Our Latest Blogs. http://www.kingssingers.com HAPPY SATURDAY. We are in Finland this weekend, singing for wonderful people and working with wonderful choirs. Our delightful Scandinavian (and Nordic, of course) agent, Karin, is with us, which is fabulous, and TIM (who has requested that I write with more things in capitals, as we sit here in Kristinestad before for our rehearsal) is drinking a hot drink, which is a truly rare occasion. I am enjoying every one of his gulps. We're rhyming and rounding again this weekend, celebrating our Queen's Diamond Jubilee overseas, and we must commend last night's audience for laughing at so may of our (brilliantly funny, of course) jokes. I had no idea I was such accomplished comedian.... Tomorrow we fly back to England for FIVE NIGHTS at home. We are all in complete disbelief. I will spend a lot of the week either in bed or at the gym. You can all bear witness to my health drive, as I prepare for my holiday to Thailand and Hong Kong this Summer. I promise to let you know how I get on. Otherwise, speak soon. amp;nbsp;xx http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 19 2012 00:12:30 GMT This is the first time in 2012 that we've visited Finland, and I'm always surprised as to how much the two-hour time difference can mess you up. It felt very strange getting up this morning. The great thing about the summer term is that we have lots of short trips, meaning a good balance of work and home time, and a chance to throw yourself into a few days of frantic activity before a rest. amp;nbsp; This trip is no exception: between lunches, masterclasses, rehearsals and concerts it's full to bursting, but the programme for both concerts is the same: Royal Rhymes and Rounds. We're lucky in Britain to have had a largely-unbroken monarchy, meaning centuries of music written for our kings and queens (mostly of a high standard) which form the perfect backbone for a concert in celebration of the Jubilee. Add to that the fact that most of the rest of the world seems obsessed by our Royal Family too, and it's a great export. amp;nbsp; Paul Drayton's new piece is essentially Masterpiece for Kings and Queens. We performed it in Canterbury on Tuesday night and it went down well. Tonight is its first outing in front of a non-UK crowd, so we'll see how it goes.... http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 18 2012 00:12:30 GMT So it's off to Finland this evening. Yesterday was my first day off since Easter and I can't tell you how nice it was to relax and not have to stay indoors with my head buried in scores. Paul insisted I tool the day off and I'm grateful to him for forcing me to chill out. amp;nbsp; I headed out for a drive to Garsington, 30 minutes outside Oxford, to drop off my Sony Vaio for repair and then caught up with a good mate of mine, Will, before going along to evensong at Christ Church. It was lovely hearing the men again and catching up with my friends. amp;nbsp; Bangers and mash followed and I watched the episode of Lewis which was entertaining. I am very much looking forward to my first trip to Finland, even more now that I'm well rested. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 17 2012 00:12:30 GMT I'm writing this 'blog, sitting in the sun, in the centre of Cambridge, having just cycled here for a haircut. I've spent many hours sitting in a car over the past few weeks, and today I really wanted to get 'out and about', breathe in some fresh air and do some exercise too. I've thoroughly enjoyed running with Johnny, Tim and Bruiser in the last couple of weeks - it's great to have the company and it's also a good indication of your own fitness (which is thankfully not bad at all, if Bruiser's sore calf muscles are anything to go by.). Nevertheless I enjoy cycling, and I covered the 16 miles to the city in 50 minutes, with nothing more than a slightly sore posterior. amp;nbsp; I'm looking forward to our visit to Vaasa starting tomorrow - it's a place I've been to twice before and it's always exciting to be a part of a large choral festival, where you get the chance to mingle with other, like-minded singers. amp;nbsp; Also, I can't let this 'blog pass without sharing my delight with you at 'my' football team, Manchester City clinching the English Premiership title on Sunday. It's been a long time coming, and I've been a fan through thick and thin. Happy days... amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; Notice the hat... Yours truly in Cambridge ... http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 16 2012 00:12:30 GMT Oh dear - it's raining again here in London. After a lovely sunny weekend, everyone is once again reaching for their umbrellas before leaving the house. amp;nbsp; Today we travel to Canterbury to appear as part of The Sounds New Contemporary Music Festival. I think this will be my first time to sing as part of such a festival and I'm looking forward to performing some of our most well-known commissions. A definite favourite of mine is John McCabe'samp;nbsp;Scenes in America Deserta. It is an astonishing composition and you're brain really does need to be switched to 'ON' for you to even attempt it. It will be Chris B's first performance of this and other modern works written for The KS - we've all been in that position before but it always helps to be surrounded by such supportive and motivational colleagues......... amp;nbsp; Below is a photo from Turino - some of the chaps with our wonderful Italian local agent Denise. Bellissimo. amp;nbsp; http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 15 2012 00:12:30 GMT As part of our tour of the new programme Royal