Tuesday, March 21, 2023

2023 RMB Starlight Classics Concert at Vergelegen - Singing in the Rain

We were delighted when we were invited to the RMB Starlight Classics Concert this year, held again at Vergelegen;
one of our favourite events to cover each year
Multi-talented performers at a great venue and some good food and wine to accompany it

We were welcomed by Joandra Griesel, Communications Manager at Rand Merchant Bank, and her team

A welcoming glass of Vergelegen Brut MCC
and a lovely walk through Mrs Phillips’ garden and the historic Manor House

The garden is filled with beautiful and unusual flowers this year

and the last pear of summer on a tree at the entrance to the Manor House

The public area was already becoming populated at 4.30pm

We were asked to collect our wine for enjoying with supper

and were given a bottle cooler bag to keep it in while we walked around

John went to find a seat on the aisle so he could take some good photographs during the concert

Lots of helpful and smiling staff

The weather did look a bit iffy and there was some rain during the late afternoon, but only intermittent showers

Sheltering under large umbrellas, which they have to put down during the concert,
so everyone was praying that it would not rain

There were various food stations for the invited guests and this is the Harvest Table
with a great selection of things to eat, hummus, tzatziki, rolls, breads, a good cheese selection,
lots of excellent smoked salmon, salads, biltong, droëwors, cheese straws, nuts

The Silwood students were manning different stands,
like this one serving pasta, a choice of Penne Arabbiata or Beef ragout pasta

A mixed salad on the Harvest Table

The bar had a very good selection of drinks

We found a lovely table in the middle of the wood

and in our bottle cooler we discovered two of these very useful rain ponchos

Two other food stations. Lynne tried the Paella which certainly had lots of prawns, mussels, calamari and fish
and John tried the rather gentle lamb curry and rice
Each station had a vegetarian option

and waiting staff were roaming with different canapés

The paying audience was keeping warm and dry

The concert was about to begin and as we took our seats, the heavens opened
 Everyone quickly donned their ponchos and it did rather resemble a meeting of the Star Wars Storm troopers!
Everyone was in a great mood, having been well fed and watered,
so we all got ready to enjoy the concert and we didn't see anyone leave
In all the years that we have been coming to the Starlight Concert, this is the first time we have had rain

5 minutes to lift off!

and the Cape Town Pops Orchestra with beloved conductor Richard Cock
went into a rousing performance of the first number
Someone had turned the bass very high up, so it was a very rousing performance indeed

with light show added

Richard Cock introduced the evening 

and then the CEO of RMB, Emrie Brown, welcomed us
 We all stood to sing the National Anthem and the concert began

Sadly, we do think the rain affected the tuning of the orchestra’s instruments;
sometimes it did sound rather like a Mariachi band! It improved later as the rain departed
and they were able to dry out and the bass speakers were softened

The audience are not supplied with a programme of the music, so we do not have the titles of all of the songs
and taking notes under a plastic poncho in the rain was, frankly, impossible

Lukhanyo Moyake is an Internationally experienced South African tenor with a beautiful rich voice
He has performed in London with the ENO and at the State Opera in Vienna, ably opened the show

The rain ceased and the clouds parted

Katlego Maboe, singer, actor and joint host joined Richard Cock on stage for some of the evening

They had lots of banter!

Corlea Botha has a very versatile voice and sang many different songs and modes, from opera to rock

She was joined for this performance by dancers from the ballet

The very dramatic Habanera  from Carmen

which was performed by Siphokazi Molteno. She is billed as a 'Dazzling mezzo-soprano' and she certainly is impressive

Great backdrops on the stage for each performance

Jesse Clegg, billed as SA’s hottest pop rocker, received a warm reception

Some very emotive slides showing him and his late father, Johnny, who was an iconic South African performer

There were several performers from the Zip Zap circus,
including this very talented and supple aerial gymnast and her hoop

She performed while the Cape Town Pops Orchestra played

A joy to watch and photograph!

More banter on stage between Conductor Richard Cock and Katlego Maboe

Time for some great Jazz from Langa Mavuso, acclaimed Afro-soul singer and songwriter

A beautiful Aria from Brittany Smith. a gifted young South African classical soprano

She sang the "Doll Song” (Les oiseaux dans la charmille) aria from Tales of Hoffman
Such a difficult aria, and so well performed

Her clockwork running out.... she was quickly wound up again to continue her performance

The Ndlovu Youth Choir performed several familiar songs, mostly in African languages

And we had a beautiful aria from Lukhanyo Moyake and Brittany Smith

Even the band was captivated by the lyrical music

Time for some rousing pop music, with multi performers on stage

The audience was encouraged to join in too


and we did!

