Splendid evening in a Birmingham hotel...
Entertaining a large group of Trinity Examiners, who are in the middle of a conference.
Never have we had such an attentive audience... we were expecting a written report at the end... very much hoping a positive one!
Their singing in Lambeth was especially good; although I did naughtily tell them that we tended to get a better response in Germany...
We thought it rather likely, as this was a meeting of musicians, and lo, two of us met old friends here... one of whom said she would help us get to The Czech Republic; she and I toured Czechoslovakia 22 years ago!
Hoorah!
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Friday, 10 February 2012
World Première... in Croydon
Just went to a World Première of an opera written over a hundred years ago.
Croydon [great town] composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor is being celebrated in that fine London borough as he died 100 years ago this year.
My old friend Jonathan Butcher (conductor) has resurrected the piece with Surrey Opera (as the first part of year-long SC-T fest) - two more nights at the Ashcroft Theatre if you are game! - 7.30pm on Friday and Saturday... splendid...
An old Cantabile friend, Chris Cowell, helped re-write the libretto of the show... it was the weak libretto which was probably the reason that the thing was never put on when it was written.
Should the idea of a faux Norse saga, Thelma, stir your loins... get to Croydon now!
Croydon [great town] composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor is being celebrated in that fine London borough as he died 100 years ago this year.
My old friend Jonathan Butcher (conductor) has resurrected the piece with Surrey Opera (as the first part of year-long SC-T fest) - two more nights at the Ashcroft Theatre if you are game! - 7.30pm on Friday and Saturday... splendid...
An old Cantabile friend, Chris Cowell, helped re-write the libretto of the show... it was the weak libretto which was probably the reason that the thing was never put on when it was written.
Should the idea of a faux Norse saga, Thelma, stir your loins... get to Croydon now!
Monday, 30 January 2012
Belgian weekend
Stayed in a hotel for two nights opposite a rather grand building in Leuven.... subsequently found that this was the prison...
Luckily got no closer...
As the lovely Eurostar people are striking today, we had driven over via the Chunnel...
Two life-enhancing evenings in (slightly parky) Belgium... in two more picaresque Belgian towns... of which we realise, there is a neverending supply...
Firstly we provided the final event of an a cappella day in Ternat... lots of groups performed before we did, in various venues... sadly we missed them, as we were sound-checking/travelling... but then we provided the closing concert at 10pm... great atmosphere; lots of singers, and a cappella lovers in evidence... wonderful.
Then in Tienen today [well, yesterday] joined by Paul Plummer at the piano; we had a masterclass with three groups of singers at the local music academy... and then they joined us on stage tonight, during our Best of British show... wonderful... they each sang a song of their own [also accompanied by Paul]... Remember Me, Oh Happy Day & Rutter's All things Bright & Beautiful; as well as joining three of us in accompanying Steve's solo in The LUMBERJACK SONG... totally fantastic.... along with mountie hats and red and black costumes... a splendid thing in a lovely evening... Those young people may never be the same again!
Great to have the entire of the Weerts clan from The Netherlands at the gig... terrific to see them all together... and now, all as tall as each other!
Three Westmalle trappist beers (dark) - and some takeaway food - have helped the evening to a gentle close...
Luckily got no closer...
As the lovely Eurostar people are striking today, we had driven over via the Chunnel...
Two life-enhancing evenings in (slightly parky) Belgium... in two more picaresque Belgian towns... of which we realise, there is a neverending supply...
Firstly we provided the final event of an a cappella day in Ternat... lots of groups performed before we did, in various venues... sadly we missed them, as we were sound-checking/travelling... but then we provided the closing concert at 10pm... great atmosphere; lots of singers, and a cappella lovers in evidence... wonderful.
Then in Tienen today [well, yesterday] joined by Paul Plummer at the piano; we had a masterclass with three groups of singers at the local music academy... and then they joined us on stage tonight, during our Best of British show... wonderful... they each sang a song of their own [also accompanied by Paul]... Remember Me, Oh Happy Day & Rutter's All things Bright & Beautiful; as well as joining three of us in accompanying Steve's solo in The LUMBERJACK SONG... totally fantastic.... along with mountie hats and red and black costumes... a splendid thing in a lovely evening... Those young people may never be the same again!
Great to have the entire of the Weerts clan from The Netherlands at the gig... terrific to see them all together... and now, all as tall as each other!
