Music in the Autumn air in Niagara

 I don't know about you but when we get a weekend in late October like this, I simply have to get out of the house at every opportunity.  Considering just three days ago we were shivering and walking in the rain, I will take this weekend and bottle it if I possibly can.

I plan to play tourist in my own Region part of the weekend, enjoying the last remnants of the fall colours before they are gone for good, but also do some outdoor chores around the house, as the trees love shedding so much at this time of year.  I suspect I won't be alone in that endeavour.

That being said, if you want some music to go along with your weekend and want to take a break from being outside for a bit, I have a couple of dandy concerts on both days that might interest you.

The Gallery Players of Niagara, like most large and small arts ensembles and organizations during the pandemic, have had to adapt to the changing landscape and provide virtual performances when necessary and grab the live ones when they can.

So this afternoon at 3 pm the Players will be hosting a concert at Silver Spire United Church in downtown St. Catharines entitled Southern Exposure.  The concert, featuring local guitarist Timothy Phelan and a host of guest artists on flute, clarinet, cello and percussion instruments, is rescheduled from an earlier date and acts as sort of a prelude to the Players' new season that kicks off November 13th.

Phelan, a local artist and educator ranked amongst the finest of our classical guitarists in the province, has curated the concert and will present what's being described as a "vibrant South American tour from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro", featuring everything from Astor Piazzolla's "The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires" to the seductive Bossa Nova rhythms of A.C. Jobim and Luis Bonfa.

Phelan will be joined for the concert by Douglas Miller on flutes, Michele Jacot on clarinets and saxophones, Margaret Gay on cello and Mike Phelan on percussion.

The concert is without Covid restrictions but mask wearing is strongly recommended.  The concert is being offered both live and virtually, with the live-stream available online until the end of July in 2023.  Tickets for the live concert will be available at the door on a pay-what-you-can basis, or you can purchase online both live and for the virtual concerts by visiting the Gallery Players website.

Tomorrow afternoon at 3 pm, also in downtown St. Catharines, you can enjoy an afternoon of music with organist Andrew Henderson and soprano Jocelyn Fralick at Knox Presbyterian Church.  

Fralick is part of the local Fralick family of musicians and educators and has been a fast-rising star in her own right for quite awhile now.  Andrew Henderson is the organist son of John and Cathy Henderson in Thorold, of Henderson's Pharmacy fame.

Andrew currently works out of New York City at Madison Avenue Church and has been much in demand for many years now both in North America and internationally.  I still remember an organ concert he gave many years ago in Thorold at one of the local churches and even then he was well on his way to becoming simply one of the best of the young breed of church organists.

The concert will feature a number of familiar organ masterworks along with a number of favourite vocal selections and should prove quite varied for a pleasant Sunday afternoon of music.

Tickets are $20 or $5 for students under 18, and available online at www.knoxchurch.com, at Henderson's Pharmacy in Thorold or at the door tomorrow afternoon.

So there you have it.  Lots of music to accompany your Autumn rituals whatever they may be.

I would write more but hey, I want to get out and enjoy that sunshine while I can...

See ya!

October 22nd, 2022.

A tale of two Ontario music festivals

 I received a couple of music festival brochures in the mail this week...yes, I still get mail, and glad of it! Both brochures remind me that although summer is over, the music isn't by a long shot.  Yes, Virginia, there is lots to enjoy indoors, musically speaking...

The Elora Singers' 2022-23 winter season actually starts this afternoon with the first performance at 2:30 at Harcourt Memorial United Church in Guelph.  They will reprise the performance at the same venue this evening at 7:30, so still lots of time to catch the first concert of the season.  Featured is a new oratorio by Craig Hella Johnson entitled Considering Matthew Shepard.  It's described as a moving and powerful reflection on the hatred that ended the life of Matthew Shepard.  Beyond a reflection though, it offers hope of acceptance and inclusion in a changing world, and that is certainly worth considering for sure.

The second performance of the season will be very well attended for sure, as excerpts from Handel's Messiah will be performed with a chamber orchestra and featuring soloists from the ranks of the choir.  There will be one performance only, at 4 pm on Sunday, December 4th at St. Joseph's Church in Fergus.