Langa Mavuso in full song

and joined by Siphokazi Molteno, showing their versatility

Time for the Compère and the Conductor to join in the fun

When you see gondolas, you know we have Italian opera

Back after the short interval, we no longer need our ponchos, as the sky is clear and the concert can begin again

and then it was Starlight time, when we light our candles and hold them high to support the stars on the stage

Corlea Botha and Langa Mavuso performed a familiar song in Afrikaans

An extraordinarily supple acrobat from the Zip Zap circus

who could manipulate his body so gracefully and skilfully

A final number from The Ndlovu Youth Choir

And some rousing Gloria Gaynor songs from the three Divas

Everyone on stage for the finale!

Singing joyful music and the audience was up on its feet
demanding encores to Don’t Stop Me Now, I'm having a good time.....and we were

A final visit to the bar and a taste of the desserts and sweetmeats on offer
This allows the public to depart, so that the roads are not blocked when the invited guests need to leave

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Posted by MENU at 4:21 pm 0 comments

Thursday, March 16, 2023

The Rigel Retreat AirBnb in Schapenberg, Somerset West

When we are invited to a prestigious evening event in the country, we try to find affordable accommodation for the night
Our budget on our pensions is small, so we are always delighted to find something good
We were invited by RMB to the Starlight Concert at Vergelegen
 and found a small but perfectly formed apartment on the Schapenberg, only 12 minutes' drive away
It was also a very easy drive on large major roads
We were welcomed by Melissa, who is a Fine Art Masters student at Michaelis School of Fine Art
She is running this Airbnb, The Rigel Retreat, to earn her university fees

We were told to look for the very visible orange garage from the road
and we could park off road on the left, inside the security gates
The views from the house are superb, looking down over Somerset West all the way to Table Mountain




The small apartment is below the main house and has its own pathway through the garden
You may use their swimming pool which is up these stairs on the left
It was rather a rainy weekend, so we didn't get a chance to take a dip


A small seating area outside also has a hammock to relax in
We had to head straight to Vergelegen after arrival, so we were not able to take advantage of this facility


The bedroom has good linen


Hooks for clothes on the wall and a small chest of drawers, with a kettle, Nespresso machine and pods for the morning


The room has a television with DSTV and Netflix and a separate small kitchen area,
well supplied with crockery, glassware and cookware for 2 people plus a fridge and a microwave


The shower is large with towels, plenty of hot water and hand and shower soaps


and there is a Weber barbecue on the small terrace


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Posted by MENU at 6:24 pm 0 comments

A new tasting Pavilion at Grangehurst

If you love wine, and you invest in it, you must wonder how the good wines you buy will mature
Few people have a wine cellar which enables them to keep a collection of wines in a good environment
and enjoy them when they have been well-aged
An opportunity to taste them elsewhere is a rare treat. It is possible, at a premium;
when you buy a good bottle in a restaurant or vinoteque; you will usually pay well for that privilege

If you want to taste or even enjoy a glass or two of well-matured wines with a view to buying them,
you need to head for Grangehurst, just off the R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West,
and visit their new Pavilion tasting room on the farm, where you can taste superb red wines from the 2009 vintage
Owner/winemaker Jeremy Walker only releases his wines when he judges that they have reached maturity
 The views from the tasting centre are lovely, looking across at Table Mountain

It is a great experience and the tasting fees are reasonable

The tasting room is modern, clean and so relaxing; a great place for sipping wonderful wine and gazing at the countryside

It was a hazy early autumn day and we could see across many vineyards and olive groves
On a clear day you can see the city and the Table Mountain range

Happy, smiling Jeremy Walker who joined us for the tasting
We are old friends; we always stocked his wines in our shop, Main Ingredient, where they sold well

 The Grangehurst wines are also available in several overseas countries,
which our many overseas readers may appreciate
https://grangehurst.co.za/sales-distribution/

This is their price list with the current releases

We began the tasting with the 2018 Rosé which, as Jeremy puts it, is a rosé for red wine drinkers
It is a blend of Cabernet and Pinotage in almost equal amounts plus 14% Chenin blanc
Perfumed, with the Pinotage parent showing on the nose with raspberry and mulberry;
juicy on the palate and full of fruit, it calls for food

