First Fifteen music meme

Byartsyhonker November 13, 2010 0 Comments
I wasn't tagged by Phil Ritchie or anyone else, but thought I'd do this anyway...1) Turn on your MP3 player or music player on your computer.2) Go to SHUFFLE songs mode.3) Write down the first 15 songs that come up–song title and artist–NO editing/cheating, please.Oh, very well then. 1) Adams: Short Ride In A Fast Machine (Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra)2) Gregorian chat: Mass VIII - Ite...

Carol Service

Byartsyhonker November 11, 2010 0 Comments
As part of my work as organist and choirmaster at St Andrew's Leytonstone I am helping organise the annual Carol Service. This year the service will be on Sunday, 12th December at 4.30pm.Choral singing is great fun, and I've always found it a good way of keeping my spirits up in the increasing gloom of November and December. Why not come and join us?Rehearsals will be Fri 19th Nov, Thurs 25th...

It’s Up To Us

Byartsyhonker October 23, 2010 3 Comments
I've spent a lot of time and energy this week thinking about the Comprehensive Spending Review cuts, as well as the recent cuts to science and education in this country. A lot of that time has been spent cursing under my breath at the Great British Public for voting in the Tories -- did people honestly think they wouldn't be horrible? -- and at the LibDems for selling out and allowing their...

Travel time and time travel

Byartsyhonker October 16, 2010 0 Comments
This morning feels about a million years away! Really, I only had two main events today, but the day felt much longer.I started with a Gregorian Chant workshop put on by RSCM EEL. I wouldn't ordinarily have gone to something like that with such short notice -- I got an e-mail about it on Thursday -- but it was led by Nick Gale, director of music at St George's RC Cathedral, and it was close to...

A transport of delight…

Byartsyhonker October 15, 2010 3 Comments
Allow me to indulge in a little off-topic blogging...Today was my day off, and it is nearing my birthday, so I went to pick this up:Her name is Millicent, and she is a birthday present from a certain boy who seems to take inordinate pleasure in spoiling me rotten. No complaints here!Since I was a teenager I have been hankering after a bicycle that is a grown-up version of the big old blue...

Music for St Michael and All Angels

Byartsyhonker September 29, 2010 0 Comments
Today I've been to St Paul's Cathedral for Evensong, to hear the winning entry in the recent New Music Competition. There were 58 entrants, out of which one was chosen for the £1000 prize. Andrew Cusworth chose the same text as I did for the competition, one previously used by Richard Dering in this gem (YouTube link). It was interesting to hear the difference in our approaches to it. I like to...

Going loopy

Byartsyhonker September 27, 2010 0 Comments
Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have caught me going on about something called "looping" or "live looping".Basically this involves recording oneself playing and then playing back the recording within the same performance; in this way one can accompany oneself. There are all sorts of fantastic machines to assist in the process.I'm interested for a few reasons. One is finally, finally...

Give Us Grace

Byartsyhonker September 23, 2010 0 Comments
Earlier this year, Rev Kathryn Fleming asked me to write something for the patronal festival of St Matthew's, Cainscross, which was this Tuesday. It needed to be something fairly simple, a round perhaps, something the congregation would be able to pick up quickly and sing at the service; it needed to be relevant to the occasion but useful for other situations as well.   I was happy to make an...

With Merry Glee

Byartsyhonker September 22, 2010 0 Comments
Over two months after the actual performance, I'm finally sorting through some of the music the Brigantia Consort performed this summer.The first track went up to Soundcloud just over a week ago; since then it has had 48 plays and six downloads. I promise you only one of the plays was me! I didn't advertise it very widely, and I know it might seem like small beans, but if those are unique plays...

Transcendence

Byartsyhonker August 31, 2010 1 Comment
I've just been to Greenbelt, a Christian arts festival held at Cheltenham Race Course. There is music, but I didn't get to much of that, tending instead to be drawn to talks, workshops and worship.The days are already merging into a sort of blur, but some things stand out. One of the most memorable and perhaps transcendent experiences for me was an Orthodox Vespers on Sunday night. The room was a...