Sabbatical Purchases

I am taking this week off, with no more than a passing thought for those who are spending parts of the week retreating (fellow staff and students) or researching (hope its going OK Catriona).  So I have been out on the spend, the results being:

The Box Set of Karl Richter's recordings of Bach (Matthew and John Passions; B Minor Mass; Christmas Oratorio and Magnificat).  This is a bargain on Amazon at the moment (£3.00 per CD)

Apple keyboard.  There have been some comment recently in the blogosphere about the relative merits or demerits of Apple kit.  But tell me, what would you rather use - a cheap, nasty Dell keyboard, each key of which requires depression to the depth of about half an inch, or a chrome and white streamlined wonder of engineering; not only beautiful but functional beyond any reasonable expectation (full numeric keyboard; 2 USB ports; one key to expose the desktop; full control of ITunes etc etc etc)?

Oh yes, and books, but not theology.

John Stubbs' highly praised biography of John Donne (hardback, local Oxfam bookshop for a few quid)

Edward Said's lectures on musical performance and interpretation.