Author Archives: vhk10

Holy Week and Easter 2009

Posted on April 16, 2009 by vhk10

This year has been very unusual in that I won’t be performing at all in the period from Palm Sunday to Low Sunday. I was invited to sing in two performances of Mozart’s Requiem: but I couldn’t make rehearsals for … Continue reading →

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an exhibition at the Bodleian

Posted on April 4, 2009 by vhk10

I went today to an interesting little exhibition at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. On display are scores of choral music from mediæval times to the present day, from the Bod’s own collections or on loan. They include the Eton … Continue reading →

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the Festival becomes a Fest

Posted on March 29, 2009 by vhk10

I’ve been booking tickets for the Bath International Music Festival. I think that’s what it’s still called in full, but the brochure for it now has ‘Bath International MusicFest’ on the cover, followed by a funny little splodge of a … Continue reading →

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the work I’ve waited ten years to hear

Posted on March 28, 2009 by vhk10

A few years ago I took a ‘Which major work of Alban Berg are you?’ test*, and came out as the Chamber Concerto. I’m not sure this was very flattering, as the Chamber Concerto has the reputation of being the … Continue reading →

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another anniversary

Posted on March 27, 2009 by vhk10

Bet you didn’t know it was the tercentenary of Pergolesi’s birth this year! His dates are usually given as 1710-36, but the first of this is the registration of his birth in early January, rather than the birth itself, so … Continue reading →

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Hear my prayer

Posted on March 9, 2009 by vhk10

I celebrated my birthday by going and singing Mendelssohn’s anthem with a visiting choir (the combined forces of St. Peter’s Caversham and St. John’s Mortimer) in Bristol Cathedral. It seems to be one of those anthems that is famous, but … Continue reading →

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Bellringers’ hymns

Posted on March 4, 2009 by vhk10

On my recent visit to Canterbury Cathedral one of these was a late substitution at evensong, in honour of a presentation to leaders of the bell-ringing team. All English hymnbooks seem to have at least one hymn for bellringers, and … Continue reading →

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the Howells jinx

Posted on February 24, 2009 by vhk10

I am beginning to feel that at the moment something happens to drastically cut rehearsal time every time I have to sing some Howells. At Birmingham Cathedral it was a loss of power, at Canterbury Cathedral with Priory Voices it … Continue reading →

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Continuity

Posted on February 23, 2009 by vhk10

Out shopping on Saturday morning, I bumped into a member of the Paragon Singers putting up a poster among various other posters for musical events, and we had a short conversation. Thinking afterwards about forthcoming choral concerts, I realised that … Continue reading →

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a memorial service at Merton

Posted on February 2, 2009 by vhk10

I’ve written before about the new choral foundation at Merton College Oxford, where I was an undergraduate. I was able to hear the choir last Saturday, though at a rather sad occasion: the memorial service for Tom Braun, who taught … Continue reading →

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Don’t mention the anniversaries!

Posted on January 26, 2009 by vhk10

It’s impossible to listen to Radio 3 so far this year and not notice that anniversaries of Purcell, Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn are being commemorated in 2009. I normally remark on occasions when I perform anniversary composers, but I think … Continue reading →

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the Pink Panther’s cathedral

Posted on January 22, 2009 by vhk10

Priory Voices began the New Year by going to Durham for a weekend of Epiphany music. It got off to a flying start as three of us found ourselves sat in the same part of the same railway carriage on … Continue reading →

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