Over the fields and far away

This afternoon I met one of my friends at  Hinton Ampner, a National Trust property  not far from Winchester. She is a volunteer gardener there on a Friday morning and earlier she had been pruning the ancient  espalier fruit trees. After a quick lunch together, she took me  on a tour of the garden, and then we walked (and talked!)in some of the extensive parkland. This  is a view  from the garden (and house)of the wider estate and countryside.
This evening  we listened to a most excellent live Prom concert, with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Collon. The first piece was  Debussy's "La Mer",  which was followed by the orchestra and violinist Pekka Kuusisto performing  a fresh and wonderful rendering of Vaughan Williams' "The Lark  Ascending". (I could really imagine  larks ascending over the fields at Hinton Ampner, in  spring time.).  After the  interval  Pekka  played Thomas  Ades' lively  "Marchentanze",(Dances from Fairytale ) and then  we were treated to  Sibelius's 5th Symphony. 
 
A day of bucolic and  musical delights.