Greetings from sunny Cornwall...
...just a wee rest before TLQ's first trip to Poland [Poznań to be exact]... as part of The Poznań a cappella festival
Just brushing up on our Polish before we go; as well as reacquainting ourselves with much West End material for some gigs in the summer in the courtyard of a fine London hotel near Buckingham Palace, The Taj
Also looking forward to the release in the later summer of our cricket CD - Songs of Cricket - excellent to see England continuing their fine tradition of winning of recent years, this time against Sri Lanka & on Welsh soil... sport in Cardiff and Swansea clearly on the up!
Da bo ti,
Hwyl,
etc
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Automobile Club de France
Well, a splendid address, and wonderful views over La Place de la Concorde... we had a great evening at the Automobile Club de France - the club is a very well-respected one, and is not just for the car-lover... 2000 members in Paris alone... yet they say it is rarely full!
Forgot to ask whether on official State days it is more crowded, as this Place is where many parades happen on important occasions.
My throat was sufficiently empty of gunge that notes came out [which was a relief to me]... and the audience reacted as if I were not quacking... so hooray for that! (Maybe they were just being polite).
We sang in the library:- "the first library of France" (we think they mean the best, not the earliest) which has a surprisingly good acoustic, and then had to suffer the terror of a champagne reception - oh the pains of our job...
Apart from the views, there were also many splendid old cars, and documents and photos of the early days of motoring... which we must remember was as much a French thing as any other nation [Germans shut your eyes for a moment... and anyone from USA.. sh!!]
We also enjoyed a taxi ride about the city, taking in two 'other' triumphal arches [or gates], L'Opéra and the beautiful Colonne de Vendôme situated in Place Vendôme, the Place created as a monument to the glory of the armies of Louis XIV, the Sun King.
As ever, a seemless Eurostar trip there and back - the RER guys chose to strike the day we went home, but we could walk to the station, so "ya boo..."
Forgot to ask whether on official State days it is more crowded, as this Place is where many parades happen on important occasions.
My throat was sufficiently empty of gunge that notes came out [which was a relief to me]... and the audience reacted as if I were not quacking... so hooray for that! (Maybe they were just being polite).
We sang in the library:- "the first library of France" (we think they mean the best, not the earliest) which has a surprisingly good acoustic, and then had to suffer the terror of a champagne reception - oh the pains of our job...
Apart from the views, there were also many splendid old cars, and documents and photos of the early days of motoring... which we must remember was as much a French thing as any other nation [Germans shut your eyes for a moment... and anyone from USA.. sh!!]
We also enjoyed a taxi ride about the city, taking in two 'other' triumphal arches [or gates], L'Opéra and the beautiful Colonne de Vendôme situated in Place Vendôme, the Place created as a monument to the glory of the armies of Louis XIV, the Sun King.
As ever, a seemless Eurostar trip there and back - the RER guys chose to strike the day we went home, but we could walk to the station, so "ya boo..."
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Bridewell Theatre bar
I am sure you think we might well hang around in a bar as a matter of course... I couldn't possibly comment...
However, as part of the theatre's attempts to enliven Monday nights when the theatre is dark, we sang there last night. A fine [and indeed bijou] place in which to sing, and all had a great time.
As ever for London events, we saw a sea of faces - old friends and new...
Excellent to continue our year as Artists in Residence at The St Bride Institute
Off to Paris on Thursday - hoping very much to shake off my throat full of gunge [and no, this is nothing to do with having had a gig in a bar!]
However, as part of the theatre's attempts to enliven Monday nights when the theatre is dark, we sang there last night. A fine [and indeed bijou] place in which to sing, and all had a great time.
As ever for London events, we saw a sea of faces - old friends and new...
Excellent to continue our year as Artists in Residence at The St Bride Institute
Off to Paris on Thursday - hoping very much to shake off my throat full of gunge [and no, this is nothing to do with having had a gig in a bar!]
Monday, 2 May 2011
Anniversary chocolate
Courtesy of the lovely Gertie, here is my anniversary chocolate photo stand! {Twenty Cantabile - the London Quartet years}... Complete with Union Flag waistcoat... all edible!
Gertie very kindly brought this to Mechelen, so as not to smash it up in the post... There was no need to worry, I made it break into 20 pieces in my case on the way home!!
This appears to have had no effect on the excellent taste - all three of us here are very happy with it!
Thanks...
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Belgian weekend
A busy couple of days in Belgium.
Firstly we were in the lovely Mechelen, as part of their Mechelen hoort Stemmen Festival in wonderful sunshine...