The annual tradition of A Festival of Carols returns for four performances in December:  at 5 and 8 pm at St. John's Church in Elora on the 12th and at 5 and 8 pm at Melville United Church in Fergus on the 13th. These performances regularly sell out and are well worth attending, so plan to get your tickets early.

The Singers take a break until Sunday, March 5th when they present Baroque Meditations at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Kitchener.  The concert will feature two main works:  the seldom-heard Stabat Mater by the the early baroque Italian composer Agostino Steffani and Handel's Dixit Dominus, written while he lived briefly in Rome.

The winter season will end with another contemporary work, Arvo Part's Passio, a setting of the Passion text according to St. John, paired with Sir James MacMillan's a cappella setting of Psalm 51, known as Miserere.  There will be one performance only, at 4 pm on Sunday, April 2nd at the magnificent St. George's Anglican Church in Guelph.

The Elora Singers are a world-class ensemble in every sense of the word and absolutely worth the drive to the Elora/Guelph/Fergus/Kitchener area of Ontario this season or any season.  For tickets or more information go to www.EloraSingers.ca or call 1-519-846-0331.

Closer to home, Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts will launch their 2022-23 fall season of classical and jazz concerts in Niagara next Sunday, October 23rd at 2 in the Recital Hall of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines.  Featured performer will be the hot young classical guitarist Milos in a concert entitled Reflections & Reinvention.  Milos was named by BBC Music Magazine as one of the six greatest classical guitarists of the last century, and that is high praise indeed.

The season continues on Saturday evening, November 5th at 7 pm, also in the Recital Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, with internationally-acclaimed soprano Measha Brueggergosman taking to the stage for a mix of classical and jazz numbers, including selections from her newest album, Measha JAZZ.  I first saw Measha when she was a young lady making her way early on as a singer with Chorus Niagara performing at the Armoury in St. Catharines years ago.  Just a few years ago I had a chance to catch up to her for a telephone interview which included lots of background vocals from her young child!

The season continues on Saturday, November 19th at 7:30 pm in the Mandeville Theatre at Ridley College with Graceland Experience, featuring Grammy Award-winning South African bassist, composer and vocalist Bakithi Kumalo.  He has played bass for Paul Simon for over 30 years and yes, was featured prominently on Simon's landmark album Graceland.  That album will feature prominently in the concert along with a variety of other world music as well.

The fall season wraps u with the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra presenting A Very Swingin' Basie Christmas on Sunday, December 18th at 7:30 pm in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines.  The Count himself is now long gone - I remember meeting him when he played the old Ontario Place Forum in Toronto back in the early 70s - but his explosive orchestra lives on and is now directed by Scotty Barnhart.  The concert will also feature special guest vocalist Carmen Bradford.

Tickets and three-concert packages are on sale now, plus a new Bravo Circle membership level as well.  For tickets and more information, go to www.bravoniagara.org or call 289-868-9177.  

The music returns post-pandemic and so long as we continue to exercise caution and common sense, we can keep the music going throughout the season!

Have a great weekend.

October 15th, 2022.

Stratford Festival scores a triumph with Chicago

 I know this is late in coming, but I only returned to the Stratford Festival this week to catch a show for the first time in three years.  The pandemic had a way of changing everything, of course, as did life changes for me over the same time period.

I had a little trepidation returning to Stratford this week, as I did earlier this summer when I returned to Shaw in Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Again I was fully masked for the entire performance and I was pleased to see so many others were as well.  I strategically chose my seat, Row A, Aisle 6 in the balcony and I was not disappointed.  The seat next to me was even vacant...bonus!

Nor was I disappointed with the performance either.  This Chicago, the first major production of the 1975 musical in a long time, is stellar from start to finish.  Credit goes of course to Fred Ebb for providing the book along with Bob Fosse as well as the lyrics, and John Kander who provided the music.  But major credit for this production in particular goes to Director & Choreographer Donna Feore, who has pretty much become the Festival's Golden Girl when it comes to musicals.

Feore displays The Midas Touch throughout the production, with sharp & witty staging, maximizing the satire of the criminal justice system with amazing precision and dexterity.  She also benefits from a stellar cast that performs every number to perfection.

