January 17th, 2012
A Happy New Year to everyone from all at Classical Partners!
As well as the Queen’s Jubilee and Olympics, 2012 is a special year for Classical Partners as we celebrate 20 years since our inception back in 1992. Since those early days we have instigated hundreds, or rather thousands, of new romances and friendships amongst music lovers.
The past twenty years have seen a massive change in people’s ideas and perceptions about love and relationships. The internet now offers endless new ways of communicating but our experience tells us that it isn’t necessarily the easiest or most successful way to meet genuine, intelligent, ‘nice’ people.
According to recent figures the number of single adults in the United Kingdom will rise to 15 million in 2012 and although the divorce rate has fallen slightly of late, the number of divorcees in the over 60s age group has increased by four per cent in the last two years.
At Classical Partners we welcome people in their 30s/40s seeking a life partner with similar background, interests and outlook, and also many people in their 50s/60s/70s who find themselves newly single through divorce or bereavement and would like to meet new like-minded folk with whom to share their enjoyment of the arts and perhaps find a new soulmate.
Last year we launched a new online dating service – www.classicalpartnersonline.co.uk which is proving very popular, however many still prefer the personal touch associated with our traditional introduction service and informal, friendly social evenings hosted by Caroline and Dan.
Upcoming social events early this year include evenings at Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall and Royal Albert Hall, then later in the year our regular visits to the Proms, Opera Holland Park as well as theatre, exhibitions, drinks parties and much more. See our Events page – http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html
Our first musical outing of the year to a packed Wigmore Hall on Sunday 15 January was hugely enjoyable, the audience seemingly mesmerised by the faultless and dynamic playing of young Polish-born string quartet Quatuor Apollon Musagète.
Wigmore Hall recital
After the recital we enjoyed a delicious Sunday lunch in the Wigmore Restaurant and people must have been getting on well as we were the last to leave!
Next weekend we’re looking forward to an evening of laughter at The Old Vic with Michael Frayn’s classic comedy Noises Off – http://www.oldvictheatre.com
Best wishes for now,
Dan and Caroline
Posted in Datng trends, Find Love, Live Music, Proms, Relationships, Safe Dating, Social events, Uncategorized, classical music, meet others, music | No Comments »
December 9th, 2011
Welcome to our final newsletter of 2011, marking the end of a very busy year for Classical Partners. Our main goal remains to bring like minded people together and help you find that special someone to share your life with.
Over the past year many members have met a new partner and interesting friends through our introductions service and social events. This week we heard of our latest success – John from the Midlands and Sarah from London who are moving to Bath together: we wish them every happiness in their new life.
During the year we have visited many leading venues for the Arts including the Royal Festival Hall, Barbican, English National Opera, Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, West End Theatre, Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, Cadogan Hall, Opera Holland Park, Hatfield House and the Wigmore Hall. As well as enjoying informal soirees in members’ homes.
Our regular monthly informal drinks on the South Bank continue to be popular with members and guests.
This year we also launched a new online service – http://www.classicalpartnersonline.co.uk to supplement our introduction service and events.
Classical Partners now offers something for everyone –
• personal introductions
• regular informal social events
• online dating service
We are looking forward to our last social outing of the year at the Royal Festival Hall this Saturday – Messiah by Candlelight – which should get us into festive mood. After the break we have lots of exciting events planned for the New Year (see http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html) and look forward to seeing you.
Best wishes
Dan and Caroline
Posted in Datng trends, Find Love, Food, Live Music, Proms, Relationships, Safe Dating, Social events, Theatre and the Arts, Uncategorized, classical music, meet others, music | No Comments »
September 1st, 2010
Last week we took a group of Classical Partners to The Proms.
Before the concert we had a meal in the newly refurbished Elgar Room and I have to say they have done a great job. It is now a contempory and stylish place yet it is still comfortable. Quite a feet, as I find most “modern” dining spaces just too hard. Clean lines and sparse furnishings often make for an attractive but inhospitable environment. The menu was not too big but offered a good selection of meat and fish. I would recommend you check it out next time you are in the Albert Hall.
The concert was not bad either. The Prommers showed their delight with extended stomping and whistling. I agree wholeheartedly with them for Osmo Vanska and the Minnesota Orchestra’s rendition of Beethoven’s Ninth, but not the Berg Violin Concerto. It is not a piece I particularly like so that’s no real surprise.
Posted in Live Music, Proms, Social events, Uncategorized, classical music | 3 Comments »
July 27th, 2009
What a fantastic concert on Saturday at the Albert Hall. I realised that I should have referred to it as roast beef when I mentioned I was looking forward to all the meat in the programme after the insubstantial first night.
A group of Classical Partners met before the concert for a very enjoyable meal in Cafe Consort. Who on earth thought it would be a good idea to close the Elgar Restaurant for refurbishment during the Proms?
Then it was on to the music:
Elgar’s “Cockaigne” set the tone for this evening of English music. Unmistakeably English, unmistakeably Elgar with just a touch of Wagner. A slightly sugar coated view of London in the early part of the last century but I like a bit of optimism.
Next we had Delius, The Song of the High Hills. For me this turned into the highlight of the evening. For about twenty minutes I was no longer in the Albert Hall but was transported to the great outdoors and revelled in sharing Delius’ love of nature. How strange that this man could claim to loathe England and yet write something as pastoral as this. I have never been to Norway but based on this, a visit is long overdue.
Holst’s The Planets was quite simply stunning. Despite the familiarity of the piece it was performed with a freshness that enlivened the whole audience. Venus in particular raised my spirits.
Hats off to the often overlooked provincial BBC Philharmonic whose vituosity was outstanding and to Sir Charles Mackerras in particular whose understated performance brought a great deal of joy to this member of the audience.
Posted in Proms, classical music | 3 Comments »
July 22nd, 2009
At last summer’s here and the Proms are underway. Actually summer starts with Wimbledon but that is a distant memory now along with a glimpse of the sun.
I never intended to go to the first night. The programme did not appeal. I did however watch the whole thing on the TV. I can only assume that the programme was an attempt to please all of the people all of the time. As any sane person knows this is never possible and was certainly not achieved in Prom 1. Bits of it were OK but there was no meat in this particular sandwich.
The worst thing though was having to put up with Mr Anderson on the TV. First off someone needs to explain the difference between a violin and viola to him. Secondly his flustered buffoonery is just fine for one of the many very good panel games he appears on but is not right here. Or am I alone in this?
Well, that is as good a reason as any for going along in person to experience it all live. See you there on Saturday. I can not wait for the Holst, there is plenty of meat in that!
Posted in Proms | 1 Comment »