Rhymes and Rounds we have arranged a Rounds exploration. I learnt loads of rounds in my youth, and they were my first introduction to harmony singing. What is fascinating to me is that old rounds often referred to specific historical events, such as the Great Fire of London in September 1666. amp;nbsp; London's burning, London's burning.amp;#8232; Fetch the engines, fetch the engines.amp;#8232; Fire fire, Fire Fire.amp;#8232; Pour on water, pour on water.amp;#8232; London's burning, London's burning. amp;nbsp; Another one you may know is: Three blind mice, three blind mice,amp;#8232; See how they run, see how they run,amp;#8232; They all ran after the farmer's wife,amp;#8232; Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,amp;#8232; Did you ever see such a thing in your life,amp;#8232; As three blind mice? amp;nbsp; This may seem a rather bloodthirsty rhyme to teach a child, but I rather enjoyed singing it. I have recently discovered that it is believed to refer to the persecution of Protestants during the reign of Queen Mary I, the elder daughter of Henry VIII. The amp;ldquo;blind miceamp;rdquo; are thought to be three Protestant Lords who plotted against the Queen, but were eventually brought to justice by amp;ldquo;the Farmeramp;rsquo;s Wifeamp;rdquo; amp;ndash; not the most flattering nickname for amp;ldquo;Bloody Maryamp;rdquo;, but then amp;ldquo;Bloody Maryamp;rdquo; is no better. However the original version, first published by Thomas Ravenscroft in 1609, has different words, which talk of the amp;ldquo;miller and his merry olde wifeamp;rdquo;. Mary was eleven years older than her husband, King Philip II of Spain, but the amp;ldquo;merryamp;rdquo; soubriquet does not seem to fit. amp;nbsp; Rounds were universally popular in Renaissance England, and Shakespeare makes reference to a few in his plays. In our Royal Rhymes and Rounds programme, we feature rounds from the time of Henry VIII, including one, It is to me a right great joy, by Henry himself. He may have written it as a simple musical exercise, or it may have been for performance to the court, but he was happy enough with it to have it included in the wonderful collection of music that is now called amp;ldquo;The Henry VIII Manuscriptamp;rdquo;, which inspired our choice of repertoire from the reign of Henry. Another wonderful work from the manuscript is William Cornysheamp;rsquo;s Ah Robin, Gentle Robin. The lower two parts run as a canon or round, whilst the top part provides a beautiful descant. amp;nbsp; If you want to hear more, come to one of our Royal Rhymes and Rounds concerts this year. You can also check out the CD of the same title which is hot off the press. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 14 2012 00:12:30 GMT HELLO. amp;nbsp; Today has been a day filled with the sublime, the ridiculous, and everything in between. I will explain. amp;nbsp; We've had a marvellous week in Germany and Italy, with fabulous pizza, long runs, brilliant audiences, lovely new repertoire and great weather. I'm sorry to inform any friends in England that I *think* I've only had to endure two days of rain in the last four weeks. Which is hilarious, since we've been less that 1,000 miles away from home for most of the last month. It's crazy how climates can differ. Thankfully the sun is now shining in England (particularly as we returned from Germany this morning, after a lovely concert in Blieskastel in the Saarland last night). It was a real treat to wake up yesterday in such beautiful German countryside, and I look forward to staying in such magical scenery and to performing to such a kind and generous audience, as we did last night in the Klosterkirche, very soon. amp;nbsp; But now today. First of all (we start with the ridiculous), I was surprised to be stuck at passport control in Gatwick this morning with most of the cast of Geordie Shore. It's a show I advise none of you to watch, *please*. In many respects the show should be retitled amp;quot;How not to live your life of you're in your mid-twentiesamp;quot;. But they were such distinctive characters that it couldn't have been anyone else but them (notwithstanding their Geordie accents), and it caused me great amusement to see what they looked like at 9am on a Sunday morning. I can only assume that their night last night was eventful in a different way to the course of our evening, as we celebrated the music of England's royal courts with our Royal rhymes and rounds programme. Strangely, I didn't think to ask them.... amp;nbsp; To recivilise myself, I decided to go for a run through the beautiful countryside that surrounds our family home in West Sussex this afternoon. In a run that went on for much longer than I initially anticipated, I accidentally passed houses where friends used to live, my old primary school, the local village church, ran past horses and through cow fields, watched some cricket and took a shortcut through Bluebell Wood. The route was a real testament to how beautiful English scenery can be, and I look forward to replicating the run in the future. amp;nbsp; Then, of course (how could I not mention this), in one of the most nail-biting final minutes of a football match I have ever seen, Manchester City became champions of the UK premier league, seeing off Queen's Park Rangers with a 3-2 victory. I know that Paul, as a life-long Manchester City fan, will be ecstatic, and I don't blame him. amp;nbsp; Finally, and genuinely to the sublime now, I just watched the final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2012 competition on BBC2. Not only was our great friend Eric Whitacre on the show, giving his