Festive greetings to all!
Lier was a beautiful place in which to have such a last outing just before Christmas ... beautiful city...
...& no weather-travel issues, unlike previous Belgian trips in the Festive season... Hooray.
...and a splendid on-time comfortable Eurostar home... bliss.
A great Belgian tour - thanks to Thomas Van der Spiegel for all his hard work.
Oh, we had Christmas at home!
Now we are in the middle of our run at the Crazy Coqs cabaret in central London at Brasserie Zédel... delightful venue with wonderful staff... and the shows are going very well... a little bit valedictory as they are Richard's last gigs in the UK - very last one tonight - but still a lovely atmosphere and great fun.... only slightly hampered tonight that we have very early flights in the AM to get to Switzerland... what larks!!
...sadly we even had to leave a very loyal old fan outside the room (well. he's not that old!), as they could not get any more inside.... great for us perhaps, but annoying for him... sorry, Mark!
Great trio of destinations to come.... London, Fischingen, Esch-sur-Alzette....
Tuesday, 30 December 2014
Sunday, 21 December 2014
Asterix the Gaul? no way Ambiorix the Belgae!
Good to meet this chap in a Tongeren square...
Ambiorix
Dead impressive..(was he good with his hands?)... and amazing to know that the Belgians had sort of forgotten him until casting about for old Belgian heroes when they became independent in 1830... and lo, here he is truly heroic to the last! He even impressed J Caesar himself...
Ambiorix
Dead impressive..(was he good with his hands?)... and amazing to know that the Belgians had sort of forgotten him until casting about for old Belgian heroes when they became independent in 1830... and lo, here he is truly heroic to the last! He even impressed J Caesar himself...
...with suitable Christmas decoration... wonder what he'd think of that!?
Great to be back in Tongeren - the oldest city in Belgium, which J.Caesar would have known.
Lovely theatre, and good to have all of the adults in the Weerts family - sorry Jo, that's you too... an honorary Weerts! The younger members of the family were working/playing hard!
Then on to Leopoldsburg, where we had not been for 10 years... very good to re-visit there... Peter and his team looked after us well.
A quick jaunt to The Netherlands this AM... for an early-feeling concert at 11AM.. we survived!
Another new place... De Schalm at Veldhoven... excellently warm crowd delighting in CHristmas spirit...
Steve did his Elvis, of course.... and then in the evening a full show of Elvis impersonation... we like to do warm-up for other acts....
Just one more to go tonight pre-Christmas... we are in the beautiful city of Lier... not much time to look around sadly...
We're nearly there...
Thursday, 18 December 2014
Maaseik & Ternat, Belgium
Two return trips... each a pleasure to be back.
Wonderful to have singers from Gerrie Guerts' Jeugd en Muziek school here in Maaseik to open our concert... they sang for 20 minutes & were fabulous... more of them in a future blog (all for their very own)...
After that fine start the church was already set for a wonderful evening...and as you might expect in such a setting the two carols we asked the audience to join with, were terrific.
Totally different programme to 13 months ago.... of course we could add lots of Christmas music to the mix. .. and even Elvis made an appearance singing Lonely this Christmas; then he left the building.
Elvis followed us to Ternat (well, actually he was driving)... and we had another delightful Christmas evening..., a quite enormous tree at the back of the stage decorated so heavily that it fell over... luckily, the stage is deep enough that it did not hit anyone! ...and it was only in rehearsal... very secure in the performance.
Just three more Christmas concerts to go before the day itself... two in Belgium and one in The Netherlands...
Wonderful to have singers from Gerrie Guerts' Jeugd en Muziek school here in Maaseik to open our concert... they sang for 20 minutes & were fabulous... more of them in a future blog (all for their very own)...
After that fine start the church was already set for a wonderful evening...and as you might expect in such a setting the two carols we asked the audience to join with, were terrific.
Totally different programme to 13 months ago.... of course we could add lots of Christmas music to the mix. .. and even Elvis made an appearance singing Lonely this Christmas; then he left the building.
Elvis followed us to Ternat (well, actually he was driving)... and we had another delightful Christmas evening..., a quite enormous tree at the back of the stage decorated so heavily that it fell over... luckily, the stage is deep enough that it did not hit anyone! ...and it was only in rehearsal... very secure in the performance.
Just three more Christmas concerts to go before the day itself... two in Belgium and one in The Netherlands...
Tuesday, 16 December 2014
Showtime première & European Christmas...
At last the Aalst première of our new Belgian show, Showtime... with Sarah-Ann as guest.
From next year it will be just the new group, but the five-part première has happened!
...and we had the ever-reliable Chris Hatt on stage, fighting off the lurgy all the while... superb to have him there!
Great success it was - the show was sold out almost as soon as the tickets went on sale, and the packed audience loved it.
Well done, Sarah-Ann, we look forward to much more in 2015 and beyond!
Christmas shows in Tienen, Zaltbommel, Milan & Overijse were all excellent too!
..a wee bit busy... lots of early AMs to avoid Belgian strikers and make sure we got to Italy and back (via The Netherlands)... but cool.
Great to re-visit Tienen, to have a cool Sunday afternooon yule in Zaltbommel (The Netherlands, in case you are not sure), and to have another great afternoon in Overijse today...
Lots of sales of CDs, songbooks and of course In/Out tea towels... good to spread the word even tho' England can hardly win a cricket match these days...
We were looked after in Milan by Ilenia and Luisa very well indeed... great to have our Italian agents around.
Very beautiful city... and we were in a splendidly central hotel... right near all the sites:
The Tienen hotel had two dogs.... little and large:-
Grand old lady (well, I think so.... I did not invade her privacy to look):-
...and a wee one that modelled reindeer sculptures:-
Here is one for the Cant-TLQ archives... a picture of the old and the new!
In a bar after Tienen:- (S-A was drinking Tea.... Richard not!)
From next year it will be just the new group, but the five-part première has happened!
...and we had the ever-reliable Chris Hatt on stage, fighting off the lurgy all the while... superb to have him there!
Great success it was - the show was sold out almost as soon as the tickets went on sale, and the packed audience loved it.
Well done, Sarah-Ann, we look forward to much more in 2015 and beyond!
Christmas shows in Tienen, Zaltbommel, Milan & Overijse were all excellent too!
..a wee bit busy... lots of early AMs to avoid Belgian strikers and make sure we got to Italy and back (via The Netherlands)... but cool.
Great to re-visit Tienen, to have a cool Sunday afternooon yule in Zaltbommel (The Netherlands, in case you are not sure), and to have another great afternoon in Overijse today...
Lots of sales of CDs, songbooks and of course In/Out tea towels... good to spread the word even tho' England can hardly win a cricket match these days...
We were looked after in Milan by Ilenia and Luisa very well indeed... great to have our Italian agents around.
Very beautiful city... and we were in a splendidly central hotel... right near all the sites:
...and the concert went well too - lots of Italian was spoken & the audience laughed at the right moments... so either we were word perfect, or hilariously wrong... (or both!)
La Montanara especially well received...
The Tienen hotel had two dogs.... little and large:-
Grand old lady (well, I think so.... I did not invade her privacy to look):-
...and a wee one that modelled reindeer sculptures:-
Here is one for the Cant-TLQ archives... a picture of the old and the new!
In a bar after Tienen:- (S-A was drinking Tea.... Richard not!)
Now we are in Maaseik awaiting a return concert - we were here last year.... and a female vocal group we coached a bit then, will begin the evening... looking forward to that very much.
If It's Tuesday, it must be Belgium.... (does anyone remember that fairly drab film of the 1970s? It is true for us today!)
Friday, 12 December 2014
Can you Feel the Love Tonight (twice)?
The Royal Albert Hall & Wemmel in Belgium; two performances of Can You Feel the Love Tonight? in short succession, but different circumstances...
Firstly the RAH for Christmas with the Stars in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.... splendid evening, all accompanied and compered by Frank Renton and his excellent Brass Band.
We'd not done Can You Feel...? with Brass Band before, and a great experience it was...
Ann Reid, Patricia Hodge, Deborah Meaden, Michel Roux jnr., Julia Bradbury, Tony Audenshaw & lots more of the Emmerdale cast, Graham Le Saux (who introduced us), & Sydenham Girls choir....were all there, as well as a surprise guest Andrea Faustini from X-factor and his mentor Mel B.... (I am sure I am not the first to point out the splendidly ironic surname he has for an X-factor contestant)...
He sang beautifully... and everyone in the Hall promised to vote for him at the weekend!!
Our Festival of Carols in Two Minutes and 12 days with apt noises also brought the house down...
...wonderful evening and cause for which to make money.
...and here is the place being brought down, just a few moments after it all finished:-
Firstly the RAH for Christmas with the Stars in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.... splendid evening, all accompanied and compered by Frank Renton and his excellent Brass Band.
We'd not done Can You Feel...? with Brass Band before, and a great experience it was...
Ann Reid, Patricia Hodge, Deborah Meaden, Michel Roux jnr., Julia Bradbury, Tony Audenshaw & lots more of the Emmerdale cast, Graham Le Saux (who introduced us), & Sydenham Girls choir....were all there, as well as a surprise guest Andrea Faustini from X-factor and his mentor Mel B.... (I am sure I am not the first to point out the splendidly ironic surname he has for an X-factor contestant)...
He sang beautifully... and everyone in the Hall promised to vote for him at the weekend!!
Our Festival of Carols in Two Minutes and 12 days with apt noises also brought the house down...
...wonderful evening and cause for which to make money.
...and here is the place being brought down, just a few moments after it all finished:-
After this splendour we quickly went down to the SW for some fantastically blue-skied and sunny hours in Bradford-on Avon... & here is proof (with a bit of a lorry on the bridge)!
Excellent concert for some old folks down there... and all had a good time!
Then it was back to Europe, (we're here for the next 11 days)... starting with the next Sarah-Ann Cromwell guest show in Wemmel, Belgium... Showtime all went very well!
More on this after Aalst (the première).... however...
Audience loved it, and we're looking forward to doing it all again in Aalst on Saturday (it's sold out, sorry!)... of course we'll fit in a Christmas show tonight first in Tienen...
Hooray...
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
Christmas in Deurne & with the stars...
Very lovely evening in a large church in Deurne, Belgium (near Antwerp).... Christmas concert with the splendid Chris Hatt on piano....
Lovely atmosphere... even including the singing of three Belgian carols with the audience... great to have Steve to lead this! They made a large noise... perhaps not least so that they could keep warm... the heating was on all the time, but it is clearly a hell of a size place to keep temperate!
We ended with the Jonathan Rathbone-arranged and excellent See Amid the Winter's Snow for crazy pianist and singers... Chris was mad enough!... as he took over the carol to play Bach, Bethoven, Grieg, Gershwin underneath... a triumph!
Now it is on to the Royal Albert Hall to sing Can You Feel the Love Tonight? with brass band led by Frank Renton, as well as 12 days and Festival of Carols in 2 Minutes for a tremendous evening in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research entitled... Christmas with the Stars.
Hope Betelgeuse is there...
Lovely atmosphere... even including the singing of three Belgian carols with the audience... great to have Steve to lead this! They made a large noise... perhaps not least so that they could keep warm... the heating was on all the time, but it is clearly a hell of a size place to keep temperate!
We ended with the Jonathan Rathbone-arranged and excellent See Amid the Winter's Snow for crazy pianist and singers... Chris was mad enough!... as he took over the carol to play Bach, Bethoven, Grieg, Gershwin underneath... a triumph!
Now it is on to the Royal Albert Hall to sing Can You Feel the Love Tonight? with brass band led by Frank Renton, as well as 12 days and Festival of Carols in 2 Minutes for a tremendous evening in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research entitled... Christmas with the Stars.
Hope Betelgeuse is there...
Sunday, 7 December 2014
Richarddämmerung - last of DE
So Richard's last three German concerts have happened...
Wangen im Allgäu, Rockenhausen & Itzehoe...
Great to be in Wangen once more (our 6th visit)... as ever a great reception and a beautiful area of Germany to spend some time... A Richard-farewell concert - with presents!
This is what a foyer of a bank can look like when it has a concert at Christmas... Sparkasse at Rockenhausen... a very delightful experience, & our first totally seasonal outing of the year..(well. apart from our Orthodox Belorussian Christmas in January!)... lots more to come.
Wangen im Allgäu, Rockenhausen & Itzehoe...
Great to be in Wangen once more (our 6th visit)... as ever a great reception and a beautiful area of Germany to spend some time... A Richard-farewell concert - with presents!
This is what a foyer of a bank can look like when it has a concert at Christmas... Sparkasse at Rockenhausen... a very delightful experience, & our first totally seasonal outing of the year..(well. apart from our Orthodox Belorussian Christmas in January!)... lots more to come.
Then it was to Itzehoe for another Richard-farewell - the final DE fling!
Lovely people again amidst excellent Christmas delights of shopping till midnight!
...and an audience member very kindly put some chocolate bears on our chairs (I am a poet, and I don't know it)... as it was St Nikolaus yesterday... We even received a St Nikolaus (in chocolate, natch) from the organisers... yum!
Now it is on to Belgium for our Belgian Christmas extravaganza (with a bit of Italy and the Netherlands too)... Deurne this evening where we are very pleased to be joined by pianist-extraorinaire, Chris Hatt...