Jennifer Rider-Shaw appears as convict Velma Kelly, accused of double murder and awaiting trial, basking in the sympathy of the public thanks to the clever dealings of her lawyer, Billy Flynn.  Stratford stalwart Dan Chameroy plays the role of the Flynn with understatement, which works perfectly.

Everything is going swell until Billy takes on another client accused of murdering her lover, Chelsea Preston as Roxie Hart.  Suddenly she is getting the public's attention and sympathy rather than Velma, and so the rivalry between the two begins.

Both Velma and Roxie are no angels but you do find it in your heart to almost root for them in spite of their crimes, and that is thanks to their not inconsiderable talents as well as Feore's direction.  The plot, based on a true story out of 1920s Chicago, centres on the two of them and how they can gain both fame and freedom at the same time from lawyer Flynn.

But the rest of the cast is equally up to the task, with special mention going to Steve Ross as Roxie's put-upon husband Amos, who agrees to fund Roxie's defence to the tune of $5,000, and Sandra Caldwell as Matron Mama Morton.  And kudos too to R. Markus as reporter Mary Sunshine for displaying a really phenomenal singing voice.  Really there is not a single weak link in this cast, nor in the production as a whole.

The musical numbers range from All That Jazz to Roxie and Razzle Dazzle, all familiar outside of the show now, and lesser-known numbers that showcase the cast perfectly such as Cell Block Tango and Steve Ross' fabulous take on Mister Cellophane.

The brassy orchestra led by Franklin Brasz is with them every step of the way, and the sets and costumes by Michael Gianfrancesco and Dana Osborne respectively are imaginative and perfectly complement the show.

I have always felt nobody does musicals better than Stratford does, and their return to the stage in full force this year with Chicago proves the point yet again.  It only runs until October 30th at the Festival Theatre but you still have time to catch it while you can.

The lovely drive at this time of the year with the fall colours just makes the trip all the nicer!

Chicago won't disappoint and rates a very strong four out of four stars.

For tickets and information got to www.stratffordfestival.ca or call 1-800-567-1600.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!

October 8th, 2022.

Niagara Symphony Orchestra set to kick off new season this weekend

It's nice to see things starting to get back to some semblance of what passes now for normal, what with the lifting of COVID restrictions over the past several months.  And with it, the return of live music, theatre and numerous summer festivals around Niagara.

I am a slow adopter at the moment, carefully choosing where I go still and often deciding based on the size of the crowd expected, as I for one don't believe we're anywhere out of the woods with this pandemic yet.  I find almost daily I am the only person around wearing a mask in public settings, or at least one of the few.

I don't mind really.  It's my choice, as is the choice not to for those who choose not to wear a mask.

I returned to live theatre this summer with three visits to the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake, and in early October I will be returning to Stratford for my first live performance there in three years as well.

I have not, as of yet, ventured inside a venue for a live concert, although that step may happen this season as well.  I would like to return to concerts and events downtown at our FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre soon, and likely it will involve enjoying our very own Niagara Symphony Orchestra.

I have not been to a NSO concert since they left Brock Centre for the Arts several years ago in fact, so I am far overdue for a return visit.  It won't be this weekend as I have a lot on the go already, but many will  as the NSO kicks off their new season Sunday afternoon at 2:30 in their familiar home at the PAC, Partridge Hall.

Since September is regarded as Classical Music Month, what better month to begin the annual Masterworks series with the Orchestra at the PAC?  None better I would say.

As usual, there will be a couple of familiar classical warhorses of sorts to keep the people coming through the doors, augmented by a newer, contemporary Canadian work in order to introduce audiences to what's happening today in classical music.

The two standard bearers this concert will be a couple of challenging orchestral gems:  Igor Stravinsky's thrilling Firebird Suite, the 1919 version incidentally, and the big and expansive Fourth Symphony by Tchaikovsky.  Both will give the orchestra a workout along with their Music Director Bradley Thachuk as conductor.

The Canadian work is an interesting one with a local connection, and is in fact a Canadian Premiere and NSO co-commission:  Timothy Adams' Harriet: Journey to Freedom.  The work chronicles the heroic efforts of Harriet Tubman and her work with the Underground Railroad, bringing black slaves to freedom in Canada from the American South.