verdict on the finalists' performances to the deliciously beautiful Clemency Burton-Taylor, but the music that the three 15-year-old finalists made was truly staggering. Personally, I was completely spellbound by Laura van der Heijden's interpretation of Walton's 'cello concerto, and was delighted that she eventually walked away with the title. I look forward to seeing her on one of the world's great stages in the very near future. amp;nbsp; And so now, sublime-d and ridiculous-ed out for one day, I'm heading to bed (in my own bed.), far earlier than any other 25 year-old would dream of doing so. And as for tomorrow morning, I'm setting no alarm. It's going to be totally brilliant. amp;nbsp; And so, speak soon. xx http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 12 2012 00:12:30 GMT I think we're all fed up with the rain. Whether we're at home or on tour, it never quite seems to stop. We thought we'd found a sunny place today, as we travelled to Blieskastel (near Saarbrucken) in the west of Germany, but within an hour of arriving there was thunder in the air and it hasn't stopped raining since. Still, we have plenty to do so we're mostly in our rooms going over music anyway. amp;nbsp; Chris B is managing to keep up with the torrent of new repertoire magnificently. After next Tuesday's concert in Canterbury the pressure is off a bit, as we have several performances of our Royal Rhymes and Rounds programme which will allow us to concentrate on new close harmony. We're also preparing to go into the studio to record a few demo tracks for our new pop album, due out for the 2013-2014 season. amp;nbsp; I've been engaged in a side project over the past few weeks, preparing to record a documentary for BBC Radio 4 entitled amp;quot;Changing My Voice.amp;quot; This was something I had to do when I joined the KS in order to fit into the group sound, but other singers have done it over the years, too. It's very interesting to speak to people about what has influenced their voices throughout their careers and I hope the programme turns out well. I'll let you all know when to listen in. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 11 2012 00:12:30 GMT Not meaning to brag about the weather, but it's very hot here in Turin. So much so, that it's been a little bit more difficult to get to sleep for the past two nights. However, it's back on the road today to Rheydt, via Damp;uuml;sseldorf Airport. amp;nbsp; Last night's performance of our Friends programme in the Convertoria Giuseppe Verdi was a great success. The capacity crowd loved every minute and even pulled us back on-stage for a third encore. amp;nbsp; After the show a few of us were treated to a lovely meal at the exquisite house of Mr Spinola. It was fun meeting new people and also catching up with a good friend of mine, Marta. amp;nbsp; Turin is a wonderful city with an exciting vibe. Unlike my fitter colleagues who've seen a bit more of the city during jogging trips, I've been confined to the hotel, theatre, Ristorante la Nuova Lampara (best pizza) and Caffamp;egrave; Bodoni (best coffee) making sure I'm up to speed withamp;nbsp;music for the rest of the term. Still, from the little I have seen, I want to come back soon. amp;nbsp; Ciao Torino e la prossima volta. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 10 2012 00:12:30 GMT It seems strange writing a 'blog on a warm and pleasant day here in Torino (Turin to you and me) when, back in the UK the rain continues to pour down seemingly without stopping, and conversations with Helena are based around the level of water in our stream at the bottom of the garden and when the grass may finally be dry enough to cut. We arrived in one of our favourite cities yesterday afternoon, with enough time for me and Johnny to run together for an hour and a half by the river Po, before going for well-earned pizza at 'La Lampara'. As Tim mentioned yesterday, it has a reputation for the best pizza anywhere in the world, and it certainly did not disappoint. It was lovely to be remembered by one of the owners as well, and we gave him a KS card, hoping that he may visit our new-look website and even make it to a concert .... amp;nbsp; Tonight's performance of our 'Friends' programme takes place on a familiar stage in front of many familiar faces. The 'Conservatorio G. Verdi' is probably the hall in which I have performed most often as a King's Singer, with many return visits over the years. It's wonderful to come back and to experience the sights, sounds and smells of this beautiful city, and I look forward to many visits to come. It is just as well I don't live here though, that pizza is hard to resist and it'll be lunch time soon. amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp;It did stop raining long enough on Sunday for me to take Wiz for a walk, during my brief 'stopover' at home. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 09 2012 00:12:30 GMT Buongiorno.. Here we are in sunny Genova, the morning after a very successful concert in the magnificent Teatro Carlo Felice. This venue brings back very fond memories as I remember coming to rehearse with the group here whilst I was in my 'shadowing period' before I started the job full time. I remember seeing all of the fans queueing up around the concert hall, waiting for a glimpse of the group coming out of the Artists' Entrance. My predecessor Robin Tyson came up to me once they had finished signing CDs and concert programmes for about an hour and said, amp;quot;One day, you'll have to do all that..amp;quot; Well last night, it was my turn and it was great fun - the Italian public are simply great fun. So enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the group. What a joy.......... amp;nbsp; Today it's off to Turino and I can't really explain how excited I am about going to the restuarant La Lampara this evening with my colleagues. It simply has the best pizza that I have ever tasted. I asked our Italian promoter last night if he rated this restaurant highly, or if it was simply OK by Italian standards, but he was also very excitable about their food with many a hand gesture to go with it, so that's a good sign. amp;nbsp; Here are some pics from the last three masterclasses that we have been involved in. Firstly, a choir we taught in Hannover, then Worcester and finally a smaller ensemble which we taught in The Royal Academy of Music in Dublin. Fun times................ amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 08 2012 00:12:30 GMT Another brief stop-off at home between two trips away, and then we head to Italy for concerts in Genoa and Turin. Our trip to Ireland has been wonderful for all of us. The concerts in Cork and Dublin were sold-out, and the public were so enthusiastic in both cities. In Cork our concert was part of the Cork International Choral Festival, which has been in existence for an impressive 58 years. It combines a singing competition with choral concerts by a wide variety of vocal ensembles from all around the world, and it was a delightful event to visit, albeit rather briefly. amp;nbsp; I enjoyed my first trip to Cork. Although I am more Welsh than English, I am proud to have an Irish surname, and it is from the Cork area that my Hurley forebears came. I wish I had had more time to visit the area, and have promised myself to return soon on holiday. amp;nbsp; Our stay in Dublin was equally great, and it included a concert with some workshops. On Friday we visited the Royal Irish Academy of Music to work with Voci Nuove, a young mixed ensemble of ten voices. They have only been together for about seven months, and they make a lovely sound. They had some specific concerns, and I hope we helped them with these and other matters. amp;nbsp; On Saturday we returned after many years to the National Concert Hall (in fact I was the only member of the group to have sung in Ireland with the KS). During the day, to coincide with our concert, Richard Frostick, the experienced animateur, led a daylong workshop for singers. Johnny and I attended in the morning, and all of us were there in the afternoon, as Richard put everyone through their vocal paces. He managed to create some wonderful sounds from those present, and also to get everyone to loosen up a bit when they sing. It was a joy to watch him working, and to see the reaction on peopleamp;rsquo;s faces as we performed each of the pieces he taught us. Most were able to come to our concert later that evening, and their reaction was one of delight. amp;nbsp; Next we head to Italy, which is always a favourite stop for the group if you look at the amp;ldquo;Revealedamp;rdquo; section of the amp;ldquo;About usamp;rdquo; part of our website. I have found it interesting reading, and have learnt some surprising facts about my colleagues. amp;nbsp; http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 07 2012 00:12:30 GMT Top o' the morning to you all from a wonderful Dublin. I can't quite believe it's the first time I've ever been to Ireland. I've always been quite an adventurous traveller, so it's embarrassing to admit that I've never managed the short hop over the Irish Sea. At least I'm here now. Our concert in Cork in the Opera House on Thursday was marvellous, and it was a real treat to meet so many people from all over the world after the show. We wish everyone competing in the International Choral Festival a huge amount of luck, and hope to meet many of you again in the future (particularly everyone from The Philippines - I've always wanted to go there). amp;nbsp; So now it's Saturday, and we've got a workshop all day with our wonderful animateur, Richard Frostick, and eighty Dubliners who I'm sure are going to be delightful. Then it's a concert this evening here in the National Concert Hall (which is a truly wonderful building, might I add), celebrating dance music from throughout the centuries. I'm going to have to make sure I have at least one pint of Guinness after the show: it would be rude not to, I think. Particularly as our wonderful administrator Rebecca is with us for the weekend, and it's always great to celebrate being with the rest of our extended King's Singers family. amp;nbsp; Much as I now love Ireland, what I'd really like to talk about is our marvellous day at the King's School in Worcester on Wednesday. It was the first concert in our Royal Rhymes and Rounds tour of the UK, which celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, including the first live performance of our new commission, A rough guide to the Royal Succession by Paul Drayton, which recounts England's kings and queens of the last 1500 years, warts and all, in about eleven minutes. It is, I assure you, great fun, and it's going to be available on our new Royal Rhymes and Rounds CD which is out very soon. Watch this space. amp;nbsp; The King's Singers Foundation is playing a vital role in this tour, providing the funding for our Royal Rhymes and Rounds educational project, that's also being led by Richard Frostick. Across the country, in state and private schools where our Royal Rhymes and Rounds concerts are also happening, Richard and The King's Singers are going into schools to teach pupils about the music of our royal courts throughout the ages, and the first two of these