In the evening, we went to Boechout, and sang as part of another Harmony season.... Africapella from Soweto are coming later in the year.
Then this morning it was off to the TV studio for the Belgian 'Andrew Marr show' [no super injunctions on show, of course]: VRT - 7 dag show - we were there at 53' and for the last 6 minutes [interview and song].
It was difficult to avoid the amazing goings-on in London on Friday:- and not for the last time, I am sure, I was upstaged by my son who sang in the Chapel Royal Choir at the Wedding.... in fact the TV showed him again in the studio, so all could see! I managed to sing without crying....
There's much more Belgium for us in the coming months... excellent! Gastronomically, it beats France (on points)...
Firstly we were in the lovely Mechelen, as part of their Mechelen hoort Stemmen Festival in wonderful sunshine...
In the evening, we went to Boechout, and sang as part of another Harmony season.... Africapella from Soweto are coming later in the year.
Then this morning it was off to the TV studio for the Belgian 'Andrew Marr show' [no super injunctions on show, of course]: VRT - 7 dag show - we were there at 53' and for the last 6 minutes [interview and song].
It was difficult to avoid the amazing goings-on in London on Friday:- and not for the last time, I am sure, I was upstaged by my son who sang in the Chapel Royal Choir at the Wedding.... in fact the TV showed him again in the studio, so all could see! I managed to sing without crying....
There's much more Belgium for us in the coming months... excellent! Gastronomically, it beats France (on points)...
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Thun
A great evening of vocal music in Thun.
Along with Viva Voce, A'pella Four & Teatro Zuffellato we entertained a mixed crowd at the Schweizer Kunstlerbörse in Thun.
Wonderful to see again old friends and to meet others anew. Viva Voce we have worked with before, and they were on cracking form... also I found as I got home that they are coached by an old friend from Croydon [and ex-Magnet] Colin Griffiths-Brown, who now lives in Germany and is one half of the very successful, Carrington-Brown.
As we have been to Switzerland every year for many, many years now, hoping that our friend and ally Silvan Isenring will continue to help our fulfilling this splendid tradition...
Along with Viva Voce, A'pella Four & Teatro Zuffellato we entertained a mixed crowd at the Schweizer Kunstlerbörse in Thun.
Wonderful to see again old friends and to meet others anew. Viva Voce we have worked with before, and they were on cracking form... also I found as I got home that they are coached by an old friend from Croydon [and ex-Magnet] Colin Griffiths-Brown, who now lives in Germany and is one half of the very successful, Carrington-Brown.
As we have been to Switzerland every year for many, many years now, hoping that our friend and ally Silvan Isenring will continue to help our fulfilling this splendid tradition...
Sunday, 10 April 2011
interesting times
Sang at a lovely Wedding in Rowley, Yorkshire; beautiful village, church and couple!
This was a Caledonio-Belgian do....
Talking of Belgians, Steve had the most splendid journey... he drove up, so we could all come home in the car after, and whilst we luxuriated on the train, the electrics failed in his car [in the fast lane], and he ground to a halt.... I won't name the hire car company.
A
V ery
I nteresting
S ubject
HE IS OK - do not fret!
He had to be pushed to hard shoulder by the police and then taken to Milton Keynes to get a new car, and then get to us 200km away....
He arrived at 2.59 for the 3pm service; gloriously the bride was fashionably late so there were no problems.... how late might she have been if there had been even more than the 500 metres between house and church!?
We sang Ave Verum Corpus by Mozart in the service and entertained in the reception twice. Steve impressed the visiting mainland Europeans with his Flemish (they also enjoyed our French), and a good time was had by all.
Back home just after midnight.... perfect... Here's to Belgo-Britannic co-operation!
This was a Caledonio-Belgian do....
Talking of Belgians, Steve had the most splendid journey... he drove up, so we could all come home in the car after, and whilst we luxuriated on the train, the electrics failed in his car [in the fast lane], and he ground to a halt.... I won't name the hire car company.
A
V ery
I nteresting
S ubject
HE IS OK - do not fret!
He had to be pushed to hard shoulder by the police and then taken to Milton Keynes to get a new car, and then get to us 200km away....
He arrived at 2.59 for the 3pm service; gloriously the bride was fashionably late so there were no problems.... how late might she have been if there had been even more than the 500 metres between house and church!?
We sang Ave Verum Corpus by Mozart in the service and entertained in the reception twice. Steve impressed the visiting mainland Europeans with his Flemish (they also enjoyed our French), and a good time was had by all.
Back home just after midnight.... perfect... Here's to Belgo-Britannic co-operation!
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