There is special poignancy with this new work as it will be narrated by local musician and entrepreneur Juliet Dunn.  I've known Juliet for many years now both as a singer and radio broadcaster, but most especially as Executive Director and co-creator of the TD Niagara Jazz Festival with her husband and partner Peter Shea.

It was announced last month Peter had lost a lengthy battle with cancer, and the news came as a complete shock to everyone inside and outside the music world.  Peter was a rare talent, still young and full of great ideas for the future, and you couldn't imagine a better matched couple than Peter and Juliet.

If I am not mistaken this will be her first real public performance since Peter's passing, and she will act as narrator for tomorrow afternoon's Canadian Premiere of Harriet: A Journey to Freedom.  I wish Juliet well and know as a performer she will get through this tomorrow in honour of her late husband Peter.

Single tickets are still available for all Niagara Symphony concerts this season, and packages for all series are also available as well.  For more ticket and concert information go to www.niagarasymphony.com.  You can purchase tickets for tomorrow's concert through the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre box office by calling 905-688-0722,  or toll free at 1-855-515-0722.  You can also order online at www.firstontariopac.ca.

Have a great weekend!

September 17th, 2022.

Just to Get Married worth a visit at Shaw this season

 My third and final show at this season's Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake is one I perhaps subconsciously chose knowing Sophie would have certainly chosen this one to see.  I don't think she would have been disappointed.

British playwright, actress, novelist, journalist and suffragist Cecily Hamilton's play Just to Get Married opened in August at the cozy Royal George Theatre, and it falls right in with the Shaw's mandate at one time to produce plays either written by or about G. B. Shaw's time period, which pretty much covers much of the last part of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.

This now-rarely produced play was last revived in 2017 by London's Finborough Theatre with the only other revival back in 1918 in London.  The first production was also in London in 1910.  So it's safe to say most contemporary audience members have not seen nor even likely heard of the play.  More's the pity, as it is a bit of a period gem, with a warning here about a rather unusual ending.

Hamilton injects the play with just enough humour to make the overall theme of women having to marry well in order to have a decent life palatable enough for audiences of her era to accept.  She gets the point across without sticking it to those in society who would feel a woman's place is not in the workforce with too much vitriol.

The main thrust of Hamilton's play is to expose the grim reality of women of the era who were expected to marry early and well, thus ensuring they would avoid the supposed embarrassment of "spinsterhood" and risk an unsure financial future.  Sadly this would have been the norm early in the last century as most work would be considered "too much" for the "delicate" ladies of the era.

Enter into this mindset the lead character in Just to Get Married, Georgiana Vicary, who at 29 is staring that spinsterhood straight ahead unless she can snag a man willing to marry her.  She has her heart set on a worthy candidate, exceedingly shy Adam Lankester, just back in England after doing so-called "man's work" in the New World.  If only Adam could find the courage to see the possibilities and propose marriage...

He does, of course, in a flurry of conversation during the latter half of the First Act, and Georgiana readily accepts.  But alas, it is not to be a marriage based on love.  She tells Adam as much when she exclaims in the Second Act "I accepted you just because there was no one else."  Ouch.  

To younger audience members today the mere thought of marrying without the benefit of love seems so, well, odd they could not conceive of such a thing.  Turns out neither can Georgiana.  In that Second Act she decides marrying Adam would basically mean she'd be living a lie, and why would she do that?  A marriage that is not of equals goes against her principles and as such, she garners plenty of support from the audience for saying so.

As much sympathy as she receives from the audience for being so honest and forthright with Adam, it is almost squandered in the final moments of the Second Act when, soaking wet at the train station waiting for a train to take her away from this misery, she runs into Adam and they have a talk.  The result is what can only be described as a "happy ending" to a play exposing the grim reality women faced from that era.  It won't sit well with many I suspect, and although it would not have been my choice of an ending I do realize the era in which Hamilton was writing the play and the audience she was writing for.  In that sense it is very much a period piece and you have to accept it for being so.

This production at the Shaw Festival does the play proud for the most part, with standout performances from most of the cast.  Unfortunately as has been the case with every play I have seen this season there have been substitutions to lead roles and although the understudies clearly make the part their own, I would have loved to have seen Kristi Frank portray Georgiana Vicary as planned, as she is one of the bright lights at the Shaw these days.