The aptly named 2014 Daylea Red, a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Pinotage, Shiraz and Petit Verdot, is a bargain at R125
Rich, with red cherries and berries. Dark wood, crisp and juicy, good tannins,
some spice notes on the end and a hit of black pepper. So easy to keep sipping

A Pinotage that has been aged for as long as this 2011 is always going to be good;
this varietal appreciates age, as do we
Quality incense French wood, the wine is aged for 2 to 3 years in barrel
Red and black berries on the attractive nose. Gorgeous on the plate, this is what Pinotage should taste like;
red and black cherries in layers of richness, then mulberry and cassis. Long flavours. R250

Nikela 2008, R300. A Grangehurst blend of Pinotage, Cabernet and Merlot with a dash of Mourvedre
You know from the first nose that this is a fine wine; perfume of roses, dark cherry and mulberry repeats on the palate,
full of fruit, warmth and lovely soft chalky tannins with a savoury ending
We love drinking this on special occasions like Christmas dinner, but it enhances any meal
The wines were served with some good olives and rosemary biscuits

Grangehurst 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, R280. So special, so integrated, perfume, wood and fruit all in harmony
It dances on the tongue with warmth, lovely fruit, good French oak on the end, a classic Cabernet

The Grangehurst 2009, R510, a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot
Cassis, violets and cherries on the nose. Richness, roundness, velvety on the palate, a classic Bordeaux blend
It is an amazing wine, so seldom do we get to taste aged wine this good
Cassis leaves and berries, cherry, mulberry, dark wood, great expression, long flavours

Sadly, Jeremy tells us he will not be making wine this year; his cellar is full
his cooling plant has been damaged by constant blackouts 
He does not have solar power and Eskom load shedding has made it impossible;

Grangehurst has good accommodation on the farm. https://grangehurst.co.za/accommodation/

This Cassia plant which can become a large tree, also known as popcorn plant (Senna didymobotrya),
was full of buzzing bees who all disappeared when they saw the camera

The mist was beginning to lift and we could make out the familiar sight of the Southern Titan, Adamastor,
taking a rest in the Table Mountain range


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Posted by MENU at 5:59 pm 0 comments

Friday, March 03, 2023

In MENU This Week. Four Franschhoek experiences - Chamber Music, Rickety Bridge, Antonij Rupert, Paserene

 A Cape Robin-chat (Cossypha caffra) on an apple tree branch

This week, our stories are about four experiences in Franschhoek, all on the same day. Beautiful music and delicious food and superb wines. The E-Prix motor race caused most of the roads to and from our home tobe blocked off, so getting there and back involved serious traffic jams, but the effort was well worth the irritation. Have a lovely weekend

Chamber Music in Franschhoek

Our February monthly music venture was to The Franschhoek Chamber Music and Art Festival which had performances by members of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and local musicians. Our choices were limited as we could not afford to stay overnight, so we chose the Concert no.3 at 11 am on Friday February 24th, the Schubert Soirée with two pieces by Franz Schubert (1797-1828). Read on…

Tasting at Rickety Bridge

Following the CPO Chamber Music concert, we headed to Rickety Bridge for a wine tasting before our lunch appointment. The famous Manor House guesthouse and the restaurant are in Cape Dutch style. It was a lovely warm sunny day with a cool breeze, so we opted to sit outside under the trees. Read on…

Lunch at Antonij Rupert Terra del Capo

It had been rather a long time since we visited Franschhoek; we haven't had any invitations for a while. We wanted to have a good lunch and Lynne researched all the menus at the well known restaurants. Sadly, some are now so far out of our budget, we may never get to try their food. And some are still rather traditional and a bit predictable. We have been trying to eat more salads and less heavy food this summer and we decided that Terra Del Capo had the menu that appealed the most. And it has reasonable prices. Read on…

A much-delayed tasting at Paserene, Franschhoek

We had been invited a few months ago to an evening tasting at Paserene in Franschhoek which we had to miss but promised we would call when we were next in the area.  A tasting was arranged and we arrived at 3 pm. The name Paserene comes from the Latin word Passeriformes, the order of “travelling and free” birds containing swifts and swallows. The story behind the swallow is a true testament to Martin’s adventures abroad and the need to spread his wings, all the while having a yearning to return home to create his nest – Paserene. Read on…



All the stories we have published can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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Posted by MENU at 4:46 pm 0 comments
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