Well, I say Jena, in fact in the airport hotel in Frankfurt... awaiting flying home in the AM. Also it has BBC's 1 & 2 on TV, which is nice...
Jena was as full and exciting as two years ago on New Year's Eve... wonderful reception, and glorious full house at home of the Jenaer Philharmonie.
Jena is home to the first skyscraper in Germany & the first large Planetarium in the world as it was a main centre for Carl Zeiss starting in the 19th century...
Carole's (& our) friend, Birgit was on hand to sell CDs etc (as she was at Dresden) - and of course did a great job... good to see her again.
So, a busy December draws to a close...
Thanks for reading this year, everyone...
Oh, and... (whether it has happened yet, or not)...
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!
See you in 2014
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Monday, 30 December 2013
Bad Elster & Halle
Just realising that starting these last two emails' titles with BAD is not such a great idea!
Ho hum...
Here's the wonderful frontage of the König Albert Theater, Bad Elster... with our name in red... hooray!
Great theatre with great staff - and excellent restaurant just around the corner... yum!
Lovely acoustic in this glorious theatre, and a super enthusiastic audience... & a great penchant for cricket tea towels... we will have to get/create more...!
In Bad Elster we were just on the border of the Czech Republic, and it another very beautiful spa town, where people were taking holidays/cures etc in very lovely surroundings...
Then it was on to Halle, where Handel first learnt his trade... and hence a statue in the main square (just around the corner from China garden restaurant where I got my dinner, which I am sure was the height of fashion in Handel's time)...
... should you wish to look up Handel's skirt, this is the place to come.
We sang in a beautiful Konzerthalle which was/is a church, just shy of the main square; The 12 Tenors are coming here in March next year... (is that too many all at once?)... We had the great privilege of sitting on the double bass stools of the orchestra who rehearse here - what joys...
Another excellent audience, lots of happy smiling faces in the front row... very good of the happy people to come to the front!
Just one more concert this year; Jena at 17:00.... then roll on 2014!
Ho hum...
Here's the wonderful frontage of the König Albert Theater, Bad Elster... with our name in red... hooray!
Lovely acoustic in this glorious theatre, and a super enthusiastic audience... & a great penchant for cricket tea towels... we will have to get/create more...!
In Bad Elster we were just on the border of the Czech Republic, and it another very beautiful spa town, where people were taking holidays/cures etc in very lovely surroundings...
Then it was on to Halle, where Handel first learnt his trade... and hence a statue in the main square (just around the corner from China garden restaurant where I got my dinner, which I am sure was the height of fashion in Handel's time)...
... should you wish to look up Handel's skirt, this is the place to come.
We sang in a beautiful Konzerthalle which was/is a church, just shy of the main square; The 12 Tenors are coming here in March next year... (is that too many all at once?)... We had the great privilege of sitting on the double bass stools of the orchestra who rehearse here - what joys...
Another excellent audience, lots of happy smiling faces in the front row... very good of the happy people to come to the front!
Just one more concert this year; Jena at 17:00.... then roll on 2014!
Saturday, 28 December 2013
Bad Kreuznach & Dresden
Christmas break??!!
Pah...
Two re-visits to beautiful Germany after almost two years...
Firstly to Bad Kreuznach (quite near Frankfurt); a gorgeous Spa-type place & staying in a glorious hotel which we did not have the time to enjoy properly! Although the restaurant was still up to the excellent standards we remember... no snow this year (we got it in January last year!)
Very international audience, including some Brits; as well as a gentleman from Florida and a lady from Barbados... who both spend much of their time (via marriages) in Germany...
Then on to Dresden today, for another chance to sing in the excellent Dreikönigskirche - lovely acoustic... Great to sing Byrd's Ave Verum Corpus & the original Coventry Carol in such a building.
Both concerts afforded us delightful warm audiences who loved everything we did... what more could one ask? Oh, and they appreciated our CDs and music too; songbooks were off like hot cakes & cricket tea towels too!
Will explore Dresden a bit more in the AM (it was quite drive here today, so we got here late-ish)... then...
...On to Bad Elster, Halle and Jena before it becomes 2014...
Pah...
Two re-visits to beautiful Germany after almost two years...
Firstly to Bad Kreuznach (quite near Frankfurt); a gorgeous Spa-type place & staying in a glorious hotel which we did not have the time to enjoy properly! Although the restaurant was still up to the excellent standards we remember... no snow this year (we got it in January last year!)
Very international audience, including some Brits; as well as a gentleman from Florida and a lady from Barbados... who both spend much of their time (via marriages) in Germany...
