The King's Singers

09 / 01 / 2012

David

It seems a little late to wish you all a happy 2012, but I think this may be the first K'S blog of the year. I have had a very relaxed few weeks off since we returned from Singapore. I have to admit that today has been a bit of rude awakening, as I was woken early by my alarm clock (something that I try to leave in my baggage during our breaks). This morning I drove up to Heathrow, and leaving the car there, I headed into London for a rehearsal at St James's Church, Piccadilly (where we performed a concert of Polish music recently). Whilst we were there our passports were taken to the New Zealand High Commission to have the visas affixed in readiness for next month's trip. We must thank Rebecca and Claire for organising such things - there have quite a few visas and work permits added to my passport in the recent past, not least the Far East countries we were in in December. I can't imagine the chaos that would ensue if we had to do them ourselves!

I am now heading back to Heathrow to fly to Prague. It is few years since I last visited this fabulous city, and we do have a bit of time on Wednesday morning to explore the Old City, before we head to Dubai. it is nice to be back on the road, and also to see the other K'S. It is also great to look at the schedule for the next few months. I am very excited about the trip 'down under'. During my time in the group we have not been. It has been mooted on many occasions, but has not managed to be fitted in. It is great that it has at last been organised successfully. The addition of New Zealand to the itinerary has been rather fortuitous, given our appointment of one of their own into the K'S. We have been rehearsing with Chris B today, and I think you will all approve of our decision.

Anyway, before that I have to cope with the delights of airport security - one aspect of the job I have not missed in the last three weeks!

10 / 01 / 2012

Tim

Happy New Year everybody!! I do hope you all had a great Christmas and fun New Year's Eve celebrations! I certainly did!!

So here we are in Prague for our first concert of 2012. What a beautiful city this is. It's the first time I've been here and the last time the group was here was back in 1997, I was reliably informed by Philip today.

We are singing a programme tonight entitled Chanson D'amour and it contains some really sumptuous pieces - my personal favourites have to include John Wilbye's Weep, weep mine eyes and Draw on, sweet night. They are absolute gems and I thoroughly enjoy singing them - actually I now recall that they were programmed in my first few concerts back in 2009. Happy memories................

Anyway, I do now need to dash and write my announcement for the show tonight. I'm introducing the group of 4 love songs before the interval, which include Saint-Saens' Romance du Soir and Sir Arthur Sullivan's The Long Day Closes. Thankfully I have some very helpful notes from David to guide me in the right direction - what kind colleagues I have!

P.S. - If you want to check out some of these pieces from tonight's programme, take a listen to our 2009 release, Romance du Soir, in The KS shop! 

12 / 01 / 2012

Philip

It's unusual to return so soon to a destination which prior to last year's visit would not have been somewhere we would expect to perform at all, but here we are back in Dubai as guests of the Dubai Concert Committee. It's also unusual to suffer the inconvenience of having to evacuate the hotel at 6.30am owing to a fire alert, only the second time that this has happened since I joined the group. It is approximately the time I get up every weekday morning at home, but here 6.30am is equivalent to 2.30am UK time, and we had arrived at the hotel well after midnight following our 6-hour flight from Prague. Thankfully we can rest until 4pm, when we will be refreshed and ready to begin our rehearsal for another unusual event: tonight, at the 5-star beach resort Madinat Jumeirah, we will sing the first half our concert in a normal concert set-up, and the second half on microphones as a kind of cabaret slot in between the first and second courses of the Gala dinner which is being laid on in the ballroom of the resort as part of the event. Our work done, we get to enjoy the dinner ourselves, and some relaxation time before we fly back to London on Friday morning, with, we hope, no repeat of the fire procedure in between!

13 / 01 / 2012

Chris

Happy New Year dear readers, and welcome to the exciting roller-coaster of a ride that will be the blogs of 2012!

I write this at an early hour from the comforts of the Emirates lounge in Dubai International Airport, awaiting my flight home direct to London Gatwick and thence to my country retreat, having decided to switch my flight and miss out on the horrors of London Heathrow, a place I firmly believe to be one level of Dante's Purgatory. Such little things make a big difference in the life of a wandering minstrel, and as every hour at home is a precious hour we develop as many tricks as possible to get us back there swiftly!

