the dog

Sorry to keep you waiting, I've been god-childrened all this week. God-children are like jazz dance, exhausting and wonderful at the same time. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

I was going to tell you about Elgar and the dog. Apparently the 11th of the Enigma Variations is dedicated to Sinclair, Elgar's friend who was organist at Hereford Cathedral, but is actually about Sinclair's bulldog, Dan. Elgar and Sinclair were walking beside the River Wye in Hereford one day when Dan fell in. Typical bulldog. It's all right, he got himself out again. Sinclair challenged Elgar to set that to music, so Elgar did, and that becme the 11th variation. You can hear the dog falling in, paddling about, and shaking himself dry, or at least you can when you know that's what it's about.

When we walked along the river we saw a statue of Dan at the place where he allegedly fell in. So why is he facing away from the river? Not bright, bulldogs.

No bulldogs were harmed in the making of this blog.

PS The hollyhocks are out.