Monday, 1 December 2014
Our first (of many) Christmas Markets.... Bayreuth to begin with...
Markus: Good luck with the Huebnotix gigs - 14th, 19th & 20th December in Bayreuth - 50 years of rock (with strings too!)...
Next for us it is on to Wangen im Allgäu and then our first Christmas outing at Rockenhausen; after that, we're back to the UK (for two days!)
Great concert here; wonderful to have Six Pack stalwarts... Markus Burucker (taking time off from being a rock-bass-God) and the ever-reliable Christian Potthast (on sound) looking after us... as well as Marcus #2 on lights... great team!
Another enthusiastic, friendly audience in Germany... how excellent. This was a Farewell Richard concert & the atmosphere was suitably warm for such an occasion.
Markus: Good luck with the Huebnotix gigs - 14th, 19th & 20th December in Bayreuth - 50 years of rock (with strings too!)...
Next for us it is on to Wangen im Allgäu and then our first Christmas outing at Rockenhausen; after that, we're back to the UK (for two days!)
Saturday, 22 November 2014
Excellent Sarah-Ann debut...
She was brilliant, of course!
Noisy and splendid evening at Lemmensinstituut, Leuven (Belgium, if you need more info)...
...and Sarah-Ann's first gig with us, as a guest in 6 songs.
...this was a try-out of much of the Showtime show for next year...
We will do this twice more on the 11th and 13th December in Wemmel and Aalst (yes, still Belgium)... before Richard leaves the TLQ stage with his final turn at Esch, Luxembourg...
Lots of new stuff, of course... Abba, Guys and Dolls, Batman, O Mio Babbino Caro, He's a Tramp & Michel Legrand... just to name a few... you'll just have to come and see the show!
As ever a most ferociously enthusiastic response from the students - a lovely atmosphere... great for Sarah-Ann's first concert... and they all joined in with Always Look on the Bright Side of Life splendidly & loudly at the end!
Edwin Risbourg did a fine job on sound and lights, and Chris Hatt was excellent as ever at the piano... great to have such a team working with us.
Thank you, BE agent, Thomas VdS of course too...
STOP PRESS: Forgot to mention that we were also joined by some students from the college to sing the chorus parts in Can You Feel the Love Tonight? from Lion King - tremendous to have their contribution too...
A great evening....
A few precious days off now, before we start the Xmas rush on November 29th!!
Noisy and splendid evening at Lemmensinstituut, Leuven (Belgium, if you need more info)...
...and Sarah-Ann's first gig with us, as a guest in 6 songs.
...this was a try-out of much of the Showtime show for next year...
We will do this twice more on the 11th and 13th December in Wemmel and Aalst (yes, still Belgium)... before Richard leaves the TLQ stage with his final turn at Esch, Luxembourg...
Lots of new stuff, of course... Abba, Guys and Dolls, Batman, O Mio Babbino Caro, He's a Tramp & Michel Legrand... just to name a few... you'll just have to come and see the show!
As ever a most ferociously enthusiastic response from the students - a lovely atmosphere... great for Sarah-Ann's first concert... and they all joined in with Always Look on the Bright Side of Life splendidly & loudly at the end!
Edwin Risbourg did a fine job on sound and lights, and Chris Hatt was excellent as ever at the piano... great to have such a team working with us.
Thank you, BE agent, Thomas VdS of course too...
STOP PRESS: Forgot to mention that we were also joined by some students from the college to sing the chorus parts in Can You Feel the Love Tonight? from Lion King - tremendous to have their contribution too...
A great evening....
A few precious days off now, before we start the Xmas rush on November 29th!!
Wednesday, 19 November 2014
DE tour then pastures new... with Sarah-Ann
Last two dates of the November outings to Germany... in Nienburg/Weser & Bremerhaven...
Two more performances of Best of British with the splendid Paul Plummer at the piano...
This was our second show in Nienburg, and the place was full to the brim, and much flag-waving and excitement ensued!
Our fellow Magenta artists, Medlz are here in Nienburg next Saturday (22nd November)!
Do go along... they're cool...
Then we went up to the fishing port/harbour of Bremerhaven... and ate lots of wonderful fish... (it is difficult not to eat fish here!)...
...and to a theatre we have not been in for ten years... excellent to be back...
Excellent staff and support and an audience prepared to let their hair down!
Now it is a totally new venture... we have never done this before when we have changed members, but we have three Belgian gigs where both Richard and Sarah-Ann will perform together... it will be our new show for Belgium - Showtime! (This will be called Memories in Germany)... where we celebrate music for the stage...
Sarah-Ann will be our guest for a few songs on Thursday at the Lemmens Instituut, and then in December at shows at Aalst and Wemmel. All details on our site.
From the 29th November we are ferociously busy... (more details anon - tho' you can look at our site)
Hooray for all that!
Two more performances of Best of British with the splendid Paul Plummer at the piano...
This was our second show in Nienburg, and the place was full to the brim, and much flag-waving and excitement ensued!
Our fellow Magenta artists, Medlz are here in Nienburg next Saturday (22nd November)!
Do go along... they're cool...
Then we went up to the fishing port/harbour of Bremerhaven... and ate lots of wonderful fish... (it is difficult not to eat fish here!)...
...and to a theatre we have not been in for ten years... excellent to be back...
Excellent staff and support and an audience prepared to let their hair down!
Now it is a totally new venture... we have never done this before when we have changed members, but we have three Belgian gigs where both Richard and Sarah-Ann will perform together... it will be our new show for Belgium - Showtime! (This will be called Memories in Germany)... where we celebrate music for the stage...
Sarah-Ann will be our guest for a few songs on Thursday at the Lemmens Instituut, and then in December at shows at Aalst and Wemmel. All details on our site.
From the 29th November we are ferociously busy... (more details anon - tho' you can look at our site)
Hooray for all that!
Saturday, 15 November 2014
Hameln & Haus der Springmaus
It wasn't so Grimm in Hameln ! (geddit??!!)
No Pied Pipers whisked anyone off whilst we did a Best of British in Hameln...
We had lunch here which was nice... splendid old town in the midst of a circular road... very picturesque...
Then on to Bonn...
For this tour we are with our old friend Paul Plummer on piano... he has been with us most often in our 11 trips to Haus der Springmaus.
Terrific to have Paul there as it was a 'farewell Richard' concert... (he is already clanking with bottles and can't walk for the weight of chocolate and gifts! - but don't stop, will you?)
Wonderful to see Andrea Heister who runs Haus der Springmaus, as ever, and old friend Ingeborg in the audience...
We repeated our Born 2 Rule Over You Horrible Histories song, as we sang as part of the 300th anniversary of the Hannoverian throne of Great Britain... and it went down very well!
Excellent willing and appreciative audiences in both venues... as we have come to expect in Germany
We are very lucky to have another friend Birgit to help sell our CDs (in fact to do it completely!) - she's very good at getting shot of Cricket Tea Towels... we have none left (17 gone in two days!)... She is with us for most of this tour - a delight - and such a great help too...
On to Nienburg & Bremerhaven next...
No Pied Pipers whisked anyone off whilst we did a Best of British in Hameln...
We had lunch here which was nice... splendid old town in the midst of a circular road... very picturesque...
...and the flag-waving was great. Good participation all round.
Excellent to meet Dorothee once more at the theatre... great staff and venue.
Then on to Bonn...
For this tour we are with our old friend Paul Plummer on piano... he has been with us most often in our 11 trips to Haus der Springmaus.
Terrific to have Paul there as it was a 'farewell Richard' concert... (he is already clanking with bottles and can't walk for the weight of chocolate and gifts! - but don't stop, will you?)
Wonderful to see Andrea Heister who runs Haus der Springmaus, as ever, and old friend Ingeborg in the audience...
We repeated our Born 2 Rule Over You Horrible Histories song, as we sang as part of the 300th anniversary of the Hannoverian throne of Great Britain... and it went down very well!
Excellent willing and appreciative audiences in both venues... as we have come to expect in Germany
We are very lucky to have another friend Birgit to help sell our CDs (in fact to do it completely!) - she's very good at getting shot of Cricket Tea Towels... we have none left (17 gone in two days!)... She is with us for most of this tour - a delight - and such a great help too...
On to Nienburg & Bremerhaven next...
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Ferry cross the Bodensee (twice)
Two beautiful Ferry crossings over the Bodensee to facilitate concerts in Elgg (Switzerland) & Immenstaad (Germany).
Both evenings very loud and enthusiastic! Lots of old friends at the Swiss concert; Silvan, Andrea & Michel, Ulla Schmid & Lotti Viola and Hildegard Sutter - how delightful. Irene's Mum & Silvan got the Are You Lonesome? treatment!
We started the "Farewell Richard" process at Elgg, and he was presented with a bottle of wine... he may not be able to carry his suitcase by the end of December!
...and another friend Urs gave a wonderful, moving singing tribute to Richard after the concert..
...and it was standing room only at Immenstaad.... (they only have two shows a year, so they are very popular!)
We were in a dressing room full of the Carnival costumes at Immenstaad - they start rehearsals now! - and of course it carries on for months!
Mike felt like the Comedian Harmonists (Ich wollt' ich wär' ein Huhn).... so, wishing he were a hen, tried one on:
Very fetching...
We started the "Farewell Richard" process at Elgg, and he was presented with a bottle of wine... he may not be able to carry his suitcase by the end of December!
...and another friend Urs gave a wonderful, moving singing tribute to Richard after the concert..
...and it was standing room only at Immenstaad.... (they only have two shows a year, so they are very popular!)
We were in a dressing room full of the Carnival costumes at Immenstaad - they start rehearsals now! - and of course it carries on for months!
Mike felt like the Comedian Harmonists (Ich wollt' ich wär' ein Huhn).... so, wishing he were a hen, tried one on:
Very fetching...
Friday, 7 November 2014
Beautiful Autumnal Germany and very odd toilets
A game of two halves on this first of a few tours of Europe between now and Christmas...
...firstly we have two concerts in Germany and then one in Switzerland, but back to Germany again after that...
Starting in the autumnal splendour of Illingen Saar & Bad Waldsee....
We performed two Best of British shows with Chris Hatt on the piano.
Terrific.
Here is the back of the theatre in the latter.... nice, eh?
Last time we were here (in 2000) we were in a performing tent and they were planning the venue we played tonight... It was great to see it having come to fruition...
Both sets of audiences loved waving their union flags and lustily singing Land of Hope and Glory, Rain stops cricket at Lord's, Red buses and Shakespeare, John, Paul, Ringo & George.... (Better than their efforts at The Lambeth Walk!)
.jpg)
.jpg)
...firstly we have two concerts in Germany and then one in Switzerland, but back to Germany again after that...
Starting in the autumnal splendour of Illingen Saar & Bad Waldsee....
We performed two Best of British shows with Chris Hatt on the piano.
Terrific.
Here is the back of the theatre in the latter.... nice, eh?
Last time we were here (in 2000) we were in a performing tent and they were planning the venue we played tonight... It was great to see it having come to fruition...
Both sets of audiences loved waving their union flags and lustily singing Land of Hope and Glory, Rain stops cricket at Lord's, Red buses and Shakespeare, John, Paul, Ringo & George.... (Better than their efforts at The Lambeth Walk!)
The venue is indeed excellent, but these loos are very rarely used by two people we suggest... well, not unless they are both standing presumably... (Nice posing, Mike... we felt mime rather than realism best here.)
Now Chris Hatt has ridden off to be maestro at the Billy Elliot building site & it's on to Elgg in Switzerland, then Immenstaad on the Bodensee for a cappella us ... for some Madrigal to McCartney shows...
Onwards and eastwards...
Sunday, 2 November 2014
Rule Britannia repeats on BBC
We've been on TV again...
The BBC are repeating
Rule Britannia - Music, Mischief and Morals in the 18th century...
...do seek out our minutes (a few per programme!)... at your pleasure
BBC iPlayer:
Episode 1 - very near the end of the episode; one of me appears!
Episode 2
Episode 3 at 8PM on BBC4 on Friday 7th November...
For those not in the know, we sing drinking songs, catches, anti-French tracts & both the original of and the US National Anthem itself...
The BBC are repeating
Rule Britannia - Music, Mischief and Morals in the 18th century...
...do seek out our minutes (a few per programme!)... at your pleasure
BBC iPlayer:
Episode 1 - very near the end of the episode; one of me appears!
Episode 2
Episode 3 at 8PM on BBC4 on Friday 7th November...
For those not in the know, we sing drinking songs, catches, anti-French tracts & both the original of and the US National Anthem itself...
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
David Rayvern Allen funeral
The sun shone on north-east London for the day yesterday as we gathered to say farewell to David Rayvern Allen....
English idyll:
His brother Keith & Richard Stilgoe gave marvellous speeches remembering the great man... as musician, pianist, radio producer, speaker, prolific cricket writer and historian... hard work never worried him!
Excellent to see brothers both, Tim & Jo Rice; Alan Maryon-Davies & Peter Christie (from Instant Sunshine); as well as Barry Forgie... the church was full to the brim of family, & friends from many decades..... in support of Rosemary, Lindsay & Briony.
We sat next to a concorde pilot!