Last night's concert, a fund-raising evening in support of the Dubai Concert Committee, was another chapter in our gradual process of getting to know this part of the World. Sometimes it can take a few concerts to "get into" a new term, especially after the excesses (culinary and otherwise) of a Christmas break, but this term we have hit the ground running and produced two fine performances in Prague and Dubai, in my opinion. Wrestling with difficult ballroom acoustics presented no difficulties in the face of a fine technical team, and I can't remember the last time it was so satisfying to sing on microphones.

This is a short stop at home; on Sunday we return to one of our favourite European venues, the beautiful Teatro alla Pergola in Florence, almost hidden down a side street of this wonderful city, and we know many of our Italian friends will be there to greet us. There is something very special about Italian audiences; they are always on your side and appear to listen with bated breath and almost unbearable tension until, at the last, there is an audible release of breath and (hopefully!) the applause starts. It's incredibly rewarding and I'm looking forward to it very much.

Next week I will be writing from Germany after Philip's final concert with the group there, in what is one of our strongest territories. The Philharmonie in Cologne is a fitting place to bow out for any performer and as the end of January draws closer there will certainly be a few emotional occasions to contend with. As one chapter closes, another one begins, and it is with great pleasure and excitement that I can report fantastic progress being made by Chris Bruerton, Philip's successor. He is a true professional, a fine singer and musician, and we are looking forward to introducing him to audiences very much.

14 / 01 / 2012

Johnny

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

And what a wonderful start to the new year it's been. It began in Russia, at Irina's country house just outside Moscow, where we reigned in the new year with a traditional Russian feast, piled high with meats and salted vegetables and salads and 'plov' and cakes and vodka and wine and all the other good things that life has to offer. I've attached pictures below.

Following a restful week in London, next, we set off to Prague as a group at the beginning of this week. It's an incredibly beautiful city that I hadn't visited since the age of 2, so I was pleased to squeeze in a run on Wednesday that passed most of the city's most famous historic landmarks. Even if it did mean I had to run very fast and could barely speak by the time I got back to our hotel. The castle is certainly one of my favourite buildings in the whole world, and visiting the British Embassy,  which sits right in its wake, and where we met the delightful Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Sian MacLeod, was a real honour. The views across the city from the embassy terraces are also stunning, might I add.

From there, Dubai. I love it. And our good friends (particularly Paul and Jo) there. I think I'm going to make another stop there on my way back from New Zealand next month. For now, here's a photo of David which I took over breakfast from our hotel restaurant balcony, and as I took it I asked myself the following question: when gazing at the world's only 7* hotel (the sail-like structure in the distance) from our 5* hotel, does that make it a 12* breakfast?

This weekend has been a bit of a whirlwind. Washing done and suitcase packed for the coming week, I sped to the launch evening of my friend Alice's first solo art exhibition. Very proud of her I was too, her work was marvellous.  Today, after a most welcome lunch with my mother, I managed to catch my friend Kate in Oxford before she heads back to Harvard on Monday. We drank lapsang souchong; we strolled around New College and caught a snippet of Poulenc in the chapel; we sunk a quick drink in the college bar before all the beginning-of-term revelry starts later this evening. But, most importantly, we COMPLETED the Times2 Jumbo Crossword. I attach evidence below, and am happy that, in finishing it, we have restored the world's natural order.

 So now, I'm heading back to London, to get ready to fly to Florence tomorrow, and to catch a fleeting glimpse of Irina before I go. I. Can't. Wait.

 Speak soon, xx

16 / 01 / 2012

David

With apologies to the other wonderful countries we visit, I have to admit that I have a particular soft spot for Italy. The food is delicious, the architecture is amazing, the people are so friendly and the weather is usually better than the UK. The first of our two Italian concerts took place in Florence's Teatro della Pergola, a regular venue for the group. We always have a very enthusiastic audience when we visit Florence, and last night was no exception. Amongst those attending were a young choir named Vivae Vocis, who attended last year's Schleswig Holstein Music Festival Masterclass. It was great to see them in the front rows of the venue, and to meet them after the concert. As ever we are grateful to the Florentine presenters, Amici della Musica, and to our fantastic Italian manager, Denise Petriccione.