Then on to Dresden today, for another chance to sing in the excellent Dreikönigskirche - lovely acoustic... Great to sing Byrd's Ave Verum Corpus & the original Coventry Carol in such a building.
Both concerts afforded us delightful warm audiences who loved everything we did... what more could one ask? Oh, and they appreciated our CDs and music too; songbooks were off like hot cakes & cricket tea towels too!
Will explore Dresden a bit more in the AM (it was quite drive here today, so we got here late-ish)... then...
...On to Bad Elster, Halle and Jena before it becomes 2014...
Friday, 20 December 2013
Chicoutimi - Vienna - London
Amazing few days In Québec, Austria & London - sorry general busyness & internet connection in Vienna, would not allow me to write till now!
Hooray - 2nd concert as delightful as the first in Québec... this time in Chicoutimi, where we performed our first ever Canadian gig 10 years ago.... Lovely to be back!
...and of course just like the first, fabulous to be accompanied by a great Symphony Orchestra...
Very many splendours, and a full-house cheering all the way... what joys...
Thank you to Jacques and all the musicians for making us feel so very welcome...
The choir said they were happier as they could hear us better in the concert hall, but they sounded excellent both nights... Great fun!
We achieved our short hop flight to Montréal easily (thank you, Pierre-Paul for stalwart driving)... although there was a great deal of snow about... and got back to London on Monday AM, full of the joys of spring... 26 and a half hours in UK is clearly plenty...
...so Tuesday, on to the lovely Theater am Spittelberg, Vienna, where we have been twice a year for the last two years... thank you, Nusschi for inviting us... lovely as snow is, it was terrific to be in Vienna at Christmas without having to wade through the stuff! Very fine temperatures.... until the day we left. Carole had joined us on the trip, and her company was gorgeous of course... but when we left early to get back for the Bridewell... she was left cope with the Vienna newly-appearing sleet and snow... good timing for us at least!
Other old friends we saw there were Elizabeth & Harald, Regula, and Lotti.... wonderful to see them all... and of course the splendid Chinese restaurant just around the corner from the hotel & theatre which keeps a glorious buffet ready at all times!
Sleigh Ride key jangling was very fine - especially on the second night for some reason!
Marvellous...
So a quick hop back to London & another regular haunt, the St Bride Institute, off Fleet Street.... a very splendid hall in which to sing...
Lovely atmosphere - all had worked hard to make the hall look very festive... well done to Mikey and the team... and for Glyn struggling around with his busted leg...
Lovely to have old friends David Cullen & Peter Knight in the audience with their wives (well, one each...); and we sang one song arranged by David, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire and one by Peter's Dad, 12 Days of Christmas...
In these last three concerts, we dusted off Yodel in German and English, as apropos, to the delight of ourselves at least... and the audiences also seemed to enjoy it too!
Our other friend called Carol appeared at the Bridewell with some chocolate lollipops with our image on them... a great surprise! Will these be a start to merchandising heaven to come?!
Our pre-Christmas season has drawn to a close... our post-Christmas dash is in Germany from 27th-31st... Then after a week off - it is to Minsk for the first time...
Hooray!
...and of course, Happy Christmas!
Hooray - 2nd concert as delightful as the first in Québec... this time in Chicoutimi, where we performed our first ever Canadian gig 10 years ago.... Lovely to be back!
...and of course just like the first, fabulous to be accompanied by a great Symphony Orchestra...
Very many splendours, and a full-house cheering all the way... what joys...
Thank you to Jacques and all the musicians for making us feel so very welcome...
The choir said they were happier as they could hear us better in the concert hall, but they sounded excellent both nights... Great fun!
We achieved our short hop flight to Montréal easily (thank you, Pierre-Paul for stalwart driving)... although there was a great deal of snow about... and got back to London on Monday AM, full of the joys of spring... 26 and a half hours in UK is clearly plenty...
...so Tuesday, on to the lovely Theater am Spittelberg, Vienna, where we have been twice a year for the last two years... thank you, Nusschi for inviting us... lovely as snow is, it was terrific to be in Vienna at Christmas without having to wade through the stuff! Very fine temperatures.... until the day we left. Carole had joined us on the trip, and her company was gorgeous of course... but when we left early to get back for the Bridewell... she was left cope with the Vienna newly-appearing sleet and snow... good timing for us at least!
Other old friends we saw there were Elizabeth & Harald, Regula, and Lotti.... wonderful to see them all... and of course the splendid Chinese restaurant just around the corner from the hotel & theatre which keeps a glorious buffet ready at all times!
Sleigh Ride key jangling was very fine - especially on the second night for some reason!
Marvellous...
