Author Archives: vhk10

High Mass in the Duomo

Posted on June 16, 2006 by vhk10

During my trip to Milan a couple of weeks ago I was able to attend the main Sunday Mass in the Cathedral, for the Sunday after Ascension Day. It was presided over by the Cardinal Archbishop (one of last year’s … Continue reading →

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an upbeat string quartet

Posted on June 7, 2006 by vhk10

We missed a lot of this year’s new-look Bath Festival, unfortunately, but we did manage each to get to a concert by the Vanbrugh Quartet in the Assembly Rooms. My husband and daughter heard Haydn, Beethoven (Op. 131) and Bartók’s … Continue reading →

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a double dose of Elgar and Purcell

Posted on May 21, 2006 by vhk10

A busy weekend of concerts recently. On Saturday night I sang in a concert in Reading with the Erleigh Cantors. The main work was a repeat performance (from Exeter) of Kodály’s Missa Brevis but singing first soprano this time (which … Continue reading →

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scrolling Mahler

Posted on May 4, 2006 by vhk10

I was startled on loading a new CD into the player tonight to see the words ‘Mahler – Symphony no. 9’ scroll across the display on the front. Not because the CD wasn’t Mahler 9 – it’s the newly released … Continue reading →

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two against three

Posted on May 3, 2006 by vhk10

I have recently started to learn ‘L’invito’ by Rossini and got hold of Ricordi’s edition of it. I was rather surprised to discover an obvious misprint: a 3/4 bar with only two beats in the voice part. It was easy … Continue reading →

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two concerts for Holy Week

Posted on April 15, 2006 by vhk10

I’d been meaning to go to an Exultate Singers concert for a while, and missed a couple including one with a new cantata to commemorate Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s anniversary. I hope that this contained lots of suspensions, especially as it … Continue reading →

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a plug for St. John’s

Posted on April 13, 2006 by vhk10

In past years, there has been a broadcast of a Passiontide service from St. John’s College, Cambridge on Radio 3. I was delighted to find that the College has made this year’s service available as an audiocast: http://www.sjcchoir.co.uk/ I was … Continue reading →

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MIDI manœuvres

Posted on April 12, 2006 by vhk10

I bought a new mobile phone and wanted to write my own MIDI file to use as a ringtone. (My old phone would allow you to compose ringtones on it, but you were restricted to a single melody, in a … Continue reading →

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walking away

Posted on April 9, 2006 by vhk10

I can be pretty tenacious but I’ve recently been thinking about two situations I’ve been in with regard to singing when I would have done better to back out, admit to myself that I’d made a mistake and do something … Continue reading →

Posted in choirs, singing - other | 1 Comment

two new languages

Posted on March 29, 2006 by vhk10

Rehearsals have now started for the Bath Camerata Good Friday concert in Wells Cathedral. The two main pieces I am singing in are Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Otce Nas by Janacek. From my point of view, these have a certain … Continue reading →

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the back of the conductor’s head

Posted on March 24, 2006 by vhk10

I went to the final performance of the revival of Wozzeck at the Royal Opera House. I shan’t attempt to review the performance here, but reviews are available online: e.g. the Guardian‘s or the Observer‘s. As I saw the opera … Continue reading →

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a reunion in Gloucester

Posted on March 3, 2006 by vhk10

I went to an old girls’ event held at Gloucester Cathedral by my old school (which actually wasn’t in Gloucester, or even Gloucestershire). After a guided tour and tea, we heard the choir sing evensong, for which they laid on … Continue reading →

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