A New Exhibition at TDRF Adelaide

01-02-2017 00:09

Philanthropist David Roche AM (1930-2013) formed during his lifetime, an extraordinary collection of fine art and antiques of the highest quality in both terms of materials and craftsmanship.
It is one of the greatest decorative arts collections in Australia, which is stylishly presented for public viewing by The David Roche Foundation (TDRF).Located on Melbourne Street, North Adelaide, access is only made available by booking a private tour Online.Open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, th

Alliance Francaise French Film Festival 2017 – Giveaway

31-01-2017 21:00

ENTER OUR GIVEAWAY
WIN! WIN! WIN!ONE X TEN Double Passes*Alliance Francaise French Film Festival 2017
Enter Your NAME, POSTCODE & EMAIL to WIN
NB Giveaway ENDS Friday Monday 27 February 2017 at 5:00 pm
The Festival commences in Sydney on March 7th, Melbourne March 8, Canberra March 9 and in Perth March 15, Brisbane March 16, Adelaide and Hobart on March 30 and regionally in NSW at Parramatta April 6 and Casula April 8, 2017.
Brimming with highlights, the 2017 event will present 45 films, unv

AF French Film Festival – Celebrating a Good Year in Film

31-01-2017 21:00

The 28th Season for the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival will commence in all the capitals of Australia in March, 2017 featuring documentaries and contemporary movies; landmark films in the genres of romance, adventure, comedy, historical tales, thrillers and drama, celebrating a good year in film.
The AF French Film Festival starts in Sydney on March 7th, in Melbourne on March 8, Canberra March 9, Perth March 15, Brisbane March 16 and in Adelaide and Hobart March 30, it will also have a

A Day Trip to the Dandenongs – Belinda’s Perfect Day Out

30-01-2017 21:09

The towering Mountain Ash Gums of the Dandenong Ranges
Less than an hour from Melbourne by car lie the Dandenong Ranges, a beautiful area of low mountain ranges with a unique variety of picturesque towns and villages, homesteads and gardens to visit, the perfect destination for a day out from Melbourne City.
The first time I visited the Dandenongs, I quickly declared that it was ‘my favourite place in the whole of Australia’. This feeling has not changed. Every time I return my opini

Manchester By The Sea, Reluctant Guardian Reflecting on Loss

29-01-2017 21:09

Casey Affleck in a picture by Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Golden Globe Award Winner for Best Actor and nominated for an Academy Award in the same category, Casey Affleck plays Lee Chandler, a 40-year old janitor working and living in the basement apartment of a group of traditional historic apartment blocks in Boston when we first meet him, in the Academy Award nominated independent film by writer-director Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea.
Lee Chandler suffers constant abuse f

Sovereignty at the ACCA – A Vital Australian Exhibition

26-01-2017 21:09

ACCA, Melbourne photo by Belinda McDowall
Sovereignty is the current exhibition at the Australian Centre of Contemporary Art (ACCA) in Melbourne, and centres on the contemporary art of the First Nations Peoples of South East Australia. Curated by Paola Bella, a Wemba-Wemba and Gunditjmara woman, and ACCA’s Max Deveny – (his first as Artistic Director at the gallery), the exhibition brings together over 30 artists celebrating the continuing vitality of First Nations’ communities

My Favourite Movies 2016 – A Reflection by Carolyn McDowall

24-01-2017 21:39

In talking about the arts with a friend once, he reminded me that ‘… just as a palate can be educated to appreciate fine wine so too can both the eye and the ear be educated to distinguish the rare from the ordinary, the exquisite from the mundane’* So it is also with any visual and performance art forms.
Discussing my favourite movies released in Australia in 2016, I should point out that they don’t necessarily fit into international award seasons. I thought it best to

Moonlight – A Raw, Emotional & Agonizing Award Winning Movie

24-01-2017 21:09

Moonlight, the American Golden Globe award winning best movie of 2016 is one that you may truly not want to see, because it is a raw, emotional, truly agonizing tale of one man’s search to find out who he is.
A first release for 2017 in Australia, to say the least Moonlight is emotionally complex and challenging, helping us to understand difference.
A movie in three parts entitled “Little,” “Chiron,” and “Black”, the attitudes and prejudices Moonlig

