Author Archives: vhk10

in praise of … the filler

Posted on April 11, 2020 by vhk10

Why did Schubert never continue his Quartettsatz D703? Did he get distracted? Run out of inspiration? Or was he prescient enough to think ‘One day people will be able to preserve performances on a medium lasting about an hour, and … Continue reading →

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grounded over Easter

Posted on April 10, 2020 by vhk10

As I write this I’m listening to Bach’s St John Passion on Radio 3. I always try to hear the BBC National Chorus of Wales when they are broadcast (as they have been quite frequently recently), at least so if … Continue reading →

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see you on the other side

Posted on April 6, 2020 by vhk10

Some kind of order is beginning to emerge out of the chaos. Bristol Choral Society has started having online rehearsals. Messages about ‘virtual choir pubs’ and ‘virtual pub choirs’ are dropping into my inbox, and social media is full of … Continue reading →

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in praise of … choir committees

Posted on April 3, 2020 by vhk10

I’ve not spent a lot of time on choir committees, or ever had one of the more demanding posts. It’s a truism that they deserve lots of gratitude for what they do, and only if you’ve been behind the scenes … Continue reading →

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a grounded singer

Posted on March 29, 2020 by vhk10

So I’ve temporarily lost all my choirs, including the church one. What do I do for singing? I’d normally try to sing every day, which means individual practice on the days when I have no rehearsal or performance. Now that … Continue reading →

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the last concert for a while

Posted on March 18, 2020 by vhk10

I rejoined Gloucester Choral Society to perform Bach’s St John Passion, after thinking carefully about the amount of time and travel involved. I shall never regret doing this, because of the significance that is now attached to it. By concert … Continue reading →

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Fidelio before the curtain fell

Posted on March 16, 2020 by vhk10

By early March tickets were beginning to appear for events that had originally sold out, as people became anxious about the risk of contagion. One such ticket was a good (and hence expensive) one for Fidelio at the Royal Opera … Continue reading →

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Oh, Jemima!

Posted on March 15, 2020 by vhk10

I missed going to Bath Opera last year, but this year they won out over the concurrent Bach festival and I caught their production of Gounod’s Faust. This once-popular opera is now a relative rarity. It’s a long work, even … Continue reading →

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a belated return to the Barbican

Posted on March 3, 2020 by vhk10

It’s a long time since I visited the Barbican Centre – not within the lifetime of this blog. Even longer ago, I performed there, with the Tallis Chamber Choir (two concerts: Britten’s St Nicholas + carols, and Mozart’s Mass in … Continue reading →

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Ho ho ho ho ho ho

Posted on February 21, 2020 by vhk10

I get to about half of the BCS Come and Sing events (there’s one every year, invariably sold out). I made a point of getting to this year’s, on most of the choruses from Dido and Aeneas. I’ve never performed … Continue reading →

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have I sung everything in the Oxford Book of Tudor Anthems?

Posted on February 10, 2020 by vhk10

I recently claimed that I had, but that claim isn’t quite true. There’s one anthem that I’ve never sung, and it’s probably the least performed in the book: Byrd’s This day Christ was born. The problem is that it really … Continue reading →

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a weekend with Mathias

Posted on February 8, 2020 by vhk10

I had a busy weekend with two extra services, both of which included anthems by William Mathias. On Saturday I revisited St Mary Redcliffe for the first time in several years, to join a visiting choir for the first Evensong … Continue reading →

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