Three Westmalle trappist beers (dark) - and some takeaway food - have helped the evening to a gentle close...
Monday, 23 January 2012
Itzehoe, DE
Yes, we managed to get to Itzehoe (nr. Hamburg), and once more B.o.B. triumphed!
Beautiful theatre - especially on the inside... great lighting & sound.
Flag-waving as keen as ever.... We think this show is motoring now; we must do it some more!
We got back to the airport [Paul Plummer went off early for his train... he has an audition in Germany somewhere! Good luck!]... and now we are home.
Next it is the Belgian incarnation of B.o.B.... once more with PP.
Beautiful theatre - especially on the inside... great lighting & sound.
Flag-waving as keen as ever.... We think this show is motoring now; we must do it some more!
We got back to the airport [Paul Plummer went off early for his train... he has an audition in Germany somewhere! Good luck!]... and now we are home.
Next it is the Belgian incarnation of B.o.B.... once more with PP.
Friday, 20 January 2012
Rottweil
Well would you believe it? We come to Rottweil & see not one dog... but lots of cats! All very friendly... Mike not especially happy as he is allergic to them, but they seemed to know to leave him alone. Three cats at the venue (er... only one in the restaurant!) and one at the hotel!
Bijou venue... the Badhaus... a wonderful restaurant (we had two super meals there) as well as a performing space... and B.o.B. was alive and well again! More flag-waving honorary Britons were created!
Up early as we take an early am flight to Hamburg and Itzehoe - tonight's crowd were most amused that this was our next stop!
Bijou venue... the Badhaus... a wonderful restaurant (we had two super meals there) as well as a performing space... and B.o.B. was alive and well again! More flag-waving honorary Britons were created!
Up early as we take an early am flight to Hamburg and Itzehoe - tonight's crowd were most amused that this was our next stop!
Mannheim
Hang on, what country are we in?
Ah yes.... it's Germany.
Great evening at The Capitol, Mannheim... we have another three-date B.o.B. {Best of British} tour... Rottweil & Itzehoe after tonight...
Everyone dutifully waved their Union Flags and sang along to our Land of Hope and Glory [only with parodic words by the great Anglo-German powerhouse partnership, Julian and Maggie Forsyth].
I haven't mentioned yet that on this blog that we owe a lot with this B.o.B. show to the Forsyths, who created most of the verbiage between the songs and wrote the new parodies... a brilliant team - we worked with them in Spoliansky's Send for Mr Plim at Battersea Arts Centre a few years ago (wonderful show)... they have helped us create a show which sends us up as a nation, but also asks questions of the Germans too... mainly... Why do you think we are like this... and are we truly so - and you like all this pomp and circumstance stuff, don't you? ...and other such rhetoric. Lovely stuff... dead clever (and going down well with people)...
Thanks, Julian and Maggie!
We tried out the theme tune to Morse tonight... no-one had heard of it... hmmm... we'll try a bit more before chucking it...
We are accompanied by our old friend, Paul Plummer for this tour, and for next weekend too... great to see him.
Oh, and late-night kebabs were had...
Ah yes.... it's Germany.
Great evening at The Capitol, Mannheim... we have another three-date B.o.B. {Best of British} tour... Rottweil & Itzehoe after tonight...
Everyone dutifully waved their Union Flags and sang along to our Land of Hope and Glory [only with parodic words by the great Anglo-German powerhouse partnership, Julian and Maggie Forsyth].
I haven't mentioned yet that on this blog that we owe a lot with this B.o.B. show to the Forsyths, who created most of the verbiage between the songs and wrote the new parodies... a brilliant team - we worked with them in Spoliansky's Send for Mr Plim at Battersea Arts Centre a few years ago (wonderful show)... they have helped us create a show which sends us up as a nation, but also asks questions of the Germans too... mainly... Why do you think we are like this... and are we truly so - and you like all this pomp and circumstance stuff, don't you? ...and other such rhetoric. Lovely stuff... dead clever (and going down well with people)...
Thanks, Julian and Maggie!
We tried out the theme tune to Morse tonight... no-one had heard of it... hmmm... we'll try a bit more before chucking it...
We are accompanied by our old friend, Paul Plummer for this tour, and for next weekend too... great to see him.
Oh, and late-night kebabs were had...
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