Under the Sun: Reimagining Max Dupain’s Sunbaker NSW Library

23-01-2017 21:09

The Australian summer is renowned as scorching, with the hot sun beating down on the parched earth and Eucalyptus trees for weeks at a time. The beach is the ideal place to be during those searing summer months, but occasionally respite from the heat is required.
The perfect exhibition to escape this year’s sweltering Australian summer will open at the State Library of New South Wales on 18 February 2017. Under the Sun: Reimagining Max Dupain’s Sunbaker is a new exhibition prese

The Marais Project 2017 – It Takes Two: A Viol Spectacular

23-01-2017 05:09

Jenny Eriksson, courtesy The Marais Project
To start their season in 2017, the Sydney based group The Marais Project will present their founder and leader Jennifer Erikkson playing both acoustic and electric viola da gambas.
They are to be paired for a stellar concert, providing Sydneysiders with the perfect Sunday summer afternoon outing that of joyous music, accompanied by a delicious high tea on January 29, 2017.
For this concert, which is part of The Independent Theatre, North Sydney’s

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra Presents: Handel’s Messiah

23-01-2017 01:09

Paul Dyer with members of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Brandenburg Choir, Elisabeth Murdoch Recital Hall Melbourne, Xmas 2016, photo by Steven Godbee
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Brandenburg Choir, under the direction of artistic director Paul Dyer AO, along with guest singers Lucia Martin-Carton, Nicholas Spanos, Kyle Bielfield and David Greco, will present for the first time, the Baroque music era masterpiece The Messiah by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) to commence the

Rare Books Have Remarkable Stories to Tell says Derek Parker

22-01-2017 21:09

“Every house has a bookcase,” says Douglas Stewart, the principal of Douglas Stewart Fine Books, “and every bookcase should have some rare, special, meaningful books.”
Douglas is proud of a first-edition of the well-known artist and author Australian Norman Lindsay’s The Magic Pudding: Being The Adventures of Bunyip Bluegum and his friends Bill Barnacle and Sam Sawnoff, which is in near-mint condition.
He speaks as someone who has been buying and selling books

Ma Xiaohui – QSO presents Year of the Rooster Concert, QPAC

21-01-2017 22:09

The Australian Centre of Chinese Culture & Arts (ACCCA) has advised that China’s acclaimed number one Erhu composer and virtuoso player Ma Xiaohui, will be visiting Australia again soon. She will join with her Chinese and Australian musician colleagues for a spectacular evening concert to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which starts Saturday January 28 and lasts until February 15th, 2018.
The ACCCA are offering a Special Price – Buy Tickets
Honouring the meeting of Chinese and Au

Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave – The Great Master of Japan

19-01-2017 21:09

Under the wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave) from Thirty-six views of Mt Fuji. Colour woodblock, 1831. Acquired with the assistance of the Art Fund. On display British Museum 25 May – 13 August 2017
The British Museum has announced a new Summer exhibition showcasing the work of Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849), one of the Great Masters of Japanese art. Hokusai was a prolific artist, and the exhibition will include prints, paintings and illustrated books displaying his work.
The iconi

Medici Concerts: International Piano Series – Anniversary 25

18-01-2017 21:09

Ann Thompson OAM founder and producer of Medici Concerts, a series of concerts held annually featuring some of the world’s greatest pianists, will in 2017 celebrate 25 years of entertaining and enriching the lives of the piano music lovers of Brisbane.
Established in 1993, this is a series named for the dynasty whose unique achievement was for a period of sixty years , they preserved the republic at a time when other Italian states were subjected to tyranny.
Liberty’s most important

Bouchardon: Royal Artist of the Enlightenment – Getty Center

17-01-2017 21:09

Detail: Cupid Cutting His Bow from the Club of Hercules by Edmé Bouchardon, courtesy Musée du Louvre, Paris
Sculpture is art at the pinnacle of what is possible. Throughout history sculptors have inspired wonder, by combining creativity, beauty and mystery to create a unique and almost timeless atmosphere with their wonderful works, none more so than French sculptor and draftsman Edmé Bouchardon (1698-1762), whose name deserves to be among the greats.
One of the talented cra