workshops have happened at King's, Worcester over the last few weeks. Of course we're thinking about the history of royal music, but we're also putting a particular focus on the round as a musical form: why they're so interesting and widespread; how we should sing them; and also how we might go about composing them. amp;nbsp; Thinking about rounds like this makes me wonder what my favourite round is. Three blind mice? London's burning? Framp;egrave;re Jacques? No. In fact, my favourite round is called Come follow, which I heard for the first time as part of an animated snippet on Sesame Street, and I can't have been older than about nine or ten at the time. It's dramatised by three tremendously affable turtles who want to perform a round for their slumbering father, and it strikes the perfect balance between being rhythmically complex and being very easy to sing. At the time, I remember thinking that the piece had been written specifically for the programme, but in fact the round was composed by the illustrious John Hilton in the seventeenth century. Here's a link to the video I mentioned: I promise it'll leave you with a smile on your face. amp;nbsp; So, what's your favourite round? Let us know, on The King's Singers Foundation Facebook page and we may even post a video of ourselves singing it online for you. Alternatively, why not upload a film of yourselves recording your favrouite round and post the link, or you could even write your own brand new round. There's a challenge.amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; Otherwise, all the best and speak soon, xx http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 05 2012 00:12:30 GMT It isn't often these days that I go to a new territory in my KS career, especially one that's so close to home, but that's exactly where we are this week on my first ever trip to the Republic of Ireland. To be honest, I can't believe I've never been here before. On the flight across I thought about the stereotypical things Ireland is famous for; the lush green countryside, craggy coastline, friendly people and fine Irish Stout, and after 24 hours here I can tell you that Ireland is and has all these thing - but so much more, too. amp;nbsp; Performing in the Cork International Choral Festival last night was our first performance here in Ireland for over a decade, but when we walked out on stage it was as though we'd been regular visitors, such was the strength of the applause. It's always good to start a show with a positive atmosphere; it makes it easy to feed off the audience energy, create tension and take the people where they want to go. Much harder is to whip up a quiet crowd - we usually manage it, but you're starting from a much more difficult spot. amp;nbsp; Chris B had his first taste of the Ligeti Nonsense Madrigals in the concert, as well as Masterpiece in the second half, so we'd been working hard on repertoire for a few days but it really paid off well as we put in some controlled performances. That's a key feature of performance; know when to take risks and when it's best to stay well within the envelope. We could then let loose a bit in the close harmony and have some fun. Managing performances in this way is one of the best messages we can send out to other groups who are perhaps struggling with tuning, balance, blend or precision. If you have a plan as to how each piece will be performed, and stick to it, you'll have a successful concert. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 04 2012 00:12:30 GMT It was good to perform my first official concert on English soil last night. Set in the lovely King's School, Worcester, we performed a fittingly appropriate programme entitled 'Royal Rhymes and Rounds' to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.I particularly enjoyedamp;nbsp;Flora's Queen by John Stainer with its rich texture in the louder sections. The other highlight was Paul Drayton's new work,amp;nbsp;A Rough Guide to the Royal Succession. Having recorded it recently, it was wonderful to perfom its UK Premiere and it went down well with the audience.It was also nice to see some of the students from the chamber choir at the school with whom we'd worked with earlier in the day. For more information about the programme and upcoming performances please see the 'Royal Rhymes and Rounds' page on the website.amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; So it's off to Ireland today and, having never been before, I'm very excited. Looking forward to catching up with good friends in both Cork and Dublin and a potential trip to the Guinness factory on Sunday before flying home would cap off the trip quite nicely. amp;nbsp; See you soon... http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 03 2012 00:12:30 GMT I'm delighted to say that today is the 'launch' of our Diamond Jubilee programme, at King's School Worcester. I'm making final preparations before a leisurely drive across the country, and excited to be a part of this interesting project, bringing our music, ancient and modern to a young and potentially new audience. Tonight will be the first public performance of Paul Drayton's new piece: 'A Rough Guide to Royal Succession', a witty 'take' on our Kings' and Queens' various adventures. amp;nbsp; Meanwhile its been a quick turnaround at home, unpacking, washing and re-packing, walking Wiz, helping Ed with his homework and supporting Will during his exam period. Helena 'holds' everything together whilst I'm away, and she was very glad of a cup of tea in bed, the last two mornings. See you soon; must get ready .... amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; A guilty-looking dog .... 