So a quick hop back to London & another regular haunt, the St Bride Institute, off Fleet Street.... a very splendid hall in which to sing...
Lovely atmosphere - all had worked hard to make the hall look very festive... well done to Mikey and the team... and for Glyn struggling around with his busted leg...
Lovely to have old friends David Cullen & Peter Knight in the audience with their wives (well, one each...); and we sang one song arranged by David, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire and one by Peter's Dad, 12 Days of Christmas...
In these last three concerts, we dusted off Yodel in German and English, as apropos, to the delight of ourselves at least... and the audiences also seemed to enjoy it too!
Our other friend called Carol appeared at the Bridewell with some chocolate lollipops with our image on them... a great surprise! Will these be a start to merchandising heaven to come?!
Our pre-Christmas season has drawn to a close... our post-Christmas dash is in Germany from 27th-31st... Then after a week off - it is to Minsk for the first time...
Hooray!
...and of course, Happy Christmas!
Sunday, 15 December 2013
Christmas orchestral concert - Roberval
Brilliant times...
Lovely evening in Roberval in the Église Notre-Dame with full symphony orchestra & chorus, Jacques Clément at the helm, and TLQ.
Wonderful.
The massive, modern, church (built in the 1970s) is a huge round thing (well possibly octagonal) - a bit like a U.F.O. from the outside... and very striking both inside and out - huge modern stained glass windows all around on every side.
Plenty of room for l'Orchestre Symphonique du Saguenay - Lac-Saint-Jean, and a 50-strong chorus...
So much joy - the chorus sang a sweet French song Pour Noël, as well as some splendid Rutter... King Jesus Had a Garden and Donkey Carol.... we all performed Rutter's Sans Day Carol together... and the climax of the concert, The Lion King classic, Can You Feel the Love Tonight? was superb with the chorus creating the African backing vocals excellently... (a première for this bigger orchestration!)
The orchestra performed two exquisite medleys of carols (particularly impressed with the very romantic take on Quelle est cette odeur...? in one).
We performed some a cappella favourites, but it was mainly a delight to work with all the musicians in the building, and to perform pieces we know well, on a larger canvas. Sleigh Ride, Wexford Carol, Tua Bethlem dref, Winter Wonderland, White Christmas, Schlafendes Jesuskind, Süßer die Glocken nie klingen... & Pie Jesu (from Lloyd-Webber's Requiem)... all wonderfully accompanied by Jacques and the musicians...
What a joy!
Talking of joy, one of the orchestra told us she was particularly pleased to see us, as she had been in the OSQ (l'Orchestre Symphonique de Québec) when we did some snowy concerts with them (one February!), and she had appeared at the front of the stage when the leader needed a new string... and was espied by her husband-to-be; thus she felt we had contributed to this flourishing union... (they have two children too!) - very heart-warming...
Even better, we can do it all again in Chicoutimitomorrow today!
Lovely evening in Roberval in the Église Notre-Dame with full symphony orchestra & chorus, Jacques Clément at the helm, and TLQ.
Wonderful.
The massive, modern, church (built in the 1970s) is a huge round thing (well possibly octagonal) - a bit like a U.F.O. from the outside... and very striking both inside and out - huge modern stained glass windows all around on every side.
Plenty of room for l'Orchestre Symphonique du Saguenay - Lac-Saint-Jean, and a 50-strong chorus...
So much joy - the chorus sang a sweet French song Pour Noël, as well as some splendid Rutter... King Jesus Had a Garden and Donkey Carol.... we all performed Rutter's Sans Day Carol together... and the climax of the concert, The Lion King classic, Can You Feel the Love Tonight? was superb with the chorus creating the African backing vocals excellently... (a première for this bigger orchestration!)
The orchestra performed two exquisite medleys of carols (particularly impressed with the very romantic take on Quelle est cette odeur...? in one).
We performed some a cappella favourites, but it was mainly a delight to work with all the musicians in the building, and to perform pieces we know well, on a larger canvas. Sleigh Ride, Wexford Carol, Tua Bethlem dref, Winter Wonderland, White Christmas, Schlafendes Jesuskind, Süßer die Glocken nie klingen... & Pie Jesu (from Lloyd-Webber's Requiem)... all wonderfully accompanied by Jacques and the musicians...
What a joy!
Talking of joy, one of the orchestra told us she was particularly pleased to see us, as she had been in the OSQ (l'Orchestre Symphonique de Québec) when we did some snowy concerts with them (one February!), and she had appeared at the front of the stage when the leader needed a new string... and was espied by her husband-to-be; thus she felt we had contributed to this flourishing union... (they have two children too!) - very heart-warming...