As ever a wonderful moving occasion which made all fervently wish that the man himself were there to see it...
English idyll:
His brother Keith & Richard Stilgoe gave marvellous speeches remembering the great man... as musician, pianist, radio producer, speaker, prolific cricket writer and historian... hard work never worried him!
Excellent to see brothers both, Tim & Jo Rice; Alan Maryon-Davies & Peter Christie (from Instant Sunshine); as well as Barry Forgie... the church was full to the brim of family, & friends from many decades..... in support of Rosemary, Lindsay & Briony.
We sat next to a concorde pilot!
As ever a wonderful moving occasion which made all fervently wish that the man himself were there to see it...
Monday, 27 October 2014
Repentigny, Québec and coming home...
Delightful end to tour in a beautiful church in Repentigny...with an excellent acoustic.
11 years ago, we were here too... such bravery to have us back so soon!
All went well, but especially wonderful to sing our classical repertoire in the church... Comment Amour, Bist du bei Mir, Priez pour paix and Oblivion each feeling very good from up at the front.
Everyone there very happy and jolly and so keen to help and be kind.
Thank you to all.
Also they had a veracious appetite for CDs & songbooks; lots of smiling faces after the show.
Relief, I expect.
So another great tour of Canada is over; such a splendid territory for us for the last eleven years... long may it continue.
We chased off after the concert for Ottawa (& an airport hotel), so we were "ready" to get up at 3.45 for the silly o'clock to Toronto so we could get home in one day.... and thus here we are!
Glad to be home; and good to be able to go to David Rayvern Allen's funeral tomorrow.
11 years ago, we were here too... such bravery to have us back so soon!
All went well, but especially wonderful to sing our classical repertoire in the church... Comment Amour, Bist du bei Mir, Priez pour paix and Oblivion each feeling very good from up at the front.
Everyone there very happy and jolly and so keen to help and be kind.
Thank you to all.
Also they had a veracious appetite for CDs & songbooks; lots of smiling faces after the show.
Relief, I expect.
So another great tour of Canada is over; such a splendid territory for us for the last eleven years... long may it continue.
We chased off after the concert for Ottawa (& an airport hotel), so we were "ready" to get up at 3.45 for the silly o'clock to Toronto so we could get home in one day.... and thus here we are!
Glad to be home; and good to be able to go to David Rayvern Allen's funeral tomorrow.
Friday, 24 October 2014
breaking and entering in Montréal, & St-Jean-sur-Richelieu
We found another hall in which to sing in Montréal.... I do not think we have to come to the end of our search to perform in every possible place here!
This time it was Patro Le Prévost auditorium... perhaps our sixth venue after TV, radio, Jazz Festival (open air), Juste pour Rire, Pierre Peladeau & Chapelle Historique...
A fine lunchtime (vibrant) audience greeted us for two hours of jollity... & they bought songbooks and CDs too... how splendid.
At the end of our show, especially complicated as we were needing to rush on to St-Jean-sur-Richelieu for an evening performance, we found ourselves locked out of the dressing room:- here is what they did to their door (it wasn't us, guv!)...
This time it was Patro Le Prévost auditorium... perhaps our sixth venue after TV, radio, Jazz Festival (open air), Juste pour Rire, Pierre Peladeau & Chapelle Historique...
A fine lunchtime (vibrant) audience greeted us for two hours of jollity... & they bought songbooks and CDs too... how splendid.
At the end of our show, especially complicated as we were needing to rush on to St-Jean-sur-Richelieu for an evening performance, we found ourselves locked out of the dressing room:- here is what they did to their door (it wasn't us, guv!)...
Then we did get to go to SJR, although the traffic issues which plague Montréal at peak time did make us sit about in traffic all the way to Pont Jacques-Cartier, and after... but we managed to get there in time to perform... sound check, who needs 'em.... The tech staff & everyone else at Cabaret-Théâtre Vieux St-Jean were terrific & the audience lapped up everything we offered with great enthusiasm... All done and dusted by 7.20... a busy day!!
Thank you to all at l'Agence Station Bleue for their hard work on our behalf...
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
The pleasure of Ontario
Four excellent places to stop and enjoy autumnal Ontario...
Deep River, Orillia, Burlington & Lakefield.
In Deep River, we started with a lunchtime performance to lots of schoolchildren, before the evening show... they were clearly very excited... I suspect they may have decided before we showed up that we might be boring... we showed them!
Lots of hilarity...
There was a 15-minute Q&A after this; one question was how old we are (clearly... very!); Richard asked them to guess our combined age... 736 was the loudest and first guess! How very Old Testament.
We saw this wonderful sign in a shop-window... presumably it's all about Thanksgiving (which has just happened over here) excess... funny ol' habits here in Canada!
OOH
Another excellent place in which to sing and with the Jazz Festival over three days when we are here, awash with music in every bar, café and spare space in the town... great. We heard a super trio over lunch (with real espresso). Great bookshops too...
The fantastic autumnal colours are all over the place too - our hotel was here on a lake by a park - from deep reds through orange and brown to yellow... excellent.
Then two gigs on one day, a lunchtime at Burlington Arts Centre, followed by an interview onstage by Barbara Budd - esteemed Canadian actress and CBC presenter... she was very professional of course and teased out all our secrets! The audience tittered...
...and quickly on to Lakefield - return visit after almost exactly 4 years...last time we got a puncture here and then had our internal flight cancelled because of fog & had to drive for miles & miles the next day.... no such problems this time! Lovely to be back (and they said this almost never happens)... We were looked after as before, in grand style and enjoyed Lakeside's cuisine and wine. The Hall was wonderful to sing in too... Some members of the audience cheated and already knew all the words to The Lambeth Walk... I still made them have a practice, of course.
Mike stopped off for a bit of electioneering (I don't know where he finds the time)...
We then found out on the way to Québec what Bob was going to do in January....
Following Mike's lead, here he is canvassing for office:- to be Mayor of Kingston [ON] - outside the beautifully apportioned Wendy's car park-cum-rubbish tip.... All the Best, mate!
So here we are in Montréal, one of our favourite cities... three concerts to come here at St Jean sur Richelieu, Montréal itself & Repentigny...[October 23rd - 25th]... bring it on!
Details of gigs HERE
Deep River, Orillia, Burlington & Lakefield.
In Deep River, we started with a lunchtime performance to lots of schoolchildren, before the evening show... they were clearly very excited... I suspect they may have decided before we showed up that we might be boring... we showed them!
Lots of hilarity...
There was a 15-minute Q&A after this; one question was how old we are (clearly... very!); Richard asked them to guess our combined age... 736 was the loudest and first guess! How very Old Testament.
We saw this wonderful sign in a shop-window... presumably it's all about Thanksgiving (which has just happened over here) excess... funny ol' habits here in Canada!
Splendid day here, and Jim, the light and sound man made everything sound wonderful!
Then on to Orillia & the excellent Orillia Opera House - gloriously shortened to (you guessed it!):OOH
Another excellent place in which to sing and with the Jazz Festival over three days when we are here, awash with music in every bar, café and spare space in the town... great. We heard a super trio over lunch (with real espresso). Great bookshops too...
The fantastic autumnal colours are all over the place too - our hotel was here on a lake by a park - from deep reds through orange and brown to yellow... excellent.
Then two gigs on one day, a lunchtime at Burlington Arts Centre, followed by an interview onstage by Barbara Budd - esteemed Canadian actress and CBC presenter... she was very professional of course and teased out all our secrets! The audience tittered...
...and quickly on to Lakefield - return visit after almost exactly 4 years...last time we got a puncture here and then had our internal flight cancelled because of fog & had to drive for miles & miles the next day.... no such problems this time! Lovely to be back (and they said this almost never happens)... We were looked after as before, in grand style and enjoyed Lakeside's cuisine and wine. The Hall was wonderful to sing in too... Some members of the audience cheated and already knew all the words to The Lambeth Walk... I still made them have a practice, of course.
Mike stopped off for a bit of electioneering (I don't know where he finds the time)...
We then found out on the way to Québec what Bob was going to do in January....
Following Mike's lead, here he is canvassing for office:- to be Mayor of Kingston [ON] - outside the beautifully apportioned Wendy's car park-cum-rubbish tip.... All the Best, mate!
So here we are in Montréal, one of our favourite cities... three concerts to come here at St Jean sur Richelieu, Montréal itself & Repentigny...[October 23rd - 25th]... bring it on!
Details of gigs HERE
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
David Rayvern Allen RIP
Very sad news to hear that our old friend, David Rayvern Allen has died...
Such a polymath; radio producer, presenter and announcer from the latter part of radio's golden age, speaker, author of huge numbers of authoritative biographies, books and anthologies on his beloved game of cricket... and collector of sheet music of a huge range, but mainly a vast collection of sporting songs... (which we have plundered over the years).
A supporter of many artists over decades, and a great friend of the indefatigable Richard Stilgoe, he of course mentored and co-produced our Songs of Cricket CD on Signum.
No more jolly cricket evenings at Lord's (and elsewhere) with DRA doing his presenting bit and our all being able to mess around in whites.
A sad loss...
Such a polymath; radio producer, presenter and announcer from the latter part of radio's golden age, speaker, author of huge numbers of authoritative biographies, books and anthologies on his beloved game of cricket... and collector of sheet music of a huge range, but mainly a vast collection of sporting songs... (which we have plundered over the years).
A supporter of many artists over decades, and a great friend of the indefatigable Richard Stilgoe, he of course mentored and co-produced our Songs of Cricket CD on Signum.
No more jolly cricket evenings at Lord's (and elsewhere) with DRA doing his presenting bit and our all being able to mess around in whites.
A sad loss...
Monday, 6 October 2014
Kate Dimbleby Album launch
Lovely evening at the Dean Street Jazz@Pizza Express to launch Kate Dimbleby's CD, Love Comes Again...
Fellow guests were the singer-songwriters, Rebecca Hollweg, and Jay Fisher... who both duetted with Kate...
Great to hear them and their music...
We were all backed by Naadia Sheriff (piano), Sophie Alloway (drums) & Andy Hamill (bass):- the bassist would usually be Jonty Fisher, but owing to bad planning, he was booked on the wrong plane home from Italy by someone else... splendidly Andy, who is also Rebecca's husband stepped into the breach & was excellent.
.jpg)
We sang our track from the album with Kate - Cab Calloway's Everybody eats... as well as Hit the Road, Jack - lovely to sing with Kate, and of course we were splendidly accompanied by Naadia, Sophie & Andy.
We also gave our a cappella 'cats duet' of Man Tran/Ink Spots tracks... Well, well, well & That Cat is High, as well as The Lambeth Walk - which the people gamely tried to join in with... of course we still berated them!
Backwards was better...
Fellow guests were the singer-songwriters, Rebecca Hollweg, and Jay Fisher... who both duetted with Kate...
Great to hear them and their music...
We were all backed by Naadia Sheriff (piano), Sophie Alloway (drums) & Andy Hamill (bass):- the bassist would usually be Jonty Fisher, but owing to bad planning, he was booked on the wrong plane home from Italy by someone else... splendidly Andy, who is also Rebecca's husband stepped into the breach & was excellent.
We sang our track from the album with Kate - Cab Calloway's Everybody eats... as well as Hit the Road, Jack - lovely to sing with Kate, and of course we were splendidly accompanied by Naadia, Sophie & Andy.
We also gave our a cappella 'cats duet' of Man Tran/Ink Spots tracks... Well, well, well & That Cat is High, as well as The Lambeth Walk - which the people gamely tried to join in with... of course we still berated them!
Backwards was better...
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Golden Triangle tour
Marshchapel, Lincolnshire, Ilkley, Yorkshire and Bucharest, Romania... yes we have trod the same well-travelled path as others before us:- such a natural triumvirate.
Three very different evenings...
Firstly in the Cathedral of the Marshes in Marshchapel... a beautiful church in which to sing and a delightful crowd of jolly, happy people to be entertained... joys... Thank you, to Paul and his charming wife, Ros for looking after us so well... (marvellous cottage pie)...
An excellent Festival run by keen and conscientious people.
Thank you to Voces8 for suggesting us and giving our concert a plug!
Then back to the Ilkley Playhouse, Yorkshire... where we were last June; wonderful to be back, but of course, sad to be reminded of the sad early death of my old friend, Walter Swan, who invited us for these two shows...
...but after that sting of a reminder, the show did indeed go on, and we had a very fine time with a keen Yorkshire crowd, only a few of whom were old friends from London!
They even were happy with our rendition of a song by local hero, Jake Thackray:- Sister Josephine.
Thank you to Joy for looking after us too...with her lovely family.
Then, naturally, on to the capital of Romania to help celebrate 20 years of BMW in the country:- Automobile Bavaria. A splendid celebration with many car people and local celebrities...
They tried to join in with the Lambeth Walk and understood our Romanian - hooray...
Then there was the unveiling (for Romania) of the new BMW i8 (an electronic car - sorry, Jeremy!)...
Three very different evenings...
Firstly in the Cathedral of the Marshes in Marshchapel... a beautiful church in which to sing and a delightful crowd of jolly, happy people to be entertained... joys... Thank you, to Paul and his charming wife, Ros for looking after us so well... (marvellous cottage pie)...
An excellent Festival run by keen and conscientious people.