Today we head to Udine, in the northeast corner of Italy, close to Trieste. We are travelling by express train, and this takes us from Florence to Venice via Bologna and Padua. We then take a local train along the coast to Udine. My only regret is that I don't have the time to break the journey in the places along the way, as Bologna and Venice feature amongst my favourite cities. Having said that, looking out of the train window, it does look very cold in Bologna. The brilliant sunshine of Tuscany has given way to a slightly gloomy Emilia-Romagna - perhaps I should revise the bit about Italy having better weather than home.

Tomorrow we head to Cologne - another great city - for a concert in the Philharmonie on Wednesday night. On Thursday we sing the first of six concerts in France. Add in last week's stops in Prague and Dubai, and you get a wonderfully diverse month of touring. I must not forget the last concert of the month in Salisbury Cathedral - an architectural gem of our own country that definitely rivals the ones in Florence!

17 / 01 / 2012

Tim

Hello all! Well today we arrived in the wonderful German city of Cologne after a couple of very successful concerts in Florence and Udine.

This city will always remind me of a very fun period of a few days that we spent here in 2010 with The WDR Big Band and that musical genius, Bill Dobbins. The project was the reworking of J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio for The King's Singers and big band, all done by meister Dobbins. It is difficult to say that it was an arrangement of this infamous Oratorio, but that it was more a work inspired by Bach. It was met with great enthusiasm around Germany when we performed it and you can take a listen of the live recording right here.

Ok, well sorry for the short blog this week but I don't want to miss the 6pm meet downstairs in the lobby with the other chaps. We're all off for a schnitzel and potatoes - I'm going to try to order the largest one on the menu. Sadly, I doubt that I will find any difficulty in finishing it off.

Before I go, here are a few shots taken from the last week or so.

Firstly, a shot of me, Gemma and some of my old school buddies last week in London, having a catch up over an Italian meal!

A picture taken after the concert in Udine with some members of the audience.

Chris eating a single slice of the world's largest pizza.

Some of the guys having some fine Italian coffee before our flight to Cologne this afternoon.

20 / 01 / 2012

Chris

The first four-in-a-row of 2012 sees us in fine voice and really enjoying our singing as we head out around France, following a memorable last German concert for Phil in the Philharmonie in Cologne.

We don't often spend this much time in France in one go, and it's great to sample the delights, culinary and musical, over a whole week. Personally I can't wait to get down to Bordeaux on Thursday and pick up a few bottles of wine to add to my ever-expanding cellar. It's becoming a hobby (ever since I joined the KS I haven't had a proper hobby - it used to be singing!) and I enjoy learning about new wines and producers, and settling down at home with Stephanie to enjoy a bottle over a good meal.

We're just starting to perform elements of our Diamond Jubilee celebration programme on this trip, and it's all going well; music inspired by, dedicated to (and sometimes even written by!) British Monarchs down the ages is a wonderful theme, as it allows us to tap into the rich vein of form that many composers experience when receiving the ultimate commission or patronage, that of royalty. I'm particularly enjoying the rounds that David has re-discovered as partners for madrigals: "Flow o my tears" by John Dowland as a precursor to, and inspiration for, John Bennett's wonderful "Weep, o mine eyes" - and "The Silver Swan" by Orlando Gibbons, leading into his madrigal of the same name. We hope we'll see some of you at our celebration concerts throughout the year!

23 / 01 / 2012

David

In my years in the King’s Singers we have regularly visited France to sing concerts in countless places, but these concerts have tended to be one-off visits or pairs of concerts. Unlike other territories we have not embarked on actual tours of the country. This is mainly due to the fact that France is the UK’s nearest neighbour, and that it is easy to make a short visit. However it is great to be spending nine days here travelling around giving six concerts all over this wonderful country. Yesterday we flew from Brest, on the Western tip of Brittany down to Clermont Ferrand in the Auvergne region of Southern central France. As our flight from Brest was not until late afternoon, we had some time to relax during the day. After a very late night after the Paris concert, it was great to be able to sleep in without the rude awakening of an alarm clock. When I opened the curtains, I saw that a large Sunday market had been set up in the streets around the hotel, and I strolled around it after breakfast. The most popular stall was the one selling oysters – I resisted the temptation to have a small mid-morning snack.