Even better, we can do it all again in Chicoutimi
Saturday, 14 December 2013
Canadian Orchestral Concerts
Hooray - we're in snowy, quite freezing, but beautiful Québec province... Chicoutimi to be precise... We have two concerts with l'Orchestre Symphonique du Saguenay - Lac-St-Jean... tomorrow night in a big church in Robertval and the next night in Chicoutimi itself... marvellous.
We've rehearsed all day to day with the orchestra and the choir and it has been a great joy.
Conductor, Jacques Clément also splendid...
All shall be super, & we'll report on this after the first gig, but enjoyed rehearsing with the choir and orchestra in Can You Feel the Love Tonight? ...with African backing vocals.... brilliant!
Must tell Sir T. that it is billed as Can You Fell the Love Tonight? - perhaps not the same idea at all!
Of course there are also lots of Christmas hits and glories...
More anon...
We've rehearsed all day to day with the orchestra and the choir and it has been a great joy.
Conductor, Jacques Clément also splendid...
All shall be super, & we'll report on this after the first gig, but enjoyed rehearsing with the choir and orchestra in Can You Feel the Love Tonight? ...with African backing vocals.... brilliant!
Must tell Sir T. that it is billed as Can You Fell the Love Tonight? - perhaps not the same idea at all!
Of course there are also lots of Christmas hits and glories...
More anon...
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Neumünster & Itzehoe
Quite north now in DE... but we have been saved very low temperatures...
Final two German dates until after Xmas...
A new place - Neumünster aptly - & Itzehoe which saw our Best of British show last year...
The Stadhalle and the Theater respectively.... both full of enthusiasm...and people!
Delighted to have some old friends of my wife's family in the audience at the first of these - they live nearby in Kiel.
In all our DE tour, there has been tremendous rattling of keys when asked for - to accompany us in Sleigh Ride - the composer, Leroy Anderson would be most pleased... at the weekend we will be performing the same piece (and much other Christmas joy) with the Chicoutimi Symphony Orchestra, in Québec province, Canada...
Can't wait - altho' North America is a mite parky at the moment... I'll take all my clothes and wear them one of top of the other... that'll do the trick. -9°, -14°... pah!
Home for 28.5 hours from tomorrow lunchtime... time to get a Christmas tree, I think...
Final two German dates until after Xmas...
A new place - Neumünster aptly - & Itzehoe which saw our Best of British show last year...
The Stadhalle and the Theater respectively.... both full of enthusiasm...and people!
Delighted to have some old friends of my wife's family in the audience at the first of these - they live nearby in Kiel.
In all our DE tour, there has been tremendous rattling of keys when asked for - to accompany us in Sleigh Ride - the composer, Leroy Anderson would be most pleased... at the weekend we will be performing the same piece (and much other Christmas joy) with the Chicoutimi Symphony Orchestra, in Québec province, Canada...
Can't wait - altho' North America is a mite parky at the moment... I'll take all my clothes and wear them one of top of the other... that'll do the trick. -9°, -14°... pah!
Home for 28.5 hours from tomorrow lunchtime... time to get a Christmas tree, I think...
Monday, 9 December 2013
Bayreuth & Hameln
Now there's a juxtaposition you may not see so often... two cities linked to giant global Germanic myths... the home of Wagner and Total Art & the home of the Pied Piper!
Both concerts a great joy, of course... a full house in Bayreuth were chock-a-block with Christmas joie de vivre & we had a very noisy time with all the joining in!
...and there was an especial desire for cricket tea towels... we sold so many!
In fact we sold more tea towels at Hameln and have none left! What a beautiful city Hameln is - unhurt and still in its Middle-Age glory... Another splendid evening here too!
We are enjoying sharing 'The Ins and Outs of Cricket' with Germany and passing out cricket tea towels of the same; but we are taking no notice of our very poor English cricket side's exploits in Australia... that is too depressing!
Onwards to Neumünster
Friday, 6 December 2013
Langenau & Cham
Two more German gigs have come and gone now.... in Langenau & in Cham.
Now we are truly in frosty (and this afternoon, snowy) winter weather... luckily only a two-hour drive to Bayreuth tomorrow...
Langenau was a splendid... in one of the cultural quarters which Germany create so well amidst the library, sports centre etc... brilliant.
Packed all and lovely Stollen too...
Great joys; an old friend of Magenta and TLQ, Bettina was there to help sell our merchandise... not just CDs, not just printed music, but cricket tea towels too!
Wonderful to see her... she 'only' lives 100km away... so that's near!