Thank you to Voces8 for suggesting us and giving our concert a plug!
Then back to the Ilkley Playhouse, Yorkshire... where we were last June; wonderful to be back, but of course, sad to be reminded of the sad early death of my old friend, Walter Swan, who invited us for these two shows...
...but after that sting of a reminder, the show did indeed go on, and we had a very fine time with a keen Yorkshire crowd, only a few of whom were old friends from London!
They even were happy with our rendition of a song by local hero, Jake Thackray:- Sister Josephine.
Thank you to Joy for looking after us too...with her lovely family.
Then, naturally, on to the capital of Romania to help celebrate 20 years of BMW in the country:- Automobile Bavaria. A splendid celebration with many car people and local celebrities...
They tried to join in with the Lambeth Walk and understood our Romanian - hooray...
Then there was the unveiling (for Romania) of the new BMW i8 (an electronic car - sorry, Jeremy!)...
Excellent to see Romania for the third time this year... in glorious late summer sunshine.
Hooray.
Preparations for Kate Dimbleby CD launch on Sunday evening and then Canada... terrific!
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Bridewell #3 & #4 and a lovely party
Two more performances at the bijou Bridewell Theatre on Friday and Saturday afternoon were splendid fun!
...forgot to mention on the last blog the tremendous contribution of the squeaky floorboard (sited between Mike & I on stage) which filled many pieces - both serious and comedy! - with a frisson of excitement.
Enthusiastic responses from the people to squeaks and music alike.
Long may our relationship with the St. Bride Foundation continue...
Then a quick jaunt up to Warwick Avenue for a private party at Clifton Nurseries - a fine venue & now available for Weddings!
Joined by wonderful pianist Chris Hatt, we celebrated Penny Levinson's birthday with her friends and family in fine style... singing many of her favourite songs... Let's Do It, Night & Day, The Way You Look Tonight, Mad Dogs & Englishmen, Tea for Two, As Time Goes By, A Fine Romance, & Honeysuckle Rose... as well as renditions of Cricket Tea Towel, Strangers in the Night and (altogether now) The Lambeth Walk...
Delightful to be invited to her celebrations...
A busy and enjoyable day...
...forgot to mention on the last blog the tremendous contribution of the squeaky floorboard (sited between Mike & I on stage) which filled many pieces - both serious and comedy! - with a frisson of excitement.
Enthusiastic responses from the people to squeaks and music alike.
Long may our relationship with the St. Bride Foundation continue...
Then a quick jaunt up to Warwick Avenue for a private party at Clifton Nurseries - a fine venue & now available for Weddings!
Joined by wonderful pianist Chris Hatt, we celebrated Penny Levinson's birthday with her friends and family in fine style... singing many of her favourite songs... Let's Do It, Night & Day, The Way You Look Tonight, Mad Dogs & Englishmen, Tea for Two, As Time Goes By, A Fine Romance, & Honeysuckle Rose... as well as renditions of Cricket Tea Towel, Strangers in the Night and (altogether now) The Lambeth Walk...
Delightful to be invited to her celebrations...
A busy and enjoyable day...
Friday, 5 September 2014
Bridewell Theatre #1 & #2
First two Bridewell Theatre shows for this September... marvellous.
Still tonight and Saturday afternoon to come....
We enjoyed going Over the Top! for our first two nights in the splendid Bridewell Theatre off Fleet Street... As we are Artists in Residence at the Bridewell Institute, we have performed here many times...
Still a joy - lovely audiences have enjoyed all our nonsense with great aplomb...
Thanks to Mikey and all at the Bridewell for their tremendous support throughout the year.
Still tonight and Saturday afternoon to come....
We enjoyed going Over the Top! for our first two nights in the splendid Bridewell Theatre off Fleet Street... As we are Artists in Residence at the Bridewell Institute, we have performed here many times...
Still a joy - lovely audiences have enjoyed all our nonsense with great aplomb...
Thanks to Mikey and all at the Bridewell for their tremendous support throughout the year.
Sunday, 31 August 2014
This week at the Bridewell & beautiful Belgium under the stars
Do come to the Bridewell theatre this week! It'll be great fun...
Weds. 3rd - Fri. 5th at 7.30
Sat. 6th at 2.30
Box Office: 0207 427 4742
All other details here - Over the Top!
We had two wonderful evenings (apart from one 30 minute downpour which was less so) at the excellent Nuits des Choeurs 2014 - an evening of multi-entertainment on six separate stages in the ruins of an old Monastry at Abbaye de Villers, about an hour from Brussels.
As well as us, there was the choir of the French Foreign Legion, The choir of St Petersburg, the lovely franco-israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naim, the energetic and vibrant French cast of Sister Act & the backing group for James Brown.
All the acts perform on six separate stages... three at a time, a set of 20 minutes four times during the evening, so the vast crowds (many thousands) can wander about and watch everything...(including two of them twice if they like) as well as drink and eat... It is sponsored by many, but the eye-catching one for me was Leffe... lovely beer!
It ends on the biggest stage (where the Foreign Legion were at home) with us all doing one more song and ending with fireworks...
Fantastic, and the hardy Belgians laughed at the rain and the muddy fields... brilliant!
One of the amazing six stages:
Weds. 3rd - Fri. 5th at 7.30
Sat. 6th at 2.30
Box Office: 0207 427 4742
All other details here - Over the Top!
We had two wonderful evenings (apart from one 30 minute downpour which was less so) at the excellent Nuits des Choeurs 2014 - an evening of multi-entertainment on six separate stages in the ruins of an old Monastry at Abbaye de Villers, about an hour from Brussels.
As well as us, there was the choir of the French Foreign Legion, The choir of St Petersburg, the lovely franco-israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naim, the energetic and vibrant French cast of Sister Act & the backing group for James Brown.
All the acts perform on six separate stages... three at a time, a set of 20 minutes four times during the evening, so the vast crowds (many thousands) can wander about and watch everything...(including two of them twice if they like) as well as drink and eat... It is sponsored by many, but the eye-catching one for me was Leffe... lovely beer!
It ends on the biggest stage (where the Foreign Legion were at home) with us all doing one more song and ending with fireworks...
Fantastic, and the hardy Belgians laughed at the rain and the muddy fields... brilliant!
One of the amazing six stages:
Thursday, 21 August 2014
Mike Smith's funeral
A very moving and sad occasion yesterday.
Mike Smith's funeral.
In glorious Summer sunshine we joined friends and family of the broadcaster & helicopter pilot to celebrate the far-too-early demise of Smithy.
It was a huge honour to be invited...
We helped lead the singing of the excellent music choices; Bring Me Sunshine & Lean on Me & also sang the piece that Cantabile - The London Quartet premiered at Mike and Sarah's wedding 25 years ago... written by Julie Cooper & our old friend Hugh Wooldridge - Pageant!
Many speeches from friends and family were appropriately warm and loving, but Sarah made an especially wonderful speech bringing tears to eyes and lumps to throats... goodness knows how she managed to say it all, but filled with Mike's celebrated joie de vivre, she insisted that life would & could go on.
A beautiful event - as ever with funerals both miserable and life-enhancing.
We can't help but notice that after Mel's last year, this is the second summer during the Edinburgh Festival in which we have sung at the funeral of an M Smith... hoping this does not become a habit...
Mike Smith's funeral.
In glorious Summer sunshine we joined friends and family of the broadcaster & helicopter pilot to celebrate the far-too-early demise of Smithy.
It was a huge honour to be invited...
We helped lead the singing of the excellent music choices; Bring Me Sunshine & Lean on Me & also sang the piece that Cantabile - The London Quartet premiered at Mike and Sarah's wedding 25 years ago... written by Julie Cooper & our old friend Hugh Wooldridge - Pageant!
Many speeches from friends and family were appropriately warm and loving, but Sarah made an especially wonderful speech bringing tears to eyes and lumps to throats... goodness knows how she managed to say it all, but filled with Mike's celebrated joie de vivre, she insisted that life would & could go on.
A beautiful event - as ever with funerals both miserable and life-enhancing.
We can't help but notice that after Mel's last year, this is the second summer during the Edinburgh Festival in which we have sung at the funeral of an M Smith... hoping this does not become a habit...
Friday, 1 August 2014
We break our Aylesbury Duck! ...(and a Wedding)
Ho ho ho... (duck, Aylesbury... geddit?)
Lovely afternoon in the beautiful town of Aylesbury... as part of the Avondale Summer Music Festival... Our first time in the place, I reckon (excellent to look around the place before the concert - perhaps my colleagues might correct me if I am lying & we have been before!) The weather stayed fair and we entertained the assembled masses under sunny skies & our Madrigal to McCartney show was appreciated greatly...
Also lovely to see our friend Irene married to Steve a few days ago - we wish them all the very best in their future together....
Other jolly news.. it remains warm and (mainly) sunny & England have remembered how to play cricket.
Great Commonwealth Games too...
Have a splendid Summer!
Lovely afternoon in the beautiful town of Aylesbury... as part of the Avondale Summer Music Festival... Our first time in the place, I reckon (excellent to look around the place before the concert - perhaps my colleagues might correct me if I am lying & we have been before!) The weather stayed fair and we entertained the assembled masses under sunny skies & our Madrigal to McCartney show was appreciated greatly...
Also lovely to see our friend Irene married to Steve a few days ago - we wish them all the very best in their future together....
Other jolly news.. it remains warm and (mainly) sunny & England have remembered how to play cricket.
Great Commonwealth Games too...
Have a splendid Summer!
Friday, 4 July 2014
BBC Radio 3 - CD Review - Saturday 5th July
Hooray - have just heard that our newest CD, Songs of Love and War will be reviewed on BBC Radio 3 Saturday morning - in the war CDs section from 10:50 - 11:45...
This is course can be listened to live, but also in perpetuity!
Look/listen HERE !
This is course can be listened to live, but also in perpetuity!
Look/listen HERE !
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
Derbyshire delight
A lovely afternoon (despite a sharp downpour for 20 minutes) in Repton, Derbyshire... in the magnificent grounds of Repton School (where the original Goodbye, Mr Chips was filmed)... glorious...
We changed in the pavilion (where else!) & saw from the walls that Harold Abrahams ( 'in' Chariots of Fire) and Bunny Austin (Fred Perry's fellow Brit. tennis rival) were Old Reptonians... as well as plenty cricketing O.R.s including all-rounder Nitish Kumar, who plays for Canada now!
The marvellous lunch was in aid of the Repton Village Hall Appeal - and with so many present, one hopes they are already well on their way! ...as well as the auction...
Before we did anything, the local string quartet, Derventio Quartet entertained with delightful arrangements of jazz standards...
...and after us Electric violinist Pete Hartley entertained around the tables excellently..
But in between, we gave our best, and tried to help the guests forget that we were interrupting their meal...
No-one rioted... and they were very good at singing The Lambeth Walk - hoorah for that!
Great time in a beautiful part of the world...
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
A Bonnie evening...
Wonderful last night in Alba Iulia, where we were sandwiched between two acts, the great Bonnie Tyler and 3 O'CLOCK - with 15,000 people in the open air at the Citadel.
The latter being an Andrews Sisters type trio (as you can see above) accompanied in this gig by jazz trio (guitar, bass & drums). They were great fun; and elicited much excitement from members of Bonnie Tyler's band... (all was OK, the girls were surrounded by their boyfriends, friends and families after their set and were well protected!)
Then it was time for us to say hello and goodbye to Alba Iulia for this year... we sang Penny Lane & then organiser Mihai talked to the audience in Romanian whilst we nodded and smiled... it appears we promised a job to any Romanian who appeared on our doorsteps! Luckily, everyone thought this very funny!
Then it was stadium rock time and on came Bonnie Tyler and her band - marvellous stuff indeed and the huge crowd sang along with lots of her hits (and heard a few from her new album too)... great to hear It's a Heartache live...
Another excellent early summer in Romania - mainly lovely weather, super people good food & drink and delightful atmosphere:- see you next year!
The latter being an Andrews Sisters type trio (as you can see above) accompanied in this gig by jazz trio (guitar, bass & drums). They were great fun; and elicited much excitement from members of Bonnie Tyler's band... (all was OK, the girls were surrounded by their boyfriends, friends and families after their set and were well protected!)
Then it was time for us to say hello and goodbye to Alba Iulia for this year... we sang Penny Lane & then organiser Mihai talked to the audience in Romanian whilst we nodded and smiled... it appears we promised a job to any Romanian who appeared on our doorsteps! Luckily, everyone thought this very funny!
Then it was stadium rock time and on came Bonnie Tyler and her band - marvellous stuff indeed and the huge crowd sang along with lots of her hits (and heard a few from her new album too)... great to hear It's a Heartache live...
Another excellent early summer in Romania - mainly lovely weather, super people good food & drink and delightful atmosphere:- see you next year!
Sunday, 22 June 2014
Grand Orchestral nights
Two excellent evenings at our regular early summer haunt, Alba Iulia in Romania.
Both with orchestra...
Firstly our own concert with the Alba Iulia orchestra gloriously conducted by Remus Grama - the audience were even good enough to continue listening/watching even when rain came (luckily it was only light showers!)...