A Cabinet of Rarities: Property of The Genius You Won’t Know

16-01-2017 21:09

Bronze statue of Sir Thomas Browne by Henry Pregram, 1905, courtesy Royal College Physicians
“With what strife and pains we come into the world we know not, but ’tis commonly no easy matter to get out of it” is a seventeenth century quote by the remarkable and elusive ‘…very distinguished man, Sir Thomas Browne, Knight, Doctor of Medicine, aged 77 years, who died on the anniversary of his birth, 19th of October in the year of our Lord 1682’.
The quote is to b

Sherlock, Series 4: Episodes 1-3, Shadows Defining Every Day

16-01-2017 07:01

The ghosts we make for ourselves are the shadows that define our every day, and they are growing larger with the game afoot once again in the 21st century, with our favourite high functioning sociopath detective Sherlock played by the incomparable Benedict Cumberbatch
Together with Dr Watson, played movingly by Martin Freeman as his sidekick, Sherlock (available on STAN) burst back onto our screens in 2010 with the truly masterful Study in Pink, cleverly brought back into existence by cre

Vale James Fairfax – Unassuming Art of Giving Beyond Self

15-01-2017 21:09

There are not many people around today who would remember how fierce passionate amateurs in both the world of sport and music were for giving of their services to the greater good. Chariots of Fire (1981) was a movie that presented that premise well, its stirring music firing up the populace with the knowledge that giving back to society is just like commercialism, integral to its health and well being at large.
One man who understood not only this concept of giving but also acted upon it was ph

The Young Pope: A State of Grace is Fleeting, to Sin Divine!

14-01-2017 22:09

Religion can when we take into account the many travesties committed in its name down through the centuries since the ‘Christ event’, indeed seem to be a horror story conducted on the ‘dark side’ of humanity where human sacrifice, bestiality, bullying, blasphemy, religious extremism and torture may seem the norm. But is that the future?
An Italian English-language drama television series created and directed by Paolo Sorrentino for Sky Atlantic, HBO, a

Jackie – Natalie Portman, a Portrait of a Woman of Influence

12-01-2017 21:09

Natalie Portman, outstanding in the movie Jackie
Playing one of the most famous women of influence in modern times, American First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (1929 – 1994), acclaimed actor Natalie Portman reveals that as an actress, she is fearless.
What an outstanding singular performance she gives in the movie Jackie, directed by Pablo Larraí and written by Noah Oppenheim. This is an intensely affecting film, providing an intimate portrait of this extraordinary woman of influence des

Treasures from Versailles – An Encounter of the Richest Kind

12-01-2017 21:00

Visiting Canberra to view the Treasures from Versailles at the National Gallery of Australia on my way to Sydney for Xmas 2016, proved an encounter of the very richest kind. They are worth a road trip to see.
My favourite work by an unknown artist, was a relief of the head of the God Apollo, framed by a ‘corona of sunbeams’. Made of lead 1660 – 1680 during the reign of the so-called ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV, it was originally gilded. While that element has now all

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne – Taking Stress From My Day

12-01-2017 01:15

Feeling endlessly blessed, this morning I enjoyed my first walk of the new year through the Royal Botanic Gardens, one of the great traditional landmarks here in Melbourne, taking stress from my day.
A great diversity of plant life grows on the low undulating hills alongside the Yarra River, and around its Ornamental Lakes and delightful Nymphaea Lake, home to wonderful water lilies from the Botanical family Nymphaeaceae, where you can also enjoy a ride in a gondola. Covering 38 hectares, the ga

Australian Brandenburg at Werribee, Baroque Music & High Tea

11-01-2017 21:00

If you fancy a fabulous weekend away, or a fine daylight saving extended Sunday, you can enjoy a superb Australian Brandenburg (ABO) treat of music and high tea surrounded by the delights of rural Victoria.
ABO musicians Ben Dollman and Stephanie Eldridge on Baroque Violin, Laura Vaughan on the Lirone/Viola da Gamba and Sam Cohen on Theorbo, will offer an afternoon event of timeless music from the Baroque era at 3:00 pm for 3:30 – 5:30 pm in an architectural setting whose forms and decorat

