Basil D'Oliveira

Not only a great cricketer but a truly exceptional man, the passing of Basil D'Oliveira is a sad thing of course but with at least something of a merciful release about it as his Parkinson's disease had meant a long and difficult eight years during which visitors had been discouraged because he simply didn't know who they were.

Neither are obituaries likely to give his precise dates as he had lied about his age in order to play for England because he thought he might be too old and didn't make his debut until he was (possibly) 36. So, although his age is being given as officially 80, it seems he was 83 or 84.

Somewhere about here must be the autograph I got in Worcester in about 1985 but the best story I heard on the radio this morning was from a contributor who had also been an autograph hunter.

The lad approached Geoff Boycott and asked for the usual bit of useless scribble and received in return a customary helping of Boycott candour. D'Oliveira overheard the exchange, came over and apologized, took the pen and paper into the dressing room and got autographs from the whole England team. Hopefully still without the dreadful Yorkshireman.

They simply don't make them like Dolly anymore.

The Saturday Nap Week Five

Nobody's perfect but at least when we're not, we have so far explained why not in advance.

Last week it seemed to be very much the larger Cheltenham obstacles that prevented a very willing and able Restless Harry from continuing our run of success but excuses don't pay out and I realize that we do need to get back on track immediately having only ostensibly tipped an 8/11 winner in the last three weeks.

There is a tremendous day's racing in prospect tomorrow and that more or less means for the unwary that one is a likely fall guy for lots of old bookmaker's tricks like showing you good horses that you've won on before that you assume are going to be lucky for you again. But the question in a horse race is not 'which is the best horse in this race' but 'which one is going to win today'. Long Run is unlikely to stay unbeaten throughout the season and first time up against some who might be fitter and aimed more specifically at lesser prizes than Kempton on Boxing Day or the Cheltenham Gold Cup could be the time he's most likely to not come first but by which horse he will be bested is hard to say and I'm not going to say Weird Al although I'd like to.
There are such tempting propositions as the return of an old favourite like Get Me Out of Here but there must be safer options and it looks as if in the morning I'll be choosing between Grandouet and Oscar Whisky. In fact, you'd think both should be short-priced good things. I'm happy enough to take the even money about Oscar Whisky, Ascot 2.45, now and unless I've posted a change of mind by 11.30 in the morning, that has to be the tip.

Best Poetry 2011

Good evening, Ladies & Gentlemen, and welcome to this gala night at David Green Books for the announcement of my awards for Best Poem and Best Collection of 2011. The prestige of these awards is underlined by the fact that they are not accompanied by large amounts of prize money but are chosen and recorded solely for artistic purposes when tacky five figure cheques would only spoil the Parnassian spirit in which they are intended. The gin & the tonic are mixed and settled, clean and spritely in the glass and the murmur of expectation is growing. I'm joined here by Gervase Madstrangler, editor of Lokomotiv Salamander magazine, and Melody Nice, author of the collection Wednesday Ribbon Dance.

Gervase, what do you make of the shortlist for Best Poem.

Well, the list has been kept sensibly short. There aren't any obvious poems one could rule out as a worthy winner.

And do you have any ideas about which poem will win.

Anybody who wants to know will probably know already as I think there have been enough clues if you knew where to look.

Melody, there are even fewer titles on the Best Collection short list. What do you make of them.

As a woman I'm bound to point out that the list consists of three men and, as a poet under 40, I also notice that they are all over 40.

But, apart from that. Are they good books.

Well, I'd have picked a different three if I only had three choices.

Thanks. Well, I think we are ready for the announcements.

2011 has been a good year. In fact, it still isn't over because one last trip to London is planned to see Geoffrey Hill and a big performance from him could change one's perspective quite drastically but he wasn't in place when the shortlists were drawn up and so that would just be hard luck. The year began with a grand battle in prospect, titles from Lumsden, Mooney and O'Brien, all established favourites, being in the presses. Then David Harsent came from the ranks of the previously unconsidered and during the summer both prizes were very much wide open. Then in the Autumn, Sasha Dugdale attached herself to the leading group.

Although it would be easy enough to give the Best Poem prize to Harsent, O'Brien or either of the other short-listed poems, it has been marked out for Martin Mooney's Dream of the Fisherman's Wife for a long time now and nothing else has quite made a big enough impression to shift it.

The Harsent book grew and grew throughout the year and was the collection I returned to most often, with poems like Spatchcock, and the series of garden poems impressing themselves on one's consciousness as well as the very fine Ghosts, which was the pick of a tremendous set and so Night by David Harsent wins the Best Collection award.

