Author Archives: vhk10

inside the Masonic Hall

Posted on May 28, 2014 by vhk10

I’d never been in a Masonic hall before, but Bath’s was used for a series of late-night concerts in the Festival. These were informal, in that you could take your drink into the concert hall and the seats were unreserved. … Continue reading →

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Shopping songs

Posted on May 27, 2014 by vhk10

I was very proud to see my youngest child performing along with others in his class in the Bath Festival in a free lunchtime concert of music written for children by Peter Maxwell Davies and Alasdair Nicolson, the Festival’s director. … Continue reading →

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See Australia!

Posted on May 25, 2014 by vhk10

Some of us in the Erleigh Cantors felt that Tourism Australia should have sponsored our concert at St. Peter’s Earley, because of its potential for subliminal advertising. One piece we performed was Bob Chilcott’s setting of the Ave Maris Stella … Continue reading →

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Violetta’s back-story

Posted on May 19, 2014 by vhk10

One of the most poignant moments in the current (actually 20-year-old) Royal Opera House production of La Traviata comes even before the curtain rises; during the overture, images of 19th-century poverty-stricken girls are projected on it, to suggest Violetta’s origins … Continue reading →

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When our families are broken, when our homes are full of strife

Posted on May 9, 2014 by vhk10

The above text has just been added to the list of inappropriate/tasteless things I’ve sung at weddings (most singers I know have such a list). It was the first line of a verse of a hymn we sang during the … Continue reading →

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Dedicating the Dobson organ

Posted on April 30, 2014 by vhk10

It’s not every day you get to go to a 750th birthday event. I attended the dedication evensong for the new organ in Merton College Chapel in Oxford, at which one of my friends and contemporaries was preaching. The choral … Continue reading →

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Good Friday and Easter 2014

Posted on April 29, 2014 by vhk10

This was actually my first Good Friday singing in the church choir (I’d been away the last two years), and this year the service took the form of Stations of the Cross with musical interludes. There were some new pieces … Continue reading →

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Performing the Glagolitic Mass

Posted on April 28, 2014 by vhk10

@bristolchoral We gave two performances of the Mass on successive nights, the first in Colston Hall, the second in the Royal Festival Hall. This marked my Royal Festival Hall début! I have a principle of not evaluating here concerts that … Continue reading →

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Learning the Glagolitic Mass

Posted on April 21, 2014 by vhk10

Our two performances of the Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass were sufficiently remarkable that they merit two posts. I’ll begin by considering the problems I encountered in learning the Mass. The obvious one is the language. It ought to be no harder … Continue reading →

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The Messiah in India

Posted on April 17, 2014 by vhk10

The South West Festival Chorus believes in travelling the world and followed taking Gerontius to China a few years ago with performances of the Messiah in India. We were not quite trail blazing as we were following in the footsteps … Continue reading →

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