President Barack Obama – Farewell Address to Citizens of USA

11-01-2017 05:25

Democracy is not about uniformity, it’s about debate, compromise and a basic sense of solidarity; we are all in this together said American President Barack Obama as he delivered his farewell address, a legacy speech to the citizens of the U.S.A, which captivated his Chicago audience on Wednesday January 11, 2017, who responded with acclamation.
In a progressive country, change is constant and the now grey haired Obama reminded his supporters about what they had achieved in his eight

Paterson: A Poetic Bus Driver Living Life in Love with Laura

10-01-2017 21:09

Director Jim Jarmusch poses for photographers during a photo call for the film Paterson at the 69th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Creating a deeply philosophical work celebrating the art of love and life in imagery, director Jim Marmusch gives us a great gift, acclaimed American actor Adam Driver starring as an unpublished poetry loving bus driver named Paterson, whom he never patronises.
Adam Driver as bus driver Paterson o

Lion – Dev Patel, Taking a Voyage of the Heart to Find Home

09-01-2017 21:09

Crowd-pleasing movies tug at the heartstrings, although perhaps not as strongly compelling for quite a while as the Australian produced film LION, which completely took me apart.
LION tells an amazing tale about a lost young child in India, who as an adult takes a voyage of the heart to find his way back home.
Actor Dev Patel, who plays Saroo Brierley in LION
A deeply affecting true story vast in scope and intimate in delivery, the brilliant adaption for screen by Luke Davies is from the bo

Golden Globes – 74th Annual Awards Surprises and Certainties

09-01-2017 05:14

The 74th annual Golden Globe awards for both movie and television were held in Hollywood with popular host Jimmy Fallon as the presenter on Sunday 8th January, 2017. As always there was both surprises and certainties.
As always, the Red Carpet parade of celebrities at the Golden Globes drew gasps from the crowd, who gather to see what the fashion world has presented as the latest styles.
Felicity Jones and Riz Ahmed from Star Wars: Rogue One, both looked like the stars they are, superbly attired

United Kingdom – Love Story of a King and Woman of his Heart

08-01-2017 21:00

“My grandfather was a King – I am his heir. I have a responsibility to return home to my people, but I will never achieve anything worthwhile if I leave my heart here” says Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) of Bechuanaland (modern day Botswana) when speaking about his British wife Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike) the London office worker he married in 1948.
These were two people who would have to triumph over many obstacles put in their way in order to transform their nation and insp

New Year: Traditions, Customs, Celebrations – Auld Lang Syne

29-12-2016 23:09

On behalf of us all at The Culture Concept Circle, we send our best wishes to you and yours for a Happy New Year.2017 is upon us.
Bidding farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight is celebrated in song around the world; Auld Lang Syne is a Scottish poem written by their most revered and favourite poet Robert Burns in 1788, which was set to music – a traditional folk song and is sung at all the farewells we have to make.
It means something like ‘long long ago’… o

Carrie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds – Vale Women of Influence

29-12-2016 23:07

Hollywood Actor Carrie Fisher (1956-2016), more affectionately known to millions of people around the world as the opinionated, impatient and self-assured Princess Leia, departed this life two days after Xmas 2016.
She captured all our hearts when she rocketed to fame alongside actors Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Harrison Ford as Han Solo in George Lucas’s extraordinary Star Wars trilogy of films, Star Wars: A New Hope, 1977, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, 1980 and Star Wars: Re

Give the Gift of Good Cheer, Sweet Words & Love at Christmas

20-12-2016 21:09

Celebrate the festive season by giving the gift of good cheer, sweet words and love. Be thankful to your host and resolve to both praise and enjoy life.We send all best wishes to friends, fans and followers. The message of Christmas is all about, caring, courage, compassion and loveThe Culture Concept Circle has many FREE posts for you to choose from in many different categories of interest in both the visual and performance arts as we trace the evolution of our society and its cultural de