We gave them, Schubert/Shakespeare's Who is Sylvia, Dankworth's The Compleat Works of Shakespeare, Pavane (from our new album Songs of Love & War), Michel Legrand's Summer of '42 & J'attendrai (I Will Wait for You), Everbody's Talkin', As Time Goes By & other musical hits... Music of the Night & Bring Him Home and even some pop! - Stevie Wonder's I Just Called..., the Bond theme flowing into Skyfall and that ubiquitous song Happy!
Romanian pop song Vara Nu Dorm also had another outing! The last two songs garnering lots of joining in (at least clapping along!)
A lovely evening with some excellent musicians who also enjoyed themselves.
Remus Grama was a splendidly attentive and wonderful conductor.
The next evening, there was a performance of Aida by the Opera Naționala Romana din Cluj-Napoca - in the open air (thank goodness, the afternoon's rain stopped in the evening!)...
As a prelude to this, we sang the first two numbers from Tim Rice & Elton John's Aida - the Musical, with the opera orchestra.
Again wonderfully conducted by Cristian Oroşanu, it was terrific to perform these songs (Every Story is a Love Story & Fortune favours the Brave) and the packed Citadel audience were a delight.
We began by playing an audio message from Tim Rice who apologised for not being there (he is in Brazil for some reason - what's he want to be there for!?), and sent his greetings as we sang his and Elton's songs to them... but, as he said, not Don't Cry for Me, Alba Iulia!
A good use of two knights of the realm in international relations!
Thank you as ever to Mihai Coser for inviting us, and for him & all at Alba Iulia City Hall (especially Robert Roman) for working so hard!
We're introducing fellow Brit, Bonnie Tyler tonight...
If you want to see our gala performance from Sibiu (amidst an awards ceremony - 4 short slots) - you can look here ! [It possibly helps to be in Romania!]
Both with orchestra...
Firstly our own concert with the Alba Iulia orchestra gloriously conducted by Remus Grama - the audience were even good enough to continue listening/watching even when rain came (luckily it was only light showers!)...
We gave them, Schubert/Shakespeare's Who is Sylvia, Dankworth's The Compleat Works of Shakespeare, Pavane (from our new album Songs of Love & War), Michel Legrand's Summer of '42 & J'attendrai (I Will Wait for You), Everbody's Talkin', As Time Goes By & other musical hits... Music of the Night & Bring Him Home and even some pop! - Stevie Wonder's I Just Called..., the Bond theme flowing into Skyfall and that ubiquitous song Happy!
Romanian pop song Vara Nu Dorm also had another outing! The last two songs garnering lots of joining in (at least clapping along!)
A lovely evening with some excellent musicians who also enjoyed themselves.
Remus Grama was a splendidly attentive and wonderful conductor.
The next evening, there was a performance of Aida by the Opera Naționala Romana din Cluj-Napoca - in the open air (thank goodness, the afternoon's rain stopped in the evening!)...
As a prelude to this, we sang the first two numbers from Tim Rice & Elton John's Aida - the Musical, with the opera orchestra.
Again wonderfully conducted by Cristian Oroşanu, it was terrific to perform these songs (Every Story is a Love Story & Fortune favours the Brave) and the packed Citadel audience were a delight.
We began by playing an audio message from Tim Rice who apologised for not being there (he is in Brazil for some reason - what's he want to be there for!?), and sent his greetings as we sang his and Elton's songs to them... but, as he said, not Don't Cry for Me, Alba Iulia!
A good use of two knights of the realm in international relations!
Thank you as ever to Mihai Coser for inviting us, and for him & all at Alba Iulia City Hall (especially Robert Roman) for working so hard!
We're introducing fellow Brit, Bonnie Tyler tonight...
If you want to see our gala performance from Sibiu (amidst an awards ceremony - 4 short slots) - you can look here ! [It possibly helps to be in Romania!]
Sunday, 15 June 2014
Two Sibiu nights in Thalia Hall
The splendid Thalia Hall here in Sibiu was wonderful to be in for two nights...
Firstly our solo concert, and then four spots within a gala evening of awards to theatre people from around the world (we are singing in the Sibiu International Festival of Theatre - FITS in Romanian order!)
Everyone took to us wonderfully... & even heard and understood our Romanian (both introductions and a song!)
Thanks to my Romanian friends Gabby & Dan for suggesting we sing Vara Nu Dorm - a beach hit from 2012 - to which the audience listened in concentrated silence (which was worrying...) and then cheered and applauded madly (which was not!)
Mike and I also took part in the 'cultural conversation' chaired by UK academic Professor Noel Witt with Oliver Bray from Leeds Metropolitan University Performing Arts course & a lady from Che Theatre, Minsk, Belarus: she talked of the troubles of working around government censorship and fear in Belarus, Oliver talked of the importance of non-mainstream arts teaching/learning and new ideas of what performance can be & we shared stories of our trip to Minsk in January and also how we wished to both enrapture and amuse our audiences... This will be transcribed for the Sibiu Festival archive (they already have years of it!) so our words will be held in aspic for future generations to er... marvel at (or whatever!).
The BBC weather site had promised loads of electrical storminess - they were, thank goodness, wrong... and it has been sunny all the time!
On to Alba Iulia at the end of next week... Cant-TLQ with orchestra, Bonnie Tyler & a full production of Aida (plus we sing a bit of the Elton John/Tim Rice musical version) and a chap with panpipes...)
Glorious...
Firstly our solo concert, and then four spots within a gala evening of awards to theatre people from around the world (we are singing in the Sibiu International Festival of Theatre - FITS in Romanian order!)
Everyone took to us wonderfully... & even heard and understood our Romanian (both introductions and a song!)
Thanks to my Romanian friends Gabby & Dan for suggesting we sing Vara Nu Dorm - a beach hit from 2012 - to which the audience listened in concentrated silence (which was worrying...) and then cheered and applauded madly (which was not!)
Mike and I also took part in the 'cultural conversation' chaired by UK academic Professor Noel Witt with Oliver Bray from Leeds Metropolitan University Performing Arts course & a lady from Che Theatre, Minsk, Belarus: she talked of the troubles of working around government censorship and fear in Belarus, Oliver talked of the importance of non-mainstream arts teaching/learning and new ideas of what performance can be & we shared stories of our trip to Minsk in January and also how we wished to both enrapture and amuse our audiences... This will be transcribed for the Sibiu Festival archive (they already have years of it!) so our words will be held in aspic for future generations to er... marvel at (or whatever!).
The BBC weather site had promised loads of electrical storminess - they were, thank goodness, wrong... and it has been sunny all the time!
On to Alba Iulia at the end of next week... Cant-TLQ with orchestra, Bonnie Tyler & a full production of Aida (plus we sing a bit of the Elton John/Tim Rice musical version) and a chap with panpipes...)
Glorious...
Friday, 13 June 2014
Romania fortnight begins...
Sitting in the exquisite beauty of Sibiu (or Hermannstadt if you prefer - both names are in use!)...
Very lovely here, and the present sunshine is very welcome (as welcome as the coming huge storm which we are promised is not...)
We sang last night at The Cisnădioara Fortress (20 minutes drive from Sibiu) an amazing place - which was on top of a very steep climb (luckily we had time to get our breath back before we sang.
Here are the altar and the grand entry:
A lovely space in which to sing and we started very early, singing some Hildegard of Bingen! Then took the time-honoured journey through to the present day - our appreciative audience came with us with great joy - and were happy with our Romanian and German intros - tho' their English also appeared very good!
A slightly scary walk back down the hill in the pitch black - but a great experience...
Next two nights we are still here, but in the Thalia Hall in the City...
Glad England appear to be able to play cricket again - wonder how our Rugby U. and Football teams will fare tomorrow!?
Very lovely here, and the present sunshine is very welcome (as welcome as the coming huge storm which we are promised is not...)
We sang last night at The Cisnădioara Fortress (20 minutes drive from Sibiu) an amazing place - which was on top of a very steep climb (luckily we had time to get our breath back before we sang.
Here are the altar and the grand entry:
A lovely space in which to sing and we started very early, singing some Hildegard of Bingen! Then took the time-honoured journey through to the present day - our appreciative audience came with us with great joy - and were happy with our Romanian and German intros - tho' their English also appeared very good!
A slightly scary walk back down the hill in the pitch black - but a great experience...
Next two nights we are still here, but in the Thalia Hall in the City...
Glad England appear to be able to play cricket again - wonder how our Rugby U. and Football teams will fare tomorrow!?
Thursday, 5 June 2014
We're on a new CD...
Excellent new CD from wonderful jazz singer Kate Dimbleby, Love Comes Again: featuring many talents... Jonty Fisher on bass, Sophie Alloway on percussion & Naadia Sheriff on piano to name but three...
...and on the last track us as well!
(Everybody Eats... Cab Calloway)
Some classic jazz numbers and Kate's own hilarious/poignant songs!
Simply go here:- & you can have it yourself.... either download, or physical (plus free download!)
Hooray!
PS: Don't forget to get your Songs of Love and War, if you have yet so to do!
...and on the last track us as well!
(Everybody Eats... Cab Calloway)
Some classic jazz numbers and Kate's own hilarious/poignant songs!
Simply go here:- & you can have it yourself.... either download, or physical (plus free download!)
Hooray!
PS: Don't forget to get your Songs of Love and War, if you have yet so to do!
Monday, 2 June 2014
Montréal & Toronto
Marvellous times in Canada...
Firstly in Québec, just across the water from Montréal in St Lambert at the Centre Multifonctionnel; as ever in francophone Canada, we were greeted with great enthusiasm & the audience were excellent.
Great to exercise our French material again - Priez pour Paix (Poulenc) from our new CD, Songs of Love and War especially moving.
Then we chased over to Toronto, where we took part in SING! - The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival... delightful to meet (and hear) the excellent Aaron Jensen & his vocal tremendous group Countermeasure.
Aaron a great leading light in vocal music worldwide (composing, arranging, workshopping and singing) - very good to know him now.
Splendid to see Pat Silver too, whose idea SING! was (now in its third year), having met her in various events around Canada before - excellent to work for her!
Members of Countermeasure were kind enough to come to our workshop on Saturday afternoon, and join in with gusto, as well as some individuals & also an octet, Maple Jam from Vermont, who sang a glorious rendition of a piece by Piazzolla - great to hear them too!
We very much enjoyed our workshop, listening to great singing & sharing some knowledge.
Pity we were only in Toronto for 23 hours - there was so much of SING! to enjoy... a feast of vocal music...
The Little Trinity Church was truly wonderful to sing in, it was like having another two members with us! Great acoustic...
The audience were equally delighted by the classical and the pure, and by the jazzy and funny...
All in all, a quick but rewarding trip to Canada - we're back in Ontario and Québec in October...
Firstly in Québec, just across the water from Montréal in St Lambert at the Centre Multifonctionnel; as ever in francophone Canada, we were greeted with great enthusiasm & the audience were excellent.
Great to exercise our French material again - Priez pour Paix (Poulenc) from our new CD, Songs of Love and War especially moving.
Then we chased over to Toronto, where we took part in SING! - The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival... delightful to meet (and hear) the excellent Aaron Jensen & his vocal tremendous group Countermeasure.
Aaron a great leading light in vocal music worldwide (composing, arranging, workshopping and singing) - very good to know him now.
Splendid to see Pat Silver too, whose idea SING! was (now in its third year), having met her in various events around Canada before - excellent to work for her!
Members of Countermeasure were kind enough to come to our workshop on Saturday afternoon, and join in with gusto, as well as some individuals & also an octet, Maple Jam from Vermont, who sang a glorious rendition of a piece by Piazzolla - great to hear them too!
We very much enjoyed our workshop, listening to great singing & sharing some knowledge.
Pity we were only in Toronto for 23 hours - there was so much of SING! to enjoy... a feast of vocal music...
The Little Trinity Church was truly wonderful to sing in, it was like having another two members with us! Great acoustic...
The audience were equally delighted by the classical and the pure, and by the jazzy and funny...
All in all, a quick but rewarding trip to Canada - we're back in Ontario and Québec in October...
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Canada very soon & last trip
Soon off to marvellous Canada.... (2 gigs: Québec & Ontario)
St Lambert, Québec - Friday 30th May at 9PM
Toronto, ON - as part of SING! 2014 Toronto Vocal Arts Festival - Saturday31st May at 7.30PM
...see you there!
Also we have a workshop in the afternoon at Toronto - 3.15 - 4.15
We had a very fine time a few days ago in Hemmingen and Celle, after the Royal exertions at Hannover!
Both delightful regions of Hannover, Celle especially having links to the British as UK armed forces were based there for many years...
We had a great couple of concerts with appreciative and responsive audiences - great joys!
I cannot get the Meaning of Liff definition of Toronto out of my head...(Well, John Lloyd is my cousin) - but I will not write it out; for those not easily offended (it is slightly naughty!) do look here!
St Lambert, Québec - Friday 30th May at 9PM
Toronto, ON - as part of SING! 2014 Toronto Vocal Arts Festival - Saturday31st May at 7.30PM
...see you there!
Also we have a workshop in the afternoon at Toronto - 3.15 - 4.15
We had a very fine time a few days ago in Hemmingen and Celle, after the Royal exertions at Hannover!
Both delightful regions of Hannover, Celle especially having links to the British as UK armed forces were based there for many years...
