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Stories out loud
Back in October, we were in Shoreham for their Word Fest, with Liberty Tales and Songs of Protest, which meant I was hosting, reading and singing alongside a sliver of Vocal Chords Choir. And also in October, at Archway With Words, I read Mirror. (from Lovers’ Lies) It’s the first time I’ve read it myself,…
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World Premier… my very first tune
Organising Longest Night kept me away from my own blog for a while, but it was completely worth it, not least because it gave me an opportunity to share my first ever musical composition with musicians who would do it justice. Here are Ian Kennedy and Sarah Lloyd singing The Cold Time. This is a…
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Join In: Folk Song Workshop for Winter
LESTER SIMPSON FOLK SONG WORKSHOP SECULAR WINTER SONGS LEARN AROUND 5 SONGS SATURDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 2015 12:45- 17:15 ST HILDA’S CHURCH HALL COURTRAI ROAD SE23 1NL bus routes 122, P4, 171, 172 stop on the corner. train to Crofton Park or Honor Oak Park 10 minute walk. advanced booking required Book Here £25 INCLUDES REFRESHMENTS all…
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Orchestral Manoeuvres
One of the delights of being involved in the community opera at Blackheath Halls is working with the Blackheath Halls Community Orchestra. We don’t get to hear what they are up to until the sitz probe, when we run through the entire opera and work out the corners. This is one of my favourite sessions,…
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Who are all these people?
We are a reading household (there’s a surprise) and an oft-quoted exclamation, when one of us, uninvited, reads an extract from the current book to the other is ‘Who are all these people?’ I think it’s from a Peter Nichols play but I could be wrong – we are also very poor on attribution. So…
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It’s about to get loud…
If you’ve been thinking I’ve been a bit quiet lately it’s because I’ve been so busy. One of the things I’ve been busy with is the Blackheath Halls Community Opera. We are doing Idomeneo [Mozart] this year and it is tremendously singable – lush baroque music to make you weep with joy at the cleverness…
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Singing in a veil
A new experience, singing whilst dressed as a nun. Apparently the costumes are borrowed from a production of Sister Act, and fit where they touch – A’s ‘cutty sark’ needs letting down about a foot so we don’t see her stripey socks until we are meant to. (I like the strategically placed light, it gives…
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Songs of the Sea
Well, for a writing blog there’s a heck of a lot about singing on here. This post is no exception. Vocal Chords, my regular choir, are splashing out in Forest Hill on Saturday July 19th (The only day that week that I’m not rehearsing or performing in Count Ory at Blackheath. 3pm St Saviour’s Church,…
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Vocal Chords on Radio3
Listen to me talking about our lovely choir, Vocal Chords, with us singing too… on iPlayer: Radio3’s The Choir, 0n until Sunday 16th March. We’re about 32 mins in.
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King Priam, ETO, Linbury Studio
Alix’s birthday treat – Tippett’s King Priam by English Touring Opera at the Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House. This is what happens when you get involved in community opera – you get friends with the professionals, and you go to see something because someone you know is in it, (four someones in this instance –…
Cherry Potts, Writer 