Tag Archives: Singing

Singing in the Royal Opera House

Posted on October 22, 2016 by

Yes, I am. Doesn’t it sound grand? I shall be singing Christmas carols in the Clore Studio at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, alongside The Big Sing on 15 December. It will be filmed. For what I don’t know. … Continue reading →

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Pitching and Inching

Posted on October 16, 2015 by

An hiatus in blogging. It doesn’t mean I haven’t been inching my work along. In fact, look here, the encaustic/Plaster of Paris  accordion book – almost done! (I am allowing myself the use of an exclamation mark on this one … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Art Journal, Choral singing, Collage & Assemblage, Creativity, Encaustic Art, Mixed Media, Music, Photography, Printmaking, Singing, Singing Sacred | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Inch of the Day 2 October 2015: Singing: A Ceremony of Carols: Benjamin Britten

Posted on October 2, 2015 by

In addition to Handel’s Four Coronation Anthems (see yesterday’s post) I also received yesterday the music for Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. I need to learn to sing both for a Christmas concert.  Eek. Britten was a pacifist. He and … Continue reading →

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Inch of the Day 22 September 2015: Hurdling Through Flint and Feather

Posted on September 22, 2015 by

Following on from yesterday’s Inch – about the editing of my novel manuscript, Flint and Feather, I began a revision of the scenes by calling them, instead of scenes, obstacles. In the sense of obstacles to be overcome. I didn’t just change the … Continue reading →

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Inch of the Day 16 September 2015: An Inch More of Music: O How Amiable Are Thy Dwellings: John Rutter

Posted on September 16, 2015 by

This is one of the songs from John Rutter’s Psalmfest. I’m learning to sing Psalmfest to perform with Eltham Choral Society at a concert on 10 October. Thing is, this isn’t one we’re going to be singing and I was supposed … Continue reading →

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Inch of the Day September 2015: Singing Reynaldo Hahn’s ‘Si Mes Vers Avaient Des Ailes’

Posted on September 15, 2015 by

Si Mes Vers Avaient Des Ailes ( If My Poem Had Wings) is a French melodie –  art song – (equivalent to the German lied) by Venezuelan-born French composer Reynaldo Hahn (1874–1947).  There’s an excellent definition of melodie on Wikipedia, which is … Continue reading →

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Inch of the Day 10 September 2015: Singing John Rutter’s ‘I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes Unto The Hills’

Posted on September 10, 2015 by

Learning this to rehearse tonight. This means reading the words, listening without singing, humming the tune, getting the rhythm, reading and marking up the sheet music, singing with the words, singing again, and again and again, and again, getting past the weeping bit (when the music is so beautiful (it nearly always is) and has infiltrated and lacerates the soul). Continue reading →

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Inch of the Day 8 September 2015: Singing: Bob Chilcott’s ‘A Little Jazz Mass’

Posted on September 8, 2015 by

I’ve just started learning Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass which I’ll be singing as a (new) member of Eltham Choral Society in October, unless they find out first that I can’t sing and I’m kicked out. I’m going to have to learn more than an inch at a time though – more like a mile at a time – as it’s being performed in a month’s time. I’ll just have to sing very fast. Continue reading →

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Singing: Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal, Now The White (from the movie Vanity Fair)

Posted on July 27, 2015 by

This is the best recording I can get of this lovely song by Mychael Danna from the 2004 film version of Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, with Reese Witherspoon in the female lead (Becky Sharp).

The lyrics are from the sonnet by Alfred Lord Tennyson Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal Now the White Continue reading →

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What I’ve Been Singing: Le Spectre de la Rose: Les Nuits d’Eté: Berlioz

Posted on July 12, 2015 by

I had a first-time try last Friday at singing some of the songs from Hector Berlioz’ song cycle Les Nuits d’Eté (Summer Nights) the texts for which came from six poems composed by Theophile Gautier.

I’ve had a CD for some years of the song cycle recorded by the late great Janet Baker, so I was not entirely unfamiliar with it. I never thought at the time that I’d one day be singing it.

The theme of the cycle is love, its progress from innocence to loss and renewal. The second song of the cycle, Le Spectre de la Rose, began as a work for piano – Afforderung zum Tanz (Invitation to the Dance) – written, in 1819, by Carl Maria von Weber. Continue reading →

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