The City Art Centre has been running a series of Saturday lunchtime singsongs by local choirs and I went along to one to hear a friend sing.  I got there early and took in the exhibition of the short-listed designs for the replacement of the Ross Pavilion in West Princes Street Gardens.  Like many residents I've always called it the Ross Bandstand but that was demolished and the present structure erected in 1934.

The seven designs vary enormously from a couple that put the emphasis on minimising the built aspects in favour of the garden to those that confidently impose pedestrian flyovers and chunky structures.  All of them have something exciting to offer and I'd hate to be responsible for the final choice.

The Dunedin Wind Band celebrated its 10th anniversary with a concert of pieces chosen by band members past and present from the large number that have been played over that decade.  Several past members joined the ranks for the evening, some travelling up from the deep south to do so.  We were 56 strong on stage which was quite a squeeze.  A jolly good time was had by all even though some of us didn't manage to play all the notes at the right time and in the right order.

Brief notes on what I saw on the final weekend of the Film Festival:

I Dream in Another Language - a Mexican film in which a young linguist engages with the last two speakers of an indigenous language who have not spoken to one another in any language for fifty years or so thanks to a falling out.  It was a nice little story that ended happily enough with the two old boys joining the spirit world in the cave where all the dead speakers of that particular tongue end up.  A touch of magic realism there.

The Last Men in  Aleppo - a documentary about the so called White Helmets who pull bodies from the rubble of that pounded to death city.  There was no commentary or analysis, just observation and eavesdropping.  Disgracefully I missed large chunks by nodding off periodically.  Not that it was boring, I was just tired.

Demonio tus Ojos -  I've forgotten the English title of this tale of a man who takes an unhealthy interest in his half-sister.  I expect all sorts of intellectual bullshit can be advanced in support of the mix of voyeurism, incest and violence against women displayed in the film and there may well be some merit in the loss of innocence theme but on the whole it gets the thumbs down from me.

Time bandits - pure delight and fun from the Monty Python stable of writers, film makers and performers.  A young boy and half a dozen dwarves, former employees of the supreme being, romp through time in pursuit of treasure to steal. They encounter Napoleon, Agamemnon and Robin Hood, go down with the Titanic and enjoy sundry other fantastic adventures.

The Quiet Earth - science fiction from New Zealand.  A scientist who has played some part in an experiment that I didn't entirely understand, or rather entirely didn't understand, wakes up to find himself alone in the world.  Well, not quite alone.  He encounters a young woman and then a young Maori.  They potter about this empty landscape.  The scientist works out that the sun is about to explode.  They decide to save the world by blowing up the installation where the experiment was taking place.  Scientist sacrifices himself in doing so so that the young couple can be together.  Or maybe not since the closing shot is said scientist apparently reviving on a beach as the saved sun rises. Not my cup of tea really but harmless.