Author Archives: vhk10

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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sudden analgesic motive expressionists

Posted on January 30, 2020 by vhk10

See the previous comment for the source of the title. I decided to begin remedying the fact I haven’t been to any performances of Berg’s music for a while, by going to a cinecast of Wozzeck from the Metropolitan Opera. … Continue reading →

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What is orange? The second sopranos are orange….

Posted on January 14, 2020 by vhk10

The nation’s recording engineers in the field of choral music must have been very busy around now, as several different ensembles I know of have all been recording. Bristol Choral Society (with Music Makers of London, Bristol Youth Choir and … Continue reading →

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Other recordings I’ve made

Posted on January 11, 2020 by vhk10

As I’m on the verge of recording a CD, it’s time to look back at other recordings I’ve made. The new recording with Bristol Choral Society will be the sixth professional one I’ve made. The others (mostly recorded when I … Continue reading →

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Round-up of 2019

Posted on January 2, 2020 by vhk10

This wasn’t a particularly notable year with obvious high points, rather one in which I revisited places (Truro Cathedral) and works I had not encountered for a long time. The latter included three Requiems (Mozart, Brahms and Howells’), the last’s … Continue reading →

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two carol services

Posted on December 27, 2019 by vhk10

I’ll do a very quick round up of Christmas music. I miss the carol burn-out suffered by many people I know by going away for Christmas but I did sing in our Advent carol service. The new piece this year … Continue reading →

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a belated return to Vivaldi’s Magnificat

Posted on December 9, 2019 by vhk10

Vivaldi’s Magnificat must, rather unfairly, get a fraction of the performances of his Gloria. I sang it many years ago in Cambridge – conducted by John Alldis, no less – I think to boost the sound of the singers on … Continue reading →

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two lots of carols for the Christmas market

Posted on December 2, 2019 by vhk10

It’s a few years since I sang carols at Bath’s Christmas market. This year I had two shots, back to back! Firstly I did some moonlighting by running through a few standard carols with the combined forces of some of … Continue reading →

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Brahms with 4 hands

Posted on November 30, 2019 by vhk10

I have sung Brahms’ German Requiem within the lifetime of this blog, but it was not long after I started it! Instead I’ve twice attended a series of rehearsals with Bristol Choral Society for performances I couldn’t take part in. … Continue reading →

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accompanying The Women of Ryazan

Posted on November 28, 2019 by vhk10

The silver screen came back to Christ Church for another silent film accompanied on the organ, as part of the Bath Film Festival. This time David Bednall played for the remarkable 1927 Russian film by Olga Preobrazhenskaya, The Women of … Continue reading →

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rehearsing but not performing

Posted on November 25, 2019 by vhk10

Fortunately I rarely have to pull out of performances because of illness, but a number of times in the last few years I’ve gone to rehearsals for a concert I wasn’t singing in. Twice the work concerned was the German … Continue reading →

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