Che sara sara
I took ages introducing this Doris Day number into my repertoire - just too schmalzy, in my opinion. But once it was printed out, and I'd slotted in its three chords in the key of A, I felt as though I had always sung it. Since early childhood, I had known its...
Crear
The lowest period of the year, when all the kids seem to have colds, and people my age have been in bed for weeks with a flu that the vaccine-makers hadn't anticipated. Argh. A young lass in Scotland has died of pneumonia that set in as a result of all these bugs. And...
Heaven postponed
This evening's concert at the Town Hall is cancelled, due to Storm Emma and associated white-out. What a pity. Pete McMullin and I have been preparing a clutch of brilliant songs by Aaron Copland - settings of Emily Dickinson poems. The ones I had chosen for this...
Tone deaf
What a superb day of strange and wonderful singing. Two workshops - one for dementia victims no longer able to read lyrics but seriously engaged in Rocking around the Clock - sexy and young and joyful again; the second for more 'able' folk who took such pleasure in...
Welcome Autumn
Summer seemed so long and luscious - back in july I was the soloist in a super Brazilian concert in Oxford which was such fun and so much appreciated that it is being reprised - this weekend. And next morning I shall rise bright and early to recommence my duties as...
Rehearsals
Going well for our Brazilian concert next weekend - guests of Headington village where we will perform in their super church - St Andrews.Come along on saturday september 30 at 7.30 to hear me sing Villa Lobos songs and more. Lots of cross- rhythms and sensual...
Blog
Wren - not her real name - has been at one of my daycare groups for a while. She was introduced to me as an artist - 'a rather wonderful artist' - who loved music. Not that I could tell what sort of music - except for some clapping in the warm-ups, she wouldn't sing...
Modern Brazilian Classical Music
September 30, 7.30pm at St Andrews Church Headington Soloist with East Oxford Community choir and pianist Pete McMullin Songs by Villa Lobos and others
October 15
3pm on October 15, Oxford A concert with Pete McMullin - songs by Faure and other Parisians, at Pegasus Grange
Bird song
"You can muffle the sound of the drums, you can loosen the strings of the lyre, but who can stop the skylark from singing?" Kahlil Gibran Over the summer I've been making music round campfires, in streets and churches. In churches there's been a lunchtime 40's...
Improv
IMPROV Last week was a good singing week - bounded at either end by a good solid Latin Mass (the first of which was a 4-parter by Palestrina, bliss), in the middle I did two pub gigs and a Cole-Porter afternoon, plus a day improvising in London. The improvising is a...
Songs by Villa Lobos in a Brazilian Programme
July 15th at 7.30pm at St Michael at the Northgate Church Songs by Villa Lobos in a Brazilian programme with East Oxford Community choir. Contact me for details.