Cheerful voices: As pants the hart

This anonymous piece is one of my favourite settings of Psalm 42. I know it from playing and singing with London Gallery Quire, though I've recorded one more verse than we usually sing in order to better portray the hopeful tone of the psalm near the end. The setting is edited by Dr Francis Roads. Psalm 42 is the sort of thing that many people think of as a bit miserable. It is a psalm of crying...

A little something for Canada Day

I had a horn teacher who had the custom, on Canada Day, of taking his canoe out to the middle of the lake and playing "O Canada" on the horn.I lack a boat, the nearest lake has rather a lot of traffic noise and I'm a bit disorganised. So instead, here is a recording of me playing "O Canada" on the O Canada by artsyhonker

FairTrade Fortnight and Metrical Psalmody in Stoke Newington

It's FairTrade Fortnight, which means lots of tasty, guilt-free chocolate floating around, among other things. Others have laid out, far better than I can, the reasons for buying FairTrade when possible, so I won't add much to that except to say that I don't buy tea, coffee or chocolate at all if they aren't FairTrade and I try to avoid non-FT sugar, cotton and bananas. On Sunday, 13th March the...

Snake on a Bike! Snake on a Bike!

On Sunday I tried an experiment. Carefully, gingerly, I manoeuvred the serpent case onto the back of the bicycle, and used several bungee cords to secure it there. The plan was to then walk the bicycle to St Mary's Wanstead, where the London Gallery Quire were providing music for Evensong. It seemed a better option than taking the Tube one stop, and a more comfortable one than walking with a...

Travel time and time travel

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...

Vacation

I've been on vacation for most of the past week, staying in a guesthouse in Mark, Somerset and cycling a lot. I'm well aware that I have a shiny new job starting in September, and I didn't want to miss too many days of practice. So I rang up the local vicar to ask if I could use the organ in Mark Church. I'm glad I did; it's a lovely instrument in many ways and I spent a few hours on Wednesday...

Performance Collective Evening Concert

London Performance Collective7.30pm Evening ConcertTuesday 18th AugustAn Evening filled with music, wine and cake * Rimsky-Korsakov - Flight of the Bumble Bee for bassoon and piano * Otar Taktakishvili - Flute Sonata * Handel - Sonata in G minor Op. 1 No. 6, violin and serpent * Schumann - Fantasiestucke, Op. 12 * Beethoven - Trio - for flute, bassoon, and piano Tickets: £10 (Conc. £6)The Space...

Results, moving on and settling in…

Where to start?I got my degree. Specifically, I have been awarded a Bachelor of Music (Hons), Second Class Honours, Upper Division. In ordinary terms that's known as a 2:1 in the British system. I had a celebratory recital on 10th July. I'm listening to a recording now, to try and make a CD to hand on to someone who couldn't be there. It's interesting... a note in the Mozart that I had pegged as...

Concert diary

Some more performances coming up!Tomorrow lunchtime I'll be singing at Grosvenor Chapel, South Audley Street, London W1K 2PA. Friday 8th May, 1pmKing William Singers directed by Hilary Campbellpresent a lunchtime concert of contemporary choral music. Programme: Lauridsen O Magnum MysteriumBrown o sapientiaWhitacre Water NightCampbell the isle is full of noisesWhitacre Lux AurumqueWeir...

The Garlickhythe Occasionals and the London Gallery Quire

Long time no post, I know! I've been working hard and learning a lot... and recently I've been having internet problems at home, which tends to scupper posting a bit. I will be playing the serpent twice this weekend! Once will be with the Garlickhythe Occasionals, at a Ceilidh in Highgate on Saturday night. For the more devoutly inclined, on Sunday at 6.30pm I'm playing with the London Gallery...