Today’s concert has an interesting first half (of course the whole concert will be interesting…), consisting of works from Il Trionfo di Dori and The Triumphs of Oriana. These two collections of Renaissance madrigals contain many amazing pieces, including Thomas Weelkes’ fabulous As Vesta was descending. I have written about these two collections in previous ‘blogs last summer, so I won’t bore you with a history lesson. They are amongst my favourite pieces in the K’S repertoire, and so I am greatly looking forward to the evening’s concert. In fact we have had a wonderfully varied repertoire over the last two weeks, with lots of different programmes. This has certainly kept us on our toes!

Chris B, who is travelling with us this tour, with Sophie, our wonderful guide from Concerts Parisien

The borthday boy, Johnny

24 / 01 / 2012

Tim

So here we are in Besancon after a relatively long train journey from Clermont-Ferrand via Lyon. The venue for our concert this evening is the Théâtre Musical de Besancon and it's rumoured to be yet another full house! It is truly amazing to think that the group has never embarked on a French tour like this especially as we're so close to home! We are all having such a great time singing in wonderful venues to some very appreciative and knowledgeable audiences. I know it must seem that I mention food in every single blog but I cannot allow a week in France to pass without a passing comment about how awesome the food has been - I think it's fair to say, some of the tastiest steaks that I've ever had! Ok that's it, no more chat about food, I can feel my stomach grumbling..........

We finish our stint in France with a concert in the Grand Théâtre Opera in Bordeaux - this was apparently the venue for Chris G's first concert and it's hard to believe that it will also be Phil's last non-UK show. I will miss Phil dearly - he's a great friend and a wonderful person to have around, not to mention a phenomenal musician. I'm really looking forward to the Salisbury concert, which will be the grand 'home' concert which he most richly deserves - a fitting end to a long and dedicated membership of The King's Singers.

Piccies below.

Firstly a couple from Cologne:

The magnificent Cologne Cathedral opposite our hotel which is undergoing some cleaning at the mo........

Phil after his last German concert with Norbert, one of our Belgium promoters.

Phil sometimes mentions that he will go and put his 'arranging hat' on, in order to finish some of his pieces off, but this lampshade really was a step too far............

The two Chris' attacking some food on one of our many train journeys around France this week.

26 / 01 / 2012

Philip

I'm sitting in the last of the very many hotel rooms I've occupied worldwide during my 18 years with The King's Singers, at lovely Bordeaux in France, waiting to leave for rehearsal and my final overseas concert. A newspaper interviewer the other day asked me how many concerts I'd performed with the group and I thought rather than the usual somewhat wild guess I would sit down and work it out from my diaries. It's hard to find an exact figure - do you count singing one song at a memorial evening in the Albert Hall for Kosovo victims as a concert or is that just a "guest appearance", for instance? But I was satisfied to discover that whatever criteria you apply the final number is certainly over 2,000. It has been for me, as it is for everyone who joins this extraordinary group, a life-changing experience. Were it not for my good fortune to be chosen on that sunny June day back in 1993, I might very well be still living in my medieval apartment in Salisbury's magnificent Close, turning up every day to teach in a local school, and then hurrying off back to The Close to sing Evensong in the cathedral. It's funny how life can change in a single moment, sometimes for the worse of course....

The downside for me has been, unsurprisingly, the time away from my family, having been absent for about half of every single year of my three daughters' existence, not to mention my marriage, since I was appointed a mere 8 months after our wedding day! It sounds rough, and I cannot deny that it has been at times, but for both the artistic fulfilment the job brings and the new opportunities it has led to, it was worth it, and the signs are that looking back the girls will think that what Daddy did was actually rather cool, especially for someone who is to them so inherently "uncool"! And I'm going to do my best to rectify that absence, starting this Sunday, the day after my final concert in Salisbury Cathedral, when the echoes of Durufle and Billy Joel have finally died down, and I can return home and not have to answer the little voice which always says "When are you going away again?". It's never too late, I tell myself.