We had a great couple of concerts with appreciative and responsive audiences - great joys!
I cannot get the Meaning of Liff definition of Toronto out of my head...(Well, John Lloyd is my cousin) - but I will not write it out; for those not easily offended (it is slightly naughty!) do look here!
Friday, 16 May 2014
great Hanoverian celebration
Hannover has put together a year of celebration of the Anglo-German house of Hanover, which embraced the Throne of Great Britain & Ireland in 1714... entitled:
ALS DIE ROYALS AUS HANNOVER KAMEN
As part of the grand opening of the five exhibitions on the subject in the Museums of Hannover, there was an entertainment at Hannover Staatsoper.
There were speeches from the Lower Saxony leader - Stephan Weil & from Her Majesty's Ambassador, Simon MacDonald; and much of the excellent Handel's Water Music was played by the Niedersächsische Stattorchester Hannover, wonderfully conducted by Anja Bihlmaier.
Then it was our turn; the script was written and performed by opera singer & writer Uwe Tobias Hieronimi, who ended up also playing William IV; of course we played Georges I, II, III & IV... (Mike, Steve, Richard, Mark - if you're interested! - yes, I am the fattest).
Quite the whole shooting match; crowns, capes and a throne on which we took turns!
We sang:
Song of the Weather (Flanders & Swan) in the excellent German translation we have from Maggie Forsythe; The Lambeth Walk (George I - Mike - finding English as if people were speaking backwards!; Our marvellous tea-making National Anthem - wonderful German words by Rainer Wallraf; In an English Country Garden - with splendid German text by the Forsyths...
...and then, joined by the orchestra, Horrible Histories terrific Born To Rule (Four Georges Song) & to cap it all:- Rule Britannia (with Tobias singing with us too!)
All glorious and fun... a delight as it always is to be accompanied by an orchestra - Anja was great too! Not to forget our Hannoverian guest pianist, Siegmund Weinmeister, who accompanied the weather and garden songs excellently.
Exhibitions and other events are here all summer... in fact we hear that a coach arrived at Buckingham Palace today, which echoed the journey of 16 days of George I those 300 years ago... (only this one had an actor in it!)
All organised splendidly - thank you especially Nicola and Ursula - and for Peter Martin Jacob for getting us here...
A privilege to part of it all...
ALS DIE ROYALS AUS HANNOVER KAMEN
As part of the grand opening of the five exhibitions on the subject in the Museums of Hannover, there was an entertainment at Hannover Staatsoper.
There were speeches from the Lower Saxony leader - Stephan Weil & from Her Majesty's Ambassador, Simon MacDonald; and much of the excellent Handel's Water Music was played by the Niedersächsische Stattorchester Hannover, wonderfully conducted by Anja Bihlmaier.
Then it was our turn; the script was written and performed by opera singer & writer Uwe Tobias Hieronimi, who ended up also playing William IV; of course we played Georges I, II, III & IV... (Mike, Steve, Richard, Mark - if you're interested! - yes, I am the fattest).
Quite the whole shooting match; crowns, capes and a throne on which we took turns!
We sang:
Song of the Weather (Flanders & Swan) in the excellent German translation we have from Maggie Forsythe; The Lambeth Walk (George I - Mike - finding English as if people were speaking backwards!; Our marvellous tea-making National Anthem - wonderful German words by Rainer Wallraf; In an English Country Garden - with splendid German text by the Forsyths...
...and then, joined by the orchestra, Horrible Histories terrific Born To Rule (Four Georges Song) & to cap it all:- Rule Britannia (with Tobias singing with us too!)
All glorious and fun... a delight as it always is to be accompanied by an orchestra - Anja was great too! Not to forget our Hannoverian guest pianist, Siegmund Weinmeister, who accompanied the weather and garden songs excellently.
Exhibitions and other events are here all summer... in fact we hear that a coach arrived at Buckingham Palace today, which echoed the journey of 16 days of George I those 300 years ago... (only this one had an actor in it!)
All organised splendidly - thank you especially Nicola and Ursula - and for Peter Martin Jacob for getting us here...
A privilege to part of it all...
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Banstead & a great CD review
Banstead Festival was a delight - a glorious Spring Saturday & a very enthusiastic audience... happy to receive Poulenc, Sullivan, Chopin, Jobim, The Mills Brothers, The Beatles, The Manhattan Transfer, Randy Newman, Billy Joel & sing along with both The Lion Sleeps Tonight & The Lambeth Walk...
One man left a note saying that having heard our Cricket Tea Towel song he now finally understood the laws of the game! Glad to be of service...
In case you have yet to find this.... here's a review of our newest CD - (hooray!):-
Telegraph review of Songs of Love and War
Have you got your copy yet?!
Now we are preparing for our concert in Hannover (two 'n's), celebrating the 300th anniversary of the House of Hanover (one 'n')... more news later!
One man left a note saying that having heard our Cricket Tea Towel song he now finally understood the laws of the game! Glad to be of service...
In case you have yet to find this.... here's a review of our newest CD - (hooray!):-
Telegraph review of Songs of Love and War
Have you got your copy yet?!
Now we are preparing for our concert in Hannover (two 'n's), celebrating the 300th anniversary of the House of Hanover (one 'n')... more news later!
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Crazy #3, then Banstead
Third night at Crazy Coqs was best of all....
Great climax to our short stint & the beginning of a long relationship...
Having had director Hugh Wooldridge in earlier in the week (who introduced us), it was excellent to also have actor-superstar David Bedella in the audience... Hooray!
Very enthusiastic and loud audience - three birthday parties in - & splendidly raucous singing in The Lambeth Walk when we asked for such...
Incredibly good experience working at Crazy Coqs - looking forward to more...
It was gratifying too to hear that members of the audience had pitched up because they had seen/heard us on BBC TV and Radio over the last few weeks... marvellous!
Good to bump into bassist Jonty Fisher, preparing to back all in the open mike late night after our third show (we last saw him when playing together with Kate Dimbleby)...
Off to Banstead Festival tonight for a splendid evening in the Green Belt.
Great climax to our short stint & the beginning of a long relationship...
Having had director Hugh Wooldridge in earlier in the week (who introduced us), it was excellent to also have actor-superstar David Bedella in the audience... Hooray!
Very enthusiastic and loud audience - three birthday parties in - & splendidly raucous singing in The Lambeth Walk when we asked for such...
Incredibly good experience working at Crazy Coqs - looking forward to more...
It was gratifying too to hear that members of the audience had pitched up because they had seen/heard us on BBC TV and Radio over the last few weeks... marvellous!
Good to bump into bassist Jonty Fisher, preparing to back all in the open mike late night after our third show (we last saw him when playing together with Kate Dimbleby)...
Off to Banstead Festival tonight for a splendid evening in the Green Belt.
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Crazy Coqs #1 & #2
Two terrific evenings at Crazy Coqs at Brasserie Zédel, Piccadilly Circus...
One more to go tonight... (at 8PM)!
One of London's most terrific cabaret venues, Crazy Coqs is a total delight - it is in the art deco Billiard Room of the old Regent's Palace Hotel, and is the perfect size.
Lots of close-harmony hits and more, as we gave... Hold That Tiger!
Quite ironic performances of Orpheus in the Underground during this week's tube strike... as Richard said, "today, it is a walking tour!"
Ruth Leon and all the staff looked after us handsomely - we look forward to future joys here...
On the second evening, it was a delight to have Anthony Daniels in the room with his wife - having jetted in from his work as his robotic incarnation, C-3PO... and only a day after the announcement of his appearance in Star Wars #7 (tho' we were never in doubt he'd be there!).
Marvellous to see him again...
One more to go tonight... (at 8PM)!
One of London's most terrific cabaret venues, Crazy Coqs is a total delight - it is in the art deco Billiard Room of the old Regent's Palace Hotel, and is the perfect size.
Lots of close-harmony hits and more, as we gave... Hold That Tiger!
Quite ironic performances of Orpheus in the Underground during this week's tube strike... as Richard said, "today, it is a walking tour!"
Ruth Leon and all the staff looked after us handsomely - we look forward to future joys here...
On the second evening, it was a delight to have Anthony Daniels in the room with his wife - having jetted in from his work as his robotic incarnation, C-3PO... and only a day after the announcement of his appearance in Star Wars #7 (tho' we were never in doubt he'd be there!).
Marvellous to see him again...
Monday, 28 April 2014
Gaby Roslin show & Crazy Coqs
We had a wonderful time & survived the sing-along in the Gaby Roslin show on BBC Radio London!
She was, of course a lovely host for us on Sunday afternoon...
You can see our tracks at the bottom of this page - and also listen to the whole show; we are on just passed the hour at 3, 4 & 5 and for the last 3 minutes... Interviews as well as singing...
Great to meet Catherine Ryan, Jo Joyner & Tony Kitous (as well as eating his very fine Comptoir Libanais food)... & to experience (and purchase) some felt excess from Lucy Sparrow (her shop in Bethnal Green in August sounds - and will be - amazing!)
Now it's on to Crazy Coqs, Piccadilly Circus for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week at 8PM...
She was, of course a lovely host for us on Sunday afternoon...
You can see our tracks at the bottom of this page - and also listen to the whole show; we are on just passed the hour at 3, 4 & 5 and for the last 3 minutes... Interviews as well as singing...
Great to meet Catherine Ryan, Jo Joyner & Tony Kitous (as well as eating his very fine Comptoir Libanais food)... & to experience (and purchase) some felt excess from Lucy Sparrow (her shop in Bethnal Green in August sounds - and will be - amazing!)
Now it's on to Crazy Coqs, Piccadilly Circus for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week at 8PM...
Friday, 25 April 2014
We were In Tune!
Oh yes...
...we were indeed on In Tune - and if you missed it - listen here (We were on between 5.24 and 5.57 - just under an hour into the show... but it's all good, natch!)
I also reckon that you do not have to be in the UK to do this - hooray!
Great to be in studio with Malcolm (as brilliant as ever at the piano); and to meet Sean Rafferty and Andrew McGregor - and John Wilson and Simon Butteriss too....
...and cool to do a big advert for Songs of Love and War & also the Crazy Coqs next week...
All good... next it's Gaby Roslin on Sunday PM....
...we were indeed on In Tune - and if you missed it - listen here (We were on between 5.24 and 5.57 - just under an hour into the show... but it's all good, natch!)
I also reckon that you do not have to be in the UK to do this - hooray!
Great to be in studio with Malcolm (as brilliant as ever at the piano); and to meet Sean Rafferty and Andrew McGregor - and John Wilson and Simon Butteriss too....
...and cool to do a big advert for Songs of Love and War & also the Crazy Coqs next week...
All good... next it's Gaby Roslin on Sunday PM....
Thursday, 24 April 2014
Radio Days & Walter Swan
Looking forward to being on the Radio over the next few days...
Tomorrow (Friday PM) we are on BBC Radio 3's In Tune - the show runs from 4.30 till 6; we are joined by the splendid Malcolm Martineau, as we share some of our new album together - Songs of Love and War... four or five songs and chat - can't wait!
Then on Sunday afternoon we are on the Gaby Roslin show on BBC Radio London - where we will publicise our imminent shows at the Crazy Coqs - 29th & 30th April & 1st May...
Can't promise we'll keep the red flag flying on the last night, but there is at least a tube strike for most of the run to help us into that mind-set...
Very sad news at the beginning of the week; another far-too-young death. My old English teacher, now a writer and someone who has booked us twice to work at Ilkley Playhouse, Walter Swan has died at 59 - quite awful and such a waste; such a decent, caring man - we send lots of love to his wife and sons...
Yorkshire Post Obit.
Tomorrow (Friday PM) we are on BBC Radio 3's In Tune - the show runs from 4.30 till 6; we are joined by the splendid Malcolm Martineau, as we share some of our new album together - Songs of Love and War... four or five songs and chat - can't wait!
Then on Sunday afternoon we are on the Gaby Roslin show on BBC Radio London - where we will publicise our imminent shows at the Crazy Coqs - 29th & 30th April & 1st May...
Can't promise we'll keep the red flag flying on the last night, but there is at least a tube strike for most of the run to help us into that mind-set...
Very sad news at the beginning of the week; another far-too-young death. My old English teacher, now a writer and someone who has booked us twice to work at Ilkley Playhouse, Walter Swan has died at 59 - quite awful and such a waste; such a decent, caring man - we send lots of love to his wife and sons...
Yorkshire Post Obit.
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Rule Britannia!
Hooray - you can see us on TV in this excellent programme hosted and written by Suzy Klein at about 27 minutes into Episode Two... (if you are in the UK, at least)... lots of splendid musicians on show, as well as us!
iPlayer:- Here is the link - Rule Britannia, indeed...
Also you might see there, that you can still catch me singing an anti-French song very near the end of Episode One !
Two more songs from us all in Episode Three - BBC4 Monday 21st April at 9PM...
Also:
In Tune - Friday 25th April - BBC Radio 3
Gaby Roslin - Sunday 27th April - BBC Radio London
Crazy Coqs cabaret - 29th, 30th April & 1st May @ 8PM - Brasserie Zédel, near Eros...
You must hear/see us...
iPlayer:- Here is the link - Rule Britannia, indeed...