Congratulations to the winners and shortlisted poets and thanks to all the other poets who have contributed to make 2011 a satisfying year for poetry in these islands.

Abbado Mozart 39 & 40

Claudio Abbado, Orchestra Mozart, Symphonies 39 & 40 (Decca)

Mozart 40 was the first record I ever bought, admittedly in the 1971 hit parade adaptation by Waldo de los Rios but Mozart 40 nonetheless.

And then teenage posters on the bedroom wall were Deutsche Grammaphon promotional material of the conductors and artists among which the suave and sleek Claudio Abbado was my favourite. So this is a journey back to the roots of 40 years of record buying.

It's unlikely that anything I'm going to think about Mozart or these symphonies in particular hasn't been thought more expertly by someone else already. 39 wouldn't be among the best for me, apparently beginning somewhat ominously with echoes of Don Giovanni but then proceeding in stately, somewhat grand fashion with signature Wolfgang flourishes throughout. There must be more to it than that but it is a little bit standard issue Mozart on automatic pilot. It is nowhere near as touching and expressive as the G Minor, kochel 550, with its shadowy, haunted first bars opening out into gaiety, but never quite escaping the anxiety that is always somewhere just under the surface of Mozart's state of mind.

Abbado's account here, coming after serious illness that leaves him looking understandably frailer now, seems to me spare, bringing a stillness to passages, sometimes even in parts where it wouldn't be expected. It's a tremendously clear and considered expression but quiet in a sense until making its way to the spirited allegro climax. Someone else will be able to comment on various timings of the piece but this gives the impression of being unhurried and that suits me, and suits the music very well.

I wish I could have gone to see Abbado in London last month but he would insist on giving us Bruckner 5 on both nights and although it sounded better than I might have thought on the radio, it does rather keep piling it on and I'm sure they managed to fill the place without needing me there. But if the catalogue was in need of another Mozart 40 then I'm sure this is a welcome one.

Bach B Minor Mass

Portsmouth Choral Union, Bach B Minor Mass,

St. Mary's, Fratton, 12 November

On 27th March, 1993, I was at St. Mary's for the Portsmouth Choral Union's previous performance of Bach's B Minor Mass and, so 18 and a half years later, I thought I'd better go and have another helping.

What I remembered as a dazzling display last time was if anything almost frenetic in a place or two here, the choir revved up and enjoying their fortissimo passages to the full but for the most part they are spirited, the independent movement of each singer making for a pulsing, breathing body in the opening Kyrie.

Quite gloriously at best in such a fine setting in their red frocks and black for the gentlemen, they allow Bach to set out his calling card to the Duke of Saxony in no uncertain job application.

Robyn Allegra Parton (soprano) and Angharad Lyddon (contralto) are a superb duet , followed by a spritely chorus with glistening trupmets in the Gloria.

The highlights for me were Jack Maguire's violin in the aria, Laudamus Te; Angharad's graceful contralto in quoniam to solus sanctus and the impressive chorus Sanctus sanctus sanctus. David Webb in the tenor part was also clear and expressive among the four young soloists.

Among all his other array of talents, Bach is a tremendous writer of bass lines, as befits one who wrote cigar adverts and for Procul Harum, and the bass player was always a star turn. While in the chorus Contieor unum baptisma, one wonders that the lively, playful line isn't a little joyful to communicate such a dry-sounding sentiment as 'I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins' but Bach must have found it a very uplifting prospect.

One might be concerned that he has peaked too soon with two choruses done with such gusto still have to be relaxed back into more reflective mood before the final Dona nobis pacem but the choir are having such a good time of it by then one need not be worried about that.

It is, of course, a triumph and was never going to be anything else.

The Saturday Nap Week Four

Cheltenham wouldn't be the easiest track to jump round when facing steeplechase fences for the first time in public but Restless Harry, 4.10, was impressive at Wetherby two weeks ago and currently at 7/4 is an obvious choice as the most likely conveyance for our cash today.

The Saturday Nap Preview

I can't see why Araldur is 16/1 for the Mackeson tomorrow. I know it's called the Paddy Power now but we all know it's the Mackeson Gold Cup.

It would be quite something to add a 16/1 winner to the roaring success of this feature so far but it would be going against all the principles of trying to find safe options in sensible races so rather than say one also fancies Wishfull Thinking and we'll go for the forecast, I will probably post a less ambitious piece of advice before midday tomorrow.