Travels with a notebook
Wouldn't it be wonderful to travel around the world in 80 concert venues? I'm really lucky, as at the last count I've clocked up over 60 already ... admittedly many of these are in the UK, with a distinct emphasis on Birmingham or thereabouts, but I've also written about rather more cosmopolitan musical ports of call including Venice, Vienna and Vancouver. Verona remains on the wish-list.
Wolverhampton may seem an unlikely departure point, but as my choir's home territory it's yielded several pieces about our performances in churches various. From 2003, a collaboration with a French choir from Orléans meant I was soon adding a continental twist. I guess that's when the seed was sown for the irresistible music-travel-writing combo, and it's well and truly taken hold now I'm regularly enjoying singing holidays in Europe ... latest stop Avila in Spain, so click here for my adventures in the territory of Tomas Luis de Victoria, exploring his glorious renaissance music.
Apart from my reviews for Bachtrack, some pieces found their way into my memoir, some are shared on tour company Run By Singers' website or my choir's website, and others have up to now simply been souvenirs for my own eyes and those of my nearest and dearest. I hope you will also now enjoy taking a look ... there'll be more added from time to time, so please check back.
Wolverhampton may seem an unlikely departure point, but as my choir's home territory it's yielded several pieces about our performances in churches various. From 2003, a collaboration with a French choir from Orléans meant I was soon adding a continental twist. I guess that's when the seed was sown for the irresistible music-travel-writing combo, and it's well and truly taken hold now I'm regularly enjoying singing holidays in Europe ... latest stop Avila in Spain, so click here for my adventures in the territory of Tomas Luis de Victoria, exploring his glorious renaissance music.
Apart from my reviews for Bachtrack, some pieces found their way into my memoir, some are shared on tour company Run By Singers' website or my choir's website, and others have up to now simply been souvenirs for my own eyes and those of my nearest and dearest. I hope you will also now enjoy taking a look ... there'll be more added from time to time, so please check back.
Articles with a musical slant
Choir ventures
What have you done today to make you feel proud? (April 2002) ... Civic Hall, Wolverhampton Chansons sans frontières (June 2003) ... Orléans, France Assezez vous, s'il vous plait (May 2005) ... Church of St John-in-the-Square, Wolverhampton Listen very carefully, we shall sing this only once (May 2007) ... Loire Valley, France Back to my roots ... I was glad, glad I went to Liverpool (March 2008) ... Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool Choral courses with Run By Singers ... Things are looking up (October 2010) ... Basilica San Marco, Venice, Italy Hot and cold in Krakow (June 2011) ... St Kinga's Chapel, Wieliczka Salt Mines, Poland An Estonian odyssey (July 2012) ... Jaani Church, Tallinn, Estonia In Assisi with St Francis and the birds and bees (August 2013) ... Assisi, Italy Warming up in Avila (April 2014) ... Spain The happy collision of holidays and concerts ... True North (August 2007) ... Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver, Canada A taste of Vienna (February 2007) ... Musikverein, Vienna, Austria An English woman's Christmas in Wales (December 2011) ... Acapela Studio, Pentyrch, South Wales Festivals Expect surprises (August 2008) ... Three Choirs Festival, Worcester Cathedral Five pounds well spent (August 2009) ... The Proms, Royal Albert Hall and Cadogan Hall, London Choral workshops Sound advice for a trip to Birmingham (March 2007) ... Symphony Hall, Birmingham Sing Messiah! (March 2010) ... Royal Hospital Chelsea, London Singing like larks in the cold air (May 2013) - Ludlow, Shropshire Some of my other articles have been published in music organisations' in-house journals:
Making Music 'West Midlands Network', January 2008 CBSO MusicStand (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra), Winter 2007 CBSO MusicStand, Spring 2009 RCO News (The Royal College of Organists), October 2008 RCO News, May 2009 |
It's not always about music ...
Ice and a slice of wedded bliss (August 2013) ... Iceland
A Bruges of two architectures (May 2013) ... Belgium Lunch on top of the world (October 2012) ... Mount Etna, Sicily Ask a policeman (May 2007) ... South Australia Men in white (April 2006) ... Muscat, Oman Pillow talk (August 2010) ... Switzerland Hands up if you see an otter (August 1995) ... Tarka Trail, Devon Bare watching in Canada (August 2007) ... Vancouver, Tofino and Whistler |