Also you might see there, that you can still catch me singing an anti-French song very near the end of Episode One !
Two more songs from us all in Episode Three - BBC4 Monday 21st April at 9PM...
Also:
In Tune - Friday 25th April - BBC Radio 3
Gaby Roslin - Sunday 27th April - BBC Radio London
Crazy Coqs cabaret - 29th, 30th April & 1st May @ 8PM - Brasserie Zédel, near Eros...
You must hear/see us...
Friday, 11 April 2014
David de Warrenne RIP
Very sad to hear news of the death yesterday of my old teacher, David de Warrenne.
A glorious pianist (as happy reading figured bass, jazz chords as classical - and so accomplished at each), and an inspirational teacher to generations of pupils at Trinity School, Croydon from early 70s till just recently.
Another retiree denied a long retirement.
Also he was the most fabulous arranger - and I was lucky to sing so many... the amazing One More River, which I always reckoned should be published immediately... DdeW told me that as it was for huge double/triple SATB choir and piano duet the main problem was that only one bar could be printed per page (especially as US vocal scores are a bit smaller than UK)!
So it was utterly impractical - I have, however, sung many large scores which did not appear to warrant publishing... Such a loss to music that others cannot share in it!
Then there was his fleshing out of a radio competition winner Be Nice to each Other (renamed Ben Ice toe ach o.t. her, so as not to embarrass the members of the choir) which aired on LBC...
...and once he'd started, the DW choir was born; decades of many wonderful arrangements flowed from him... especially Christmas slush... all in the best possible taste... & with remarkable piano accompaniment... on Radio, TV, concert platform and CD.
We asked him to do some things for us... all amazing... 'Round Midnight from A Tribute to Hollywood, musings on Misty (over 6 minutes long - performed on Radio 3), What I did for Love & the splendid Crytearia (another pun-filled title, mashing together Willow Weep for Me, Cry Me A River, Flow My Teares & Weep O Mine Eyes) - quite brilliant Renaissance / Jazz fusion.
Thanks for all, David - you will be greatly missed by so many...
A glorious pianist (as happy reading figured bass, jazz chords as classical - and so accomplished at each), and an inspirational teacher to generations of pupils at Trinity School, Croydon from early 70s till just recently.
Another retiree denied a long retirement.
Also he was the most fabulous arranger - and I was lucky to sing so many... the amazing One More River, which I always reckoned should be published immediately... DdeW told me that as it was for huge double/triple SATB choir and piano duet the main problem was that only one bar could be printed per page (especially as US vocal scores are a bit smaller than UK)!
So it was utterly impractical - I have, however, sung many large scores which did not appear to warrant publishing... Such a loss to music that others cannot share in it!
Then there was his fleshing out of a radio competition winner Be Nice to each Other (renamed Ben Ice toe ach o.t. her, so as not to embarrass the members of the choir) which aired on LBC...
...and once he'd started, the DW choir was born; decades of many wonderful arrangements flowed from him... especially Christmas slush... all in the best possible taste... & with remarkable piano accompaniment... on Radio, TV, concert platform and CD.
We asked him to do some things for us... all amazing... 'Round Midnight from A Tribute to Hollywood, musings on Misty (over 6 minutes long - performed on Radio 3), What I did for Love & the splendid Crytearia (another pun-filled title, mashing together Willow Weep for Me, Cry Me A River, Flow My Teares & Weep O Mine Eyes) - quite brilliant Renaissance / Jazz fusion.
Thanks for all, David - you will be greatly missed by so many...
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
Philippsburg & Frankfurt-Höchst DE + TV & Radio
Two more German joys...
First the Jugendstil splendour of Philippsburg...
...beautiful hall from the outside and a fantastic place in which to sing... a final Best of British performance for the moment, and the last of four gigs with Gareth Hunt - excellent to have him around for these few days...
Then a second return visit to Höchst (very near to Frankfurt), for a Madrigal to McCartney show.
Both audiences were warm and delightful and fully ready to partake in our shows, and great technicians too!
Sales of Songs of Love and War were very fine - we have started spreading our new CD around Europe!
Apologies if anyone tries to watch us on BBC4 tonight - the programme was moved to Mondays and thus the first wee bit was on near the end of last night's viewing of Rule Britannia on BBC4 at 9PM... the next two episodes are on the 15th and the 22nd - at a similar time (we have a small bit in each it seems!)
Also: BBC Radio 3 - In Tune - 4.30-6: Friday 25th April
BBC Radio London - Gaby Roslin show - 2.30 - 5: Sunday 27th April
Then on to Crazy Coqs 30th, 31st April and 1st May - 8pm
First the Jugendstil splendour of Philippsburg...
Then a second return visit to Höchst (very near to Frankfurt), for a Madrigal to McCartney show.
Both audiences were warm and delightful and fully ready to partake in our shows, and great technicians too!
Sales of Songs of Love and War were very fine - we have started spreading our new CD around Europe!
Apologies if anyone tries to watch us on BBC4 tonight - the programme was moved to Mondays and thus the first wee bit was on near the end of last night's viewing of Rule Britannia on BBC4 at 9PM... the next two episodes are on the 15th and the 22nd - at a similar time (we have a small bit in each it seems!)
Also: BBC Radio 3 - In Tune - 4.30-6: Friday 25th April
BBC Radio London - Gaby Roslin show - 2.30 - 5: Sunday 27th April
Then on to Crazy Coqs 30th, 31st April and 1st May - 8pm
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Minden and Wunsiedel, DE
Two more concerts.... just much of the length of England apart!
Much Union Flag-waving in both north and south Germany... (from Minden in North Rhine-Westphalia to Wunsiedel in Bavaria!)
Quite a long drive by British standards, but the autobahn worked its magic & all felt fine.
Minden an especially beautiful theatre, built in the v.early 20th-century (here it is):
...and after that long drive, delightful to back in the arms of Wunsiedel, and with our old friend Christian on the sound desk... excellent.
Very well looked after as always... Gareth especially taken with the huge dark beer on offer at the bar last night (tho' not overly so, of course).
More Best of British in Philippsburg tonight, then it is a farewell to pianist Gareth Hunt as we head to Hoechst for a Madrigal to McCartney on Monday...
Much Union Flag-waving in both north and south Germany... (from Minden in North Rhine-Westphalia to Wunsiedel in Bavaria!)
Quite a long drive by British standards, but the autobahn worked its magic & all felt fine.
Minden an especially beautiful theatre, built in the v.early 20th-century (here it is):
Staff as marvellous as the theatre is lovely!
...and after that long drive, delightful to back in the arms of Wunsiedel, and with our old friend Christian on the sound desk... excellent.
Very well looked after as always... Gareth especially taken with the huge dark beer on offer at the bar last night (tho' not overly so, of course).
More Best of British in Philippsburg tonight, then it is a farewell to pianist Gareth Hunt as we head to Hoechst for a Madrigal to McCartney on Monday...
Friday, 4 April 2014
Wilhelmshaven, home and back to DE
Wilhelmshaven the other night was a super evening...
...had a wee look around the docks and water.... very black-coloured it was... not sure if this is a soil thing... or indeed oil! ( I assume in Germany of all places, it is not pollution...)
We sang again, as last year, in the Christus- und Garnisonkirche - beautiful to sing in, but we delivered the full Best of British show ... and the audience were a delight... full to the brim - Hooray!
Came home to the ignominy of our cricket side losing to The Netherlands in the world T20 tournament... oh dear oh dear... not a surprise perhaps after our winter that we cannot beat part-timers... The Netherlands clearly can play, but our guys do this for a living!
Pah!
Now back in Germany, we are joined by pianist Gareth Hunt, who like me had much of his early musical upbringing in Croydon; lots of mutual friends and memories to discuss. Greta to have him with us for the next few days...
Last night we started in Winsen / Luhe - bijou place in which to perform, and lovely atmosphere...
...fine flag-waving and singing of Land of Hope & Glory at the end from everyone!
Four more to come:
Minden, Wunsiedel, Philippsburg & Frankfurt-Hoechst... (this last one a Madrigal to McCartney gig)
Best of British all the rest of the time!
...had a wee look around the docks and water.... very black-coloured it was... not sure if this is a soil thing... or indeed oil! ( I assume in Germany of all places, it is not pollution...)
We sang again, as last year, in the Christus- und Garnisonkirche - beautiful to sing in, but we delivered the full Best of British show ... and the audience were a delight... full to the brim - Hooray!
Came home to the ignominy of our cricket side losing to The Netherlands in the world T20 tournament... oh dear oh dear... not a surprise perhaps after our winter that we cannot beat part-timers... The Netherlands clearly can play, but our guys do this for a living!
Pah!
Now back in Germany, we are joined by pianist Gareth Hunt, who like me had much of his early musical upbringing in Croydon; lots of mutual friends and memories to discuss. Greta to have him with us for the next few days...
Last night we started in Winsen / Luhe - bijou place in which to perform, and lovely atmosphere...
...fine flag-waving and singing of Land of Hope & Glory at the end from everyone!
Four more to come:
Minden, Wunsiedel, Philippsburg & Frankfurt-Hoechst... (this last one a Madrigal to McCartney gig)
Best of British all the rest of the time!
Saturday, 29 March 2014
Ankara, TK & Kisdorf, DE
A lovely trip to Ankara, invited by Firat Dadaş & Euphrates Artists...
As we always find in Turkey, we were looked after splendidly and had wonderful food at every turn... Ece gave us a splendid tour of ancient Ancyra & helped us with our Turkish words.
The audience for the concert were very receptive and excellent. Cheering our Turkish introductions to the rafters; they must have understood them; they seemed especially delighted when berated at their attempts to join in The Lambeth Walk - marvellous!
Great to see another old Turkish friend Ilker Ersil at the concert too...
Then on to Germany; Kisdorf in particular [Schleswig-Holstein in the north, as you ask...]; another excellent welcome, and lots of laughter rang around the room as we gave our Best of British show
A return to Wilhelmshaven (but with B.o.B.) next... (Sunday)
As we always find in Turkey, we were looked after splendidly and had wonderful food at every turn... Ece gave us a splendid tour of ancient Ancyra & helped us with our Turkish words.
The audience for the concert were very receptive and excellent. Cheering our Turkish introductions to the rafters; they must have understood them; they seemed especially delighted when berated at their attempts to join in The Lambeth Walk - marvellous!
Great to see another old Turkish friend Ilker Ersil at the concert too...
Then on to Germany; Kisdorf in particular [Schleswig-Holstein in the north, as you ask...]; another excellent welcome, and lots of laughter rang around the room as we gave our Best of British show
A return to Wilhelmshaven (but with B.o.B.) next... (Sunday)
Monday, 24 March 2014
New CD at Barnes Festival
A first outing since the appearance of our new CD, Songs of Love and War at the opening concert of the Barnes Festival on Saturday... Only in its second year, it is already growing! - and a delight because of the hard work of Daniel Turner and Andrew Summers and their team.
We were introduced by that irrepressible local boy Gyles Brandreth & once he'd had his say, a lovely crowd in St Mary's Barnes welcomed us to the festival & it is a pity not to be able to see some more of this, as we are off abroad from tomorrow for a while...
We had the splendour of firstly giving, in the afternoon, a masterclass to the six St Paul's Boys School pupils who make up vocal group Motley Croon and then singing together with them in the rarely-performed 1913 piece by Gustav Holst (setting poetry of Walt Whitman from US Civil War time) - A Dirge for Two Veterans; also needing the talents of three trumpets, side drum, bass drum, trombone and bass, all also from St Paul's. Thanks to their Director of Music Mark Wilderspin for his great help in preparing the guys for the performance.
Very moving indeed it was...
Excellent to not only celebrate local boy Gustav Holst, but also Sir Tim Rice! (..and we did feel the love that night...)
We were joined on piano by the ever-excellent Chris Hatt.
Our rendition of Richard Stilgoe's bathetic celebration of the English cricket fan was all the more poignant as I was informed onstage that we had capitulated helplessly to New Zealand only a few minutes earlier!
All the more festive it was, as our dear friend Carole organised a party for our more dedicated followers before the concert... & so the church was not only full, but with many old friends there too...
Off to Ankara for a concert Wednesday, and then 8 concerts in Germany...
We were introduced by that irrepressible local boy Gyles Brandreth & once he'd had his say, a lovely crowd in St Mary's Barnes welcomed us to the festival & it is a pity not to be able to see some more of this, as we are off abroad from tomorrow for a while...
We had the splendour of firstly giving, in the afternoon, a masterclass to the six St Paul's Boys School pupils who make up vocal group Motley Croon and then singing together with them in the rarely-performed 1913 piece by Gustav Holst (setting poetry of Walt Whitman from US Civil War time) - A Dirge for Two Veterans; also needing the talents of three trumpets, side drum, bass drum, trombone and bass, all also from St Paul's. Thanks to their Director of Music Mark Wilderspin for his great help in preparing the guys for the performance.
Very moving indeed it was...
Excellent to not only celebrate local boy Gustav Holst, but also Sir Tim Rice! (..and we did feel the love that night...)
We were joined on piano by the ever-excellent Chris Hatt.
Our rendition of Richard Stilgoe's bathetic celebration of the English cricket fan was all the more poignant as I was informed onstage that we had capitulated helplessly to New Zealand only a few minutes earlier!