Not taking anything away from Katherine Gauthier mind you, who usually plays the role of Bertha Grayle when Frank plays Georgiana, and did an admirable job in the substitute role.  In her place as Bertha, Allison McCaughley does a fine job.

Adam Lankester is played with studied awkwardness by Kristopher Bowman, and he fits the mould of a sturdy, reliable man to have as a husband, should the woman wish it.  Problem is, this woman didn't initially.  Oh well...he proves in the end to be a worthy partner in spite of it all.

The rest of the cast, in spite of the requisite shuffling of the members all do well here, with Claire Jullien as Lady Catherine Grayle being particularly stately, and substitute Nathaniel Judah enjoyable as the put-upon Sir Theodore Grayle.

Direction is sure and taught from Severn Thompson and Ming Wong's costumes are spot-on for the time period.  I wasn't totally taken with the original music provided by Thomas Ryder Payne but perhaps that's just me.

Overall, Just to Get Married is an enjoyable escape at Shaw this season, just be advised the ending might perplex you a bit.  It runs at the Royal George Theatre until October 16th and rates a respectable 2 out of 4 stars.

For more information on the Shaw season go to www.shawfest.com.

Have a great holiday weekend!

September 3rd, 2022.

The Importance of celebrating life this season at the Shaw Festival

 Recently I returned to the Shaw Festival for my second of three performances I will be attending this year, and once again I entered the theatre with a bittersweet feeling.  Yes, it was good to be back after three years, most of it occupied by Covid.  But as I mentioned in my last review from Shaw, being there without Sophie now just seems...well, different.

Perhaps unconsciously this season I made my three choices with Sophie in mind; these three likely would have been the ones she would have wanted to attend, so those were the ones I went with and so far, as usual her likely choices have proven to be most entertaining indeed.

That brings us to The Importance of Being Earnest, the Oscar Wilde play that first premiered on St. Valentine's Day in 1895, just days before a trail began that changed Wilde's life forever and eventually resulted in a sentence of hard labour that ultimately broke him.

The irony is of all of Wilde's plays, this last one stands as perhaps his purest comedy of manners, full of wit as only Wilde could write.  There is not much weight here, but the froth is fun, and the sad part is we can only imagine what heights he could have achieved had his personal life not led to his eventual downfall.

Shaw Festival Artistic Director Tim Carroll takes the reigns as director of this production and with a sure hand guides it through the ins and outs of Wilde's clever dialogue, making sure to take advantage of every nuance along the way with a strong, veteran cast of Shaw favourites.

The play, of course, concerns the fortunes of John Worthing, played by Martin Happer, and Algernon Moncrieff, played at the performance I attended by Mike Nadajewski in place of Peter Fernandes.  Worthing has an eye for the ladies, well, one in particular, and while in town assumes the name of Ernest as for some reason the woman he wishes to woo thinks it's such a solid, respectable name for a man.

Algernon, meantime, has an imaginary friend named Bunbury who provides Moncrieff with all sorts of opportunities to avoid certain social situations he would rather avoid by simply saying he has to tend to his poor friend Bunbury instead.

Both young men have specific ladies in mind:  Worthing has his sights set on the Honourable Gwendolen Fairfax, while Moncrieff eyes the young Cecily Cardew, played at the performance I attended by Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane, filling in for Gabriella Sundar Singh.

Enter into the fray Moncreiff's Aunt, the indomitable Lady Bracknell, played by Shaw stalwart Kate Hennig and possessing an opinion on almost every subject imaginable.  It is hard not to think of the Dowager Countess Violet on Downton Abbey while enjoying Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Ernest.

Almost without exception the cast is exemplary.  Happer's John Worthing has just enough of the rake about him without being over the top, and Nadajewski as Moncrieff makes the most of his lines with his inflections and mannerisms.  Both carry the day here in fine form.

Julia Course as Gwendolen Fairfax is suitably refined and Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane has a youthful charm as Cecily Cardew.  

The joy of an ensemble with the depth the Shaw Festival possesses is that even when an understudy takes over a pivotal role, as is the case twice with the performance I attended, you don't think of them substituting in that role; they have assumed that role and made it uniquely their own for the time they assume it.