'Didn't I tell you to stay in the kitchen?' http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 02 2012 00:12:30 GMT Good morning from a very wet London.......Apparently it's been raining here solidly for the last week and from today's outlook, I can well believe it. We arrived back yesterday though to a beautiful sunny day and I couldn't see what all the fuss was about, but alas, today the rain has returned. amp;nbsp; So we leave tomorrow for a concert in Worcester and then off to an airport hotel ready for an early start on Thursday for our trip to Ireland. I've never performed in Ireland, with any ensemble, so it'll be fun seeing how they react to a KS show. I've got some of my brother-in-law's relatives coming along to the show in Dublin so that'll be fun - always nice to see some familiar faces out in the audience........ amp;nbsp; I'm off back to my piano now to learn some new repertoire which is coming up - the beautiful O vos Omnes by Gesualdo and then a thorough revision of John McCabe's tricky Scenes in America Deserta. Wish me luck.. Some pics from the last tour: amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; Johnny outside the Berlin Philharmonie. amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; The effects of learning so much music. amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; The effects of knowing so much music. amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; Chris G getting peckish on the train. amp;nbsp; Views from the train when we travelled from Austria to Switzerland - wow.. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 May 01 2012 00:12:30 GMT Today we head back home for a short stop after the trip to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Johnny, Chris B and I have opted for the later flight from Zamp;uuml;rich to London this morning, whilst the other three went for the extremely early option. I am not sure what this says about us all. amp;nbsp; Yesterday afternoon we sang in the Altekirche in Boswil. This was a return visit to this lovely venue in the middle of the beautiful Swiss countryside. About sixty years ago the church and its parish house were donated for use as a retreat for musicians, with the church being used as a venue for concerts. Many distinguished musicians have visited the place over the years, and for the last twenty years it has been run as a cultural centre. For us it was a perfect end to a busy trip. The centreamp;rsquo;s resident cook provided food for us when we arrived, and after the late afternoon concert there was a delicious dinner. We had programmed Pater Noster for the first half, and given that the concert was in a deconsecrated church we were given free rein in the second half to do a contrasting selection of light repertoire. After the concert we answered questions from the audience. Talking to a number of people after the show, they said how much they appreciate the chance to attend a concert in such an intimate setting. It is also nice for us to be able to perform in a space where you feel a real connection to the audience. amp;nbsp; We have a couple of days off before our next concerts. On Wednesday we are singing at Kingamp;rsquo;s School, Worcester, and on Thursday we go to Cork in Southern Ireland. I am looking forward to this very much, as it is from that part of the world that my forebears came (well, the Hurley ones, that is). amp;nbsp; I suspect Tim will provide some better pictures tomorrow, but this shows a view from the train window as we headed from Salzburg to Fribourg on Saturday. amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; Johnny and Paul outside the Parish House in Boswil http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 Apr 30 2012 00:12:30 GMT HELLO ALL. amp;nbsp; I've been a nuisance, I know, missing last week's blog post and getting up to all sorts of mischief over our Easter holidays. But it's a joy to be back on tour. Yesterday was spent in Salzburg, which must be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. My parents inform that it's a city I visited a lot as a child, but I had no recollection of it. Needless to say, I spent most of yesterday morning sight-seeing and tending to admin while sitting on the terrace at Tomaselli's, eating sausages, feasting on delicious Apfel Strudel and basking in the glorious sunshine. You can see just how glorious it was in the photo below. The concert was no less of a joy. Our audience in the Great Hall were fantastic, and we were each given a pack of chocolate Bachwamp;uuml;rfel at the end of the show, which my colleagues tell me are simply to die for. I'm going to save them for a rainy day, I think. So, we're now on an exceedingly long train from Salzburg to Zamp;uuml;rich, before continuing on to Fribourg where this evening's concert is. I've already had a snooze - my hood and comedy glasses came in handy, as you'll be able to see from the photo below - and the onboard menu is brilliant: I'm preparing myself for my next meal already. The views out the window - as you can probably imagine - are absolutely stunning. Just look at the mountain vista I managed to snap earlier during our journey (I've attached it below too). What lovely countries Austria, Switzerland and Lichtenstein - we mustn't forget Lichtenstein - are. Finally, just to prove that I did actually go to New York and Harvard during the last holiday, I've attached two photos from the trip: one of Irina, Alex and me at the Top of the Rock, and one of Irina, myself and lots of friends from Harvard dancing until the wee hours in Boston. I hope you all like them both