All the more festive it was, as our dear friend Carole organised a party for our more dedicated followers before the concert... & so the church was not only full, but with many old friends there too...
Off to Ankara for a concert Wednesday, and then 8 concerts in Germany...
Friday, 7 March 2014
NEW CD: Songs of Love and War
Our new CD has arrived.
It is now available on our site - I delivered a batch to our Carole this pm...
So order your copies now...
Come to the website shop !
Lots of new splendour on the album, where we are joined for the third CD by the wonderful Malcolm Martineau on piano... Poulenc, Vaughan Williams, Haydn, Elgar, Bridge, Jobim, Chopin, Randy Newman, George Brassens & Yazoo! ...and much more: including a tribute to President Kennedy written only in the days after his untimely death for our old friend Ned Sherrin's BBC show TW3...
So pleased to have a new product to share...
Also, just a quickie to say about the TV we recorded last month:-
Rule Britannia, BBC4.... April Mondays - 7th, 14th & 21st - we're in all three (a bit!) at 9PM
It is now available on our site - I delivered a batch to our Carole this pm...
So order your copies now...
Come to the website shop !
Lots of new splendour on the album, where we are joined for the third CD by the wonderful Malcolm Martineau on piano... Poulenc, Vaughan Williams, Haydn, Elgar, Bridge, Jobim, Chopin, Randy Newman, George Brassens & Yazoo! ...and much more: including a tribute to President Kennedy written only in the days after his untimely death for our old friend Ned Sherrin's BBC show TW3...
So pleased to have a new product to share...
Also, just a quickie to say about the TV we recorded last month:-
Rule Britannia, BBC4.... April Mondays - 7th, 14th & 21st - we're in all three (a bit!) at 9PM
Thursday, 20 February 2014
TLQ on TV soon...
Splendid time we had in Clerkenwell, where we were filmed singing various 18th-century songs for a series about music of the period from Handel to folk-song; orchestral, vocal and instrumental...
The three-part series goes out on BBC4 on Mondays 7th, 14th & 21st April... at 9PM
Rule Britannia
Fairly sure that our bits are in all three parts ...
We sing:
The Anacreontic Song (the original version of.../and also)
The Star-spangled banner,
Thomas Arne's Beer-drinking Britons,
& the catch,
Henry Lawes' Chloe at Cock's Auction... (a jolly glee/round)
The series has been put together by Suzy Klein & David Jeffcock - great to work with these excellent people, and can't wait to see the results... They have been working hard for at least six months on this.
As ever the 'magic' of TV was evident, as one can so see the cracks when you are there, but know it will look spectacular and seamless when we see the finished product... we created a drinking den in a church crypt!
Glorious.
The three-part series goes out on BBC4 on Mondays 7th, 14th & 21st April... at 9PM
Rule Britannia
Fairly sure that our bits are in all three parts ...
We sing:
The Anacreontic Song (the original version of.../and also)
The Star-spangled banner,
Thomas Arne's Beer-drinking Britons,
& the catch,
Henry Lawes' Chloe at Cock's Auction... (a jolly glee/round)
The series has been put together by Suzy Klein & David Jeffcock - great to work with these excellent people, and can't wait to see the results... They have been working hard for at least six months on this.
As ever the 'magic' of TV was evident, as one can so see the cracks when you are there, but know it will look spectacular and seamless when we see the finished product... we created a drinking den in a church crypt!
Glorious.
Monday, 10 February 2014
Temse, BE
As we watch the Thames on the TV swelling to fearful proportions, we remember being in Temse, BE a few days back...
Temse has the French name Tamise (from the Romano-Gaulish Tamisiacum), so has the same root as Thames...
But enough linguistics... we had a splendid time in Temse - a really quite large community, of which I am ashamed to say we had never heard!
They bought lots of songbooks and CDs, and thus...
...lovely to see a large audience... & our ever-hard-working BE agent, Thomas Van der Spiegel (NOT Thomas Van den Spiegel the basketball player)... great to see Thomas... and indeed to share some splendid dark Belgian beer after the show.
Eurostar a wee bit delayed on the way home, but not too much - home in time to watch England beat Scotland at Rugby.
Forgot to say that in Linkebeek, we saw our old friend and opera singer, Margaret Lysack - good to catch up with her.
We have some filming on Thursday for TV - some of it outside... hope the rain is good to us here in London (and everywhere else too)...
...more info on TV anon...
Temse has the French name Tamise (from the Romano-Gaulish Tamisiacum), so has the same root as Thames...
But enough linguistics... we had a splendid time in Temse - a really quite large community, of which I am ashamed to say we had never heard!
They bought lots of songbooks and CDs, and thus...
...lovely to see a large audience... & our ever-hard-working BE agent, Thomas Van der Spiegel (NOT Thomas Van den Spiegel the basketball player)... great to see Thomas... and indeed to share some splendid dark Belgian beer after the show.
Eurostar a wee bit delayed on the way home, but not too much - home in time to watch England beat Scotland at Rugby.
Forgot to say that in Linkebeek, we saw our old friend and opera singer, Margaret Lysack - good to catch up with her.
We have some filming on Thursday for TV - some of it outside... hope the rain is good to us here in London (and everywhere else too)...
...more info on TV anon...
Friday, 7 February 2014
Engis & Linkebeek, BE
Two nights at Engis and one at Linkebeek allowed us to flex our linguistic muscles... Engis (near Liège) was indeed French-speaking (tho' we had been discussing a gig in En-giss and not On-jee); and Linkebeek is on the linguistic border just away from Brussels, so we spoke some Dutch, but tried not to get embroiled in the language frictions in this part of Belgium (there is a French-speaking mayor here)!
But a splendid time was had by all... we were performing a cappella concerts, Madrigal to McCartney, and as ever, enjoyed our forays into the Belgian countryside!
Now we have arrived in Temse for our last show of this tour... the glorious Eurostar home to flooded & wet England tomorrow! (the rain has just hit Belgium).
But a splendid time was had by all... we were performing a cappella concerts, Madrigal to McCartney, and as ever, enjoyed our forays into the Belgian countryside!
Now we have arrived in Temse for our last show of this tour... the glorious Eurostar home to flooded & wet England tomorrow! (the rain has just hit Belgium).
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Jazz recording
To Mottingham, and the excellent Porcupine Studios, where Nick Taylor recorded our backing vocals to Kate Dimbleby's version of Cab Calloway's Everybody Eats...
We sang this in the Summer at Dean Street Pizza Express in the Kate Dimbleby and friends evening... and it was a delight to repeat this for many more to hear!
More news when the CD is released...
We sang this in the Summer at Dean Street Pizza Express in the Kate Dimbleby and friends evening... and it was a delight to repeat this for many more to hear!
More news when the CD is released...
Monday, 13 January 2014
post-Minsk videos
Well, we are back from Belarus, and what a splendid 40 hours we spent there!
Lovely to share more time with Camerata, the wonderful 7-part a cappella group from Minsk... & for us all to have a party at the Embassy (in Karl Marx Street!), hosted by HE Ambassador Bruce Bucknell and his wife Henrietta; with Yuliya also answering every problem we threw at her at all times..
To join our aeroplane video as on last blog, we were on the Belarusian News too...
Do have a look (they asked us to walk like that!)...
We had a wonderful busy time, visiting the church, singing for the Metropolitan & others, sharing a meal with a roomful of Orthodox priests & listening to them sing, being interviewed & filmed, being given flowers, chocolates and candles as presents, performing a splendid joint concert with Camerata, being entertained by the UK Embassy... including Vodka, natch... & excellent caviar (we were lucky that the Ambassador and his wife were given some caviar as a Christmas present).
We had no time for sightseeing!
...and I am delighted to say that our Russian intros (we were advised by Camerata to speak Russian, rather than Belarusian) went down very well, and people really knew what we were saying - phew!
So we must come back.... everyone was splendid here & clearly enjoyed all that we offered them.
How gorgeous.
Lovely to share more time with Camerata, the wonderful 7-part a cappella group from Minsk... & for us all to have a party at the Embassy (in Karl Marx Street!), hosted by HE Ambassador Bruce Bucknell and his wife Henrietta; with Yuliya also answering every problem we threw at her at all times..
To join our aeroplane video as on last blog, we were on the Belarusian News too...
Do have a look (they asked us to walk like that!)...
We had a wonderful busy time, visiting the church, singing for the Metropolitan & others, sharing a meal with a roomful of Orthodox priests & listening to them sing, being interviewed & filmed, being given flowers, chocolates and candles as presents, performing a splendid joint concert with Camerata, being entertained by the UK Embassy... including Vodka, natch... & excellent caviar (we were lucky that the Ambassador and his wife were given some caviar as a Christmas present).
We had no time for sightseeing!
...and I am delighted to say that our Russian intros (we were advised by Camerata to speak Russian, rather than Belarusian) went down very well, and people really knew what we were saying - phew!
So we must come back.... everyone was splendid here & clearly enjoyed all that we offered them.
How gorgeous.
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Minsk
For those who wish to see an edit of our singing on the plane...
HERE it is...
Enjoy!
Remarkable day so far... we found ourselves, after our small recital at a giant orthodox church had been organised by the British Embassy, in the midst of the celebrations for the new Big Cheese in the Belarusian Orthodox Church (Metropolitan Bishop); he and his entourage came to our recital, with a great deal of the congregation!
Then we were invited to eat with them all after... thus experiencing many singings of Orthodox chants and chorales... someone was singing every 5 minutes throughout lunch (including, at the Ambassador's behest, us!)
The choir of the church were also represented (tho' some of them were at work) and gave us three carols... brilliant exchange of cultures...
...and we were filmed on Orthodox TV (which goes to 48 countries), interviewed and filmed for Belarusian TV... phew!
The Metropolitan was very gracious to us, and all enjoyed our recital... We sang Gaudete, Bist du bei mir, Oranges & Lemons, Byrd, Mozart, Sullivan and Poulenc...
We even managed to add some Taverner (The Lamb) into the programme, in tribute, of course, as he recently died, but also as Orthodoxy was such a pillar in his life.
More later, after we have done our evening performance together with our friends, Camerata
HERE it is...
Enjoy!
Remarkable day so far... we found ourselves, after our small recital at a giant orthodox church had been organised by the British Embassy, in the midst of the celebrations for the new Big Cheese in the Belarusian Orthodox Church (Metropolitan Bishop); he and his entourage came to our recital, with a great deal of the congregation!
Then we were invited to eat with them all after... thus experiencing many singings of Orthodox chants and chorales... someone was singing every 5 minutes throughout lunch (including, at the Ambassador's behest, us!)
The choir of the church were also represented (tho' some of them were at work) and gave us three carols... brilliant exchange of cultures...
...and we were filmed on Orthodox TV (which goes to 48 countries), interviewed and filmed for Belarusian TV... phew!
The Metropolitan was very gracious to us, and all enjoyed our recital... We sang Gaudete, Bist du bei mir, Oranges & Lemons, Byrd, Mozart, Sullivan and Poulenc...
We even managed to add some Taverner (The Lamb) into the programme, in tribute, of course, as he recently died, but also as Orthodoxy was such a pillar in his life.
More later, after we have done our evening performance together with our friends, Camerata
Wednesday, 8 January 2014
They flew to Minsk
Well, there's a first; especially in this paranoid air-travel world in which we have lived since 2001...
...it was suggested we (I hesitate to use the word 'hijack') er... surprise our fellow passengers on their way with us from London to Minsk on Belavia with some carolling - it is in between Christmas and New Year for the Orthodox Church - and thus we gave our We Wish You a Merry Christmas & Sleigh Ride to the assembled (entirely captive) audience...
Fun - oh yes... everyone appeared to be in the apposite Festive mood and no-one threw anything... so that was nice...
Look out for it on a Youtube near you... as many people filmed it.
There is a great deal of low level noise on an aeroplane, so goodness knows what it'll sound like!
We are out here to join our fellow vocal group, Camerata, in a Christmas concert tomorrow - certainly we have never done a Christmas gig in January before - tho' they possibly have!
Lots of fun and we have met one, but will be great to see them all tomorrow.
Also we have a more serious lunchtime, under the auspices of the British Embassy out here...
Glorious... and an Embassy reception after all in the evening...
Scrumptious!
(We are busily practising our Russian...)
...it was suggested we (I hesitate to use the word 'hijack') er... surprise our fellow passengers on their way with us from London to Minsk on Belavia with some carolling - it is in between Christmas and New Year for the Orthodox Church - and thus we gave our We Wish You a Merry Christmas & Sleigh Ride to the assembled (entirely captive) audience...
Fun - oh yes... everyone appeared to be in the apposite Festive mood and no-one threw anything... so that was nice...
Look out for it on a Youtube near you... as many people filmed it.
There is a great deal of low level noise on an aeroplane, so goodness knows what it'll sound like!
We are out here to join our fellow vocal group, Camerata, in a Christmas concert tomorrow - certainly we have never done a Christmas gig in January before - tho' they possibly have!
Lots of fun and we have met one, but will be great to see them all tomorrow.
Also we have a more serious lunchtime, under the auspices of the British Embassy out here...
Glorious... and an Embassy reception after all in the evening...
Scrumptious!
(We are busily practising our Russian...)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)