The rest of the cast is strong as well, from Neil Barclay having some musical fun as Lane as the curtain goes up to Graeme Somerville as Merriman and Ric Reid as the very, well, earnest Reverend Canon Chasuble.

The sets are imaginative and fun, thanks to designer Gillian Gallow, and the costumes elegantly reflect the Victorian era, designed by Christina Poddubiuk.

From start to finish the collective tongue is firmly planted in the collective cheek in this new production of The Importance of Being Earnest, and it stands as one of the bright lights of this year's 60th Anniversary Shaw Festival season.

The Importance of Being Ernest plays at the Festival Theatre through to October 9th and rates a strong 3 out of 4.  

For tickets or more information go to Shawfest.com. 

Have a great weekend!

August 6th, 2022.

Remembering two years ago and preparing now to move on

 My weekend arts blog is a little later than usual on purpose this weekend, as I deviate from my usual arts reporting for a brief update on things as the two year anniversary of Sophie's passing looms large tomorrow.

I thought things would get easier for me after the first year but that turned out not to be the case.  If anything, I found the second year much harder than the first.  I have no idea why, but I suspect it has something to do with a lot of time spent this winter and spring disposing of a lot of Sophie's things, including piles of things she never used stored in the basement, and of course a lot of her clothing and jewelry.  I still feel like a criminal going through her things in a way, as Sophie was such a private person.

But it simply had to be done and I was the one who of course had to do it, with occasional help from dear friend Kathy Brophy, my so-called Girl Friday.  Now I see some relief in sight as the second anniversary arrives tomorrow, and I hope I am correct in that assessment.

I have stated here more than once the entire ordeal has been the hardest thing I have ever had to go through, and I still feel that way today.  Losing a parent or sibling can be devastating too, but losing your spouse is just so much more difficult I find.  You are all alone in the house you once shared together, and you are surrounded by that person's things.

Here it is especially so as Sophie surrounded herself with such beautiful things, and when we moved in to this house together over 20 years ago most of my modest possessions were either relegated to the basement or the garage.  A precious few made it to the upper floors of the house!

In the past year, however, I have begun introducing some of the pieces my family held dear for many years, and they all blend quite nicely with what was always here, and I am quite proud to show them off now.  No doubt they still would not pass muster with Sophie but hey, what can you do?!

Anyway, as difficult as this year has been and this weekend in particular, I am optimistic for the future, and hope the passing of the anniversary tomorrow will usher in some happier, sunnier days ahead for me.

Sophie said in the hospital she hoped I would fine happiness with someone new and I hope that will indeed be the case.  But as I so often tell her even now, even if that happens I will never ever forget her, and she'll always have a special place in my heart.  How could Sophie not?

I do have a good feeling about the coming months, for no particular reason at the moment actually, but I just sense the tide is turning and the dark days are now largely in the past.  Most of Sophie's estate is now settled and I am working on making the house more reflective of my present situation than it has been in the past, so that will make me all the more comfortable going into the future as well.

I picked up roses last weekend to mark our anniversary together, which would have been 21 years this past July 27th, and again this weekend to mark the coming anniversary of Sophie's passing.  Tomorrow I will pick up a special arrangement to mark the actual date, and that will be it for awhile.  I didn't have to do all this of course, but I wanted to.  In fact, I found comfort in the actions.

What's next?  Well I should point out tomorrow I will be largely absent from social media to mark the anniversary, although I will post a picture or two of Sophie during the day of course.  And I think it will be time to draw away just a little bit from more frequent posts such as this one.  Oh, I still have plenty to say and if I feel the need I will use this space again, but for the most part, I think it is time to start to move on.

I think Sophie would agree the time has come, and I also suspect she would be saying something like "Mike, will you knock it off and get on with your life?!"  She could be sentimental that way!  And so I will.

Sophie will always be in my heart, always with me, always watching over me.  But perhaps the time has come to welcome new adventures and see where life takes me.  I think Sophie would be proud of how far I've come, and how much the future holds for me.

Here's to a glorious past with Sophie, and renewed promise for the future wherever it leads me.

I'll keep you posted, of course.

Have a good rest of the weekend!

August 1st, 2022.