as much as I enjoyed my holiday. Right, I'd better go over some Estonian before this evening's concert. Speak soon, xx. amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp; http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 Apr 28 2012 00:12:30 GMT I'm writing my blog a day early (shock, horror.) as we're currently speeding through the German countryside on our way to Salzburg, where tomorrow the hills will be alive with the sound of acapella music provided, of course, by The King's Singers. My colleagues will no doubt be extremely irritated by my incessant humming of tunes from the film, by the time we finally arrive at 7 o'clock this evening. Dear readers, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm writing this IN ADVANCE as opposed to late, which is my normal habit. Well, good question. Partly it's because we have so many hours on the train that it seems like a good use of time. But secondly, my time tomorrow will be full, not just with KS work but with a side project about which I'm quite excited. I'm due to make my presenting debut on BBC Radio 4 this autumn, in a programme entitled amp;quot;Changing my voice,amp;quot; and I have to conduct an interview with the great American soprano Grace Bumbry tomorrow in Salzburg. I'm looking forward to it very much, but with a degree of trepidation... Back to this tour, and as I mentioned last week we are steaming through a lot of new repertoire for Chris B. He's keeping up admirably well, and we're now preparing programmes for next week's concerts in Ireland, Italy and the UK - where we perform in Worcester on Wednesday. A great friend of ours, Peter Nardone, has just been appointed as Director of Music at Worcester Cathedral, and we're looking forward to catching up with him very much to wish him all the best for his new role. Worcester also has perhaps the most beautiful cricket ground in the world, next to the river and in the shadows of the Cathedral, so I may make a quick visit there before the rehearsal. My village cricket career has, alas, taken a back seat during my time in the KS, but I hope to turn out for the Mayfield Village CC Second Team at some point this year.... http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 Apr 27 2012 00:12:30 GMT This tour feels like the litmus test. I've had my 'grace period' and this is the real deal now. Having had to perform the first five shows, all with new music and all different from each other, is what this job really demands. The impressively large amount of repertoire that the group has built up over 44 years is testament to The King's Singers' constant desire to rejuvenate and develop across all genres and styles. So I've really felt the pressure to be up to speed on more than a hundred pieces in quick succession. Last night's show in Siegen featured the programme entitled Body and Soul. Movements of Richard Rodney Bennett's Sermons and Devotions were interspersed with works by Tavener, Ravenscroft, McCabe, Chilcott, Walton, Gibbons and the poignant setting of Mary Modyr by Geoffrey Poole. We finished the show with a collection of folk songs from the British Isles and the compulsory close harmony. The next show in Salzburg has mostly the same music as Berlin with a few changes so I guess I have to view it as 'familiar'.. That means the time has come to prepare the music for Worcester, Cork and Dublin - including my first performance of Masterpiece - so it's full steam ahead and I'm hoping the presence of Mozart will spur me on. (I wonder what he'd think of Paul Drayton's parody on some of his well-known works?. I think he'd love it.) Next time I write, I'll let you know how it went. Tchamp;uuml;ss http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 Apr 26 2012 00:12:30 GMT I was going to write a nice relaxed 'blog about the joy of train travel in Germany, until about two minutes ago, when our local train arrived three minutes late in a packed Nueremburg station, and six gallant but over-laden Englishmen sprinted through the connecting subway (it was like the parting of the Red Sea.) and up onto platform six, where our 'ICE' train was already waiting, not specifically for us, you understand. I heard the dreaded 'beep beep beep' announcing that the automatic doors were about to close, and leaped aboard, thinking to myself: ' I really hope this is the right train.' and ..... We made it .... just. Now I'm getting my breath back, feeling a bit warm, and thankful that the group of Englishmen is still intact. The responsibility for travel in the KS rests with me, so I often feel more than a little anxious that everybody is where they should be at the appointed time. Thank goodness that today we all knew the connection was 'tight' and that the team helped one another with luggage and boxes of CDs onto the train - proving that the strong ethic of teamwork goes far beyond the concert hall stage. As has been said in previous 'blogs, the start of our summer term is intense for all of us, but I really must pay tribute to Chris B. who has taken on the mountain of music he had to learn, and so far has conquered it - truly impressive. We're on our way (via three trains) to Siegen for today's concert - another whole 'new' programme for Chris B. in a lovely modern hall - the Apollo. Remembering our last visit (not long ago) I'm already looking forward to a cup of coffee and a sandwich, backstage, after today's rehearsal which will include very careful work towards Chris's first performance of Paul Patterson's 'Timepiece'. Good luck, Chris. Now, let's hope that tomorrow's journey by train to Salzburg doesn't involve the same athleticism. