Parsifal

I think I've finally reached the point where I'm actually starting to get Parsifal. And last night's excellent performance from the Hallé and Mark Elder certainly helped. The cast was fantastic, especially Katarina Dalayman and Tom Fox, and the choruses were amazing in the slow, final closing moments.

The whole thing was so good that despite listening to the whole thing last night, I spent today listening to the whole thing again on iPlayer, and I reserve the right to it again before it disappears...

Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars...

For one reason and another, Kenneth Branagh's version of the St Crispin's Day speach from his 1989 version of Henry V:

I still love Rory Kinnear's version from the 2011 proms. His speach at the siege of Harflur is also pretty amazing too...