La La Land, City of Stars, Where all My Dreams Can Come True

19-12-2016 21:09

La La Land was a term well known to my generation, having emerged out of Los Angeles, the city of stars in the period between the two world wars of the twentieth century. It was all about embracing the glamour that was Hollywood during the hey-day of musicals on screen.
My four sisters used the phrase often both before and again after the war. They had all been born post WWII and often in La La Land, as they sang and tap-danced on the linoleum floor of the Federation Flat where our family l

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – Rebellions are Built on Hope

18-12-2016 21:09

Rogue One Team L-R, Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang), Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) with behind them K-2SO, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) and Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), courtesy TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd.
Rogue One Director Gareth Edwards has creatively crafted an adult Star Wars story, for all those who remain young at heart and loyal to the original George Lucas creation. On their behalf, he has taken the entertainment culture they all know and love so well, and re-gifted it to the

Who’s Afraid of Colour? NGV Showcasing Indigenous Creativity

15-12-2016 21:09

Miriam Charlie Garrwa/Yanyuwa born 1965 My Country No Home: Nancy Kidd, Garrwa One Camp 2015 c-type print 60.0 x 100.0 cm © Miriam Charlie
Who’s Afraid of Colour?
Australia’s Indigenous women artists certainly have no fear when it comes to representing all the colours of nature and our wide brown land in their artworks, and those more readily today because of modern technology.Kuruwarriyingathi Bijarrb Paula Paul Kaiadilt born 1937 My country 2009 synthetic polymer paint on canv

The Crown, 1: 8 – 10 – Margaret’s Sad Matters Come to a Head

13-12-2016 23:09

Netflix The Crown Series 1 in Episodes 8 – 10 we are still dealing with the difficulties surrounding the love that Princess Margaret and the divorced Group Captain Peter Townsend share.
They are sad matters, for at this time the Archbishop was intractable on the matter of anyone divorced being married in the church, let alone a member of royalty. It would set far too dangerous a precedent.
Winston is being informed not to allow Elizabeth go on a tour to by pass Gibraltar. She has an upcomi

The Crown, 1: 6 & 7 – Monarchy & Margaret’s Sad Matters

13-12-2016 22:09

Netflix The Crown Series 1 Episodes 6, 7 & 8 is dealing with Margaret’s sad matters, which come to the fore when reporters observe her picking fluff of Peter Townsend’s jacket. Reporters are onto them both… it is an intimate gesture… one that will have repercussions.
As a child I remember the distress and dismay that surrounded the House of Windsor as the monarchy struggled to deal with the decisions surrounding Princess Margaret and her love life. It often seemed t

The Crown, 1:5 – The Coronation, Anointed, not Appointed

13-12-2016 21:09

Netlix: The Crown, Series 1 Episode 5 starts in 1937 when Princess Elizabeth is a little girl and her father is practicing for his coronation.
He asks her to read the Archbishop’s role as he’s practicing for the big day tomorrow…he wants to respond and explain to her what giving a ‘sacred promise’ means. It’s a promise you can never break.
Ampula and the Anointing Spoon used in the Coronation of a British monarch
You have to anoint me, he tells her, otherwise

The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at NGV

12-12-2016 21:09

Christian Dior models in the salon of House of Dior’s headquarters, 30 Avenue Montaigne, Paris 1957. Photograph by Loomis Dean, featured in LIFE Magazine, 1957 © Loomis Dean/The LIFE Picture Collection/Licensed by Getty ImagesGlamour, elegance, style and French chic are reflected in the fashion of the House of Dior in Paris, which will be marking seventy years of haute couture in 2017 with a considerable celebration of style.
Educating both our eye for beauty and our palate, the Natio

NOËL! NOËL! – Australian Brandenburg, Beauty Abounds at Xmas

11-12-2016 21:02

The Brandenburg Ensemble and Brandenburg Choir led by Paul Dyer AO, on stage in the Elisabeth Murdoch Recital Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre, Saturday 10th December, photo by Steven Godbee
2016 has been a strange and disconcerting year in the global scheme of things and I for one have been feeling slightly discombobulated, wondering when I was going to start feeling as I love to do, filled with the spirit and blessings of Christmas.
It finally happened at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Saturday