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 Apr 25 2012 00:12:30 GMT Hello. Here we are in Famp;uuml;rth on a sunny morning and we're just about to begin our first rehearsal of the day. We're having to pop in a few extra slots here and there for Chris B as there's so much new music for him at the start of this term. We've all been there.............A never-ending stream of music to learn and constant comments being thrown at you left, right and centre. It's pretty draining just casting my mind back to when I first joined, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and the time comes when you can look through some of the programmes and say to yourself amp;quot;Woopee, I know those pieces..amp;quot; We have a performance tonight in The Stadttheater which is a very impressive-looking building. The rest of the chaps who have sung there before say that the acoustics are wonderful, so I'm certainly looking forward to singing our Friends programme in there tonight. This set of pieces, really is a true representation of what we do in The KS - from Renaissance masterpieces, such as William Byrd's Haec Dies, to pieces commissioned by the group, including the wonderful Mobile by Jocelyn Pook. The famous Nokia ringtone impersonation by David always raises a laugh from the audience................ http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 Apr 24 2012 00:12:30 GMT Last night we returned once again to one of my favourite venues amp;ndash; The Philharmonie in Berlin. Our programme, which had the title Myths, centred around a work premiered by the group just over two years ago, and composed by Gabriela Lena Frank. Tres Mitos de Mi Tierra was commissioned for us by the Minnesota Commissioning Club, who include among their number our great friends Cathie and Jerry Fischer. Tres Mitos was performed interspersed with madrigals from two great madrigal collections amp;ndash; Il Trionfo di Dori (1592) and The Triumphs of Oriana (1602), the latter of which is available as a CD. The pastoral scenes of the idyllic lives of Greek and Roman goddesses painted in the madrigals contrast greatly with the gritty and rather lonely characters who inhabit Gabrielaamp;rsquo;s three Myths. Inspired by the culture of Andean Peru, these myths paint portraits of three unnamed men who wander the mountain areas of South America. As ever in Berlin, the audience was so quiet and attentive, and seemed to love both the old and new works. Both Tres Mitos and Il Trionfo di Dori are on my wish list for recording, so hopefully even if you canamp;rsquo;t hear these works in concert, you may be able to hear them on a recording sometime in the future. It was lovely to see Rebecca Carrington, daughter of Simon, who came to the Berlin concert. She has lived in Germany for some time, and has a very successful career as a cellist/singer/comedian. She was surprised to see Gabrielaamp;rsquo;s name in the programme, for they studied together in Houston under the distinguished teacher, Norman Fischer, brother of Jerry amp;ndash; what a small world. It has been a busy start to the term, with lots of different repertoire, as well as a couple of workshops in Hannover, one with four ensembles at the Musikhochschule and one with the excellent Mamp;auml;dchenchor Hannover (pictured below). Earlier on this trip I shared a dressing room with Tim, and thought you might like to see his recreation of Tracy Eminamp;rsquo;s award-winning art installation that caused such a stir at Londonamp;rsquo;s Tate Modern a few years back. Sadly my version was just too tidy to excite the art world. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 Apr 23 2012 00:12:30 GMT I'm often reminded of the wonderfully funny film, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, when on tour. Since Tuesday we've travelled on all three forms of transport and as I write we are speeding through the German countryside between Frankfurt and Hannover, before this afternoon's masterclass and a dinner with some of our wonderful management team. Trains are, I think, our favourite mode of transport. Smooth enough to work, comfortable enough to rest, spacious enough to stretch legs if required. And no security at check-in..... It's often tough to start a new term after being with our loved-ones over a holiday period. My Easter was interesting; family time in the USA included a cruise holiday in the Caribbean. Not something I ever thought I'd do, and now not something I think I'll ever do again. But we'll see. This term, however, has caused us to hit the ground running, with intensive rehearsing on Monday for our new studio project (details coming later...) and five new programmes to start this tour of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The music is eclectic and really rather wonderful - from Adrian Willaert's incredible Marian motet Ave Virgo, Sponsa Dei to our usual Close Harmony selection. Included in these concerts are some of the finest contemporary commissions we've received over the past few years: John McCabe's Cartography, Gabriela Lena Frank's Tres Mitos di mi Tierra (which we're performing as part of our Myths programme in Berlin's Philharmonie this Sunday) and Paul Patterson's incomparable Timepiece. For Chris B this is his first taste of intense learning work, but he's doing very well and we're enjoying singing together and forming our new group sound. Long-time fans should be excited; a former member attended a concert recently and declared that he'd never heard the group sound better.... so come and experience it for yourself. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=704 Apr 20 2012 00:12:30 GMT