Author Archives: vhk10

no visiting choirs here!

Posted on September 22, 2018 by vhk10

I wrote to a Cathedral recently proposing that one of my choirs came and sang a weekend of services, and was rather startled to receive a reply that they are not accepting visiting choirs there ‘for the forseeable future’. (Despite … Continue reading →

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when only a spiritual will do

Posted on September 12, 2018 by vhk10

A couple of times recently I’ve sung arrangements of spirituals in church. Firstly, we sang Tippett’s setting of ‘Go down, Moses’ at Matins in Winchester Cathedral. I normally feel that the spirituals from A Child of Our Time (in the … Continue reading →

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1 out of 37

Posted on September 8, 2018 by vhk10

There was lots of music that was new to me in the Cathedral Chamber Choir’s sojourn at Winchester Cathedral.  One piece that wasn’t was Tallis’ Latin Magnificat, which I’ve sung with a couple of other visiting choirs.  So I was … Continue reading →

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being outed as a singer

Posted on September 2, 2018 by vhk10

Our recent summer holiday included a couple of occasions where I revealed myself to be a singer or at least someone knowledgeable about music. We were in SW France near the border with Spain, and in fact both occasions were … Continue reading →

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the asbestos symphony

Posted on August 25, 2018 by vhk10

The texts of Mahler’s 8th Symphony can be problematic. How do the two parts fit together? And can one take Part II at all seriously in an age when gender differences are played down? A further potential problem with Mahler’s … Continue reading →

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taking part in Prom 11

Posted on August 10, 2018 by vhk10

I’ve often been told of great occasions Bristol Choral Society members have taken part in before I joined, such as a Prom performance of the Gothic Symphony. Without a doubt joining the BBC National Chorus of Wales (and the BBC … Continue reading →

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when does a Willis not sound like a Willis?

Posted on August 8, 2018 by vhk10

Having a free morning before my own Proms performance, I got wind of the Sunday organ recital by the Latvian organist Iveta Apkalna and took the opportunity to go along. I would not normally be around in London on a … Continue reading →

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the Big Sing

Posted on July 16, 2018 by vhk10

I joined the South Cotswold Big Sing Group for Berlioz’ Grande Messe des Morts in Gloucester Cathedral, conducted by Adrian Partington. So a revisit of Bristol & Gloucester Choral Societies’ combined performance a few years ago, with quite a few … Continue reading →

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another collection of LPs

Posted on July 13, 2018 by vhk10

Some years ago I transferred our LP collection to CD. I am now embarking on digitising a second collection of LPs, formerly belonging to my husband’s late aunt and dating from the late 1950s to the 1980s. It would seem … Continue reading →

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a first visit to Prior Park

Posted on July 8, 2018 by vhk10

I went to hear a joint concert given by the Paragon Singers and Divertimento (the latter from Leamingon Spa) in the chapel of Prior Park College. I’d heard a lot about the chapel but never been in it. It is … Continue reading →

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nightingales in Plymouth

Posted on July 4, 2018 by vhk10

We sang about these in Paul Gerhardt’s hymn Geh aus, mein Herz during an Anglo-German wedding we were guests at recently. (Sadly, the ornithological reality is that they are not to be found within about 200 miles of the city.) … Continue reading →

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a return to Bradford

Posted on June 23, 2018 by vhk10

Bradford Cathedral was famously the last of the English Church of England Cathedrals that I performed in. I wasn’t expecting to return so quickly but the Cathedral Chamber Choir’s Artistic Director is now Director of Music there, so we were … Continue reading →

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