Tonight a return visit to Cham (pronounced calm), near the Czech border, here in Bavaria...amidst the Bayerische Wald (forest to you, mate).. it did look beautiful in the snow! ...tho' it failed to settle...
Great audience, full of fun & we were given presents by the Lady Mayor... all super... (we'll try not to consume them all before getting home!)
As ever we are catered for at these venues very well and the hotels and restaurants are just too good!
Yum!
Now we are truly in frosty (and this afternoon, snowy) winter weather... luckily only a two-hour drive to Bayreuth tomorrow...
Langenau was a splendid... in one of the cultural quarters which Germany create so well amidst the library, sports centre etc... brilliant.
Packed all and lovely Stollen too...
Great joys; an old friend of Magenta and TLQ, Bettina was there to help sell our merchandise... not just CDs, not just printed music, but cricket tea towels too!
Wonderful to see her... she 'only' lives 100km away... so that's near!
Tonight a return visit to Cham (pronounced calm), near the Czech border, here in Bavaria...amidst the Bayerische Wald (forest to you, mate).. it did look beautiful in the snow! ...tho' it failed to settle...
Great audience, full of fun & we were given presents by the Lady Mayor... all super... (we'll try not to consume them all before getting home!)
As ever we are catered for at these venues very well and the hotels and restaurants are just too good!
Yum!
Thursday, 5 December 2013
Mannheim
Excellent start to 12 Magenta/Peter Martin Jakob concerts this month in Germany... at Capitol, Mannheim...
Lovely space to sing in, enthusiastic audience, lots of CDs and songbooks sold... and even a cricket tea-towel, would you believe it?!
Marvellous all round; and an English cricket umpire/scorer/coach there too.... he keeps cricket going in this region of Germany.
This morning we had breakfast surrounded by an 80s (well, and still going) rock band, and their entourage, whose name I did not catch... they said they were going to somewhere in the GDR in a couple of days... still stuck in the 80s, it seems!
Now we're in Langenau awaiting another glorious Christmas evening...
Lovely space to sing in, enthusiastic audience, lots of CDs and songbooks sold... and even a cricket tea-towel, would you believe it?!
Marvellous all round; and an English cricket umpire/scorer/coach there too.... he keeps cricket going in this region of Germany.
This morning we had breakfast surrounded by an 80s (well, and still going) rock band, and their entourage, whose name I did not catch... they said they were going to somewhere in the GDR in a couple of days... still stuck in the 80s, it seems!
Now we're in Langenau awaiting another glorious Christmas evening...
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Tamworth - ancient capital of Mercia
To Tamworth, ancient capital of the Kingdom of Mercia... this was always the Midlands (but never Wales), but also stretching to the South in its pomp... (everywhere but Cornwall)...
Excellent castle, and good market to wander around... & the Assembly Rooms sit on or near the site of Offa's Castle... you know the one who built the Dyke to keep the Welsh in Wales in the 8th century... as our resident Welshman, Mike points out... it never worked! ...and there was another Welsh chap in the audience!
Later Tamworth was the home to Sir Robert Peel, creator of the Tamworth pig and the Tamworth manifesto... I make no comment on which of these is more important... politics is not at home in this blog!
That's enough history... great to see a new place; we've never been here before.
Lovely people in the Assembly Rooms, being generous and kind with their time and efforts... and our first Christmas outing of the year was suitably joy-filled. The first of many audiences this month to have Steve as Elvis thrust upon them... and whilst on icons of pop, we were performing on a stage where The Rolling Stones had performed 50 years and a day ago (and The Beatles just a few months before that)... so maybe history is never that far away!
A lovely evening in the middle of England...
Awaiting our first of 12 German shows this month in .... Mannheim:
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
Excellent castle, and good market to wander around... & the Assembly Rooms sit on or near the site of Offa's Castle... you know the one who built the Dyke to keep the Welsh in Wales in the 8th century... as our resident Welshman, Mike points out... it never worked! ...and there was another Welsh chap in the audience!
Later Tamworth was the home to Sir Robert Peel, creator of the Tamworth pig and the Tamworth manifesto... I make no comment on which of these is more important... politics is not at home in this blog!
That's enough history... great to see a new place; we've never been here before.
Lovely people in the Assembly Rooms, being generous and kind with their time and efforts... and our first Christmas outing of the year was suitably joy-filled. The first of many audiences this month to have Steve as Elvis thrust upon them... and whilst on icons of pop, we were performing on a stage where The Rolling Stones had performed 50 years and a day ago (and The Beatles just a few months before that)... so maybe history is never that far away!
A lovely evening in the middle of England...
Awaiting our first of 12 German shows this month in .... Mannheim:
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
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