Philip

30 / 01 / 2012

David

On Saturday evening Phil sang his last concert with the group after more than eighteen years in the line-up. The concert in Salisbury Cathedral was a wonderful occasion, and the venue was so appropriate. Phil was singing in the Cathedral choir before he joined the K’S, and still lives nearby. As many of you may know, the concert was not an ordinary King’s Singers a cappella show. The event was a joint one with South Wilts A Cappella, the excellent choir from Salisbury’s girls’ grammar school. They were already planning to do Maurice Duruflé’s sublime Requiem in a concert on the 28th, and somehow our plans and theirs combined together. Phil’s oldest daughter, Sophie, sings in the choir, and so Phil was able to share a platform with her. I must say for me it was a near perfect first half. All I had to do was sing the four Duruflé motets with the group, and then I took a seat in a darkened corner of the Cathedral, and listened to the beautiful performance of the Requiem, under the direction of Libby Poppleton. Phil, Chris and Johnny joined the choir’s bass part for the performance, whilst the other three of us sat it out. It would have been tempting to join the alto line, but the top two parts are sung by the girls from South Wilts Grammar, and they certainly needed no help from a couple of countertenors.

The second half started with a group of folksongs arranged by Phil and the great Gordon Langford, who worked closely with the original members of the K’S, and was, we feel, instrumental in the creation of the King’s Singers sound. It was lovely that he was able to attend the concert. The second half continued with Bob Chilcott’s Even such is time, a setting a words by the 16th Century adventurer Sir Walter Ralegh. For this we were joined by the sopranos and altos from the choir. We premiered this piece in Salisbury Cathedral back in 1993, as part of a set of four pieces composed for the group and the then newly formed Salisbury Cathedral Girl Choristers. Phil was then given free rein to choose his favourite close harmony arrangements.

It is going to be rather strange without him. In addition to being colleagues for over eighteen years, we have known each other for around thirty years, since he moved to Salisbury. One slightly alarming result of his departure is that I become the oldest member of the K’S. However his legacy will live on in many ways within the group, not least through his arrangements. The second piece to be performed by Phil’s successor, Chris Bruerton, will be Phil’s lovely lilting arrangement of I love my love, and that will not be the only Lawson moment in the concert. This week we continue to work with Chris to prepare for our trip to Australia and New Zealand. This will be my very first trip there, and next Monday I will be on my way – I am not sure how I will post my next blog from the plane!

31 / 01 / 2012

Tim

Hello all!

At the moment i'm sifting through lots of wonderful KS music in the library, picking out the ones we need for the rest of term. We jet off to Australia and New Zealand on Sunday and I can't quite believe it!! Gemma is flying out to spend some quality time with her family and friends and I'm meeting them all for the Auckland concert on 25th Feb, before travelling to her home city of Nelson for a few days. I've not heard any bad reports about either country and I'm stupidly excited to see them both with my own eyes..........Some of the views from Gemma's house are breathtaking (from the photos I've seen) and it's also going to be summer, so fingers crossed for lots of outdoor activities.

It's been great working with Chris B over the last few weeks - he's picking things up very quickly and will surely make a first class King's Singer. I'm really looking forward to his first few orchestral shows in Adelaide. It's always a very different experience when you hold a cordless microphone and try and sing with the group. There are a host of new issues which arise - readdressing the balance of the voices, listening to yourself back in the monitor, making sure your mouth is the correct distance from the mic etc etc..........it's far easier when we revert to our usual acoustic sessions!

As you all know, last Saturday we bid farewell to our dear colleague and friend, Philip. It was a magnificent concert and the choir and orchestra performed superbly. I can't wait to meet up with Phil soon, to hear all about his new adventures - I'm sure he'll be just as busy as he was when he was in The KS! Maybe not accruing so many air miles though..................

Picture time..........

Lunch in Bordeaux

The Grand Théâtre, Boredeaux - the outside is nearly as impressive as the inside!

The truly stupendous sight of Salisbury Cathedral. I cannot believe that it was my first time there - hopefully not the last!

The last shot of The KS with Philip in the line-up.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!! Here are some pics from the celebrations in Trafalgar Square on Sunday with Gemma and some of her buddies!

01 / 02 / 2012

Paul

You may be thinking that I've disappeared off the face of the earth in the last few weeks. Several people have sent me messages, asking if I'm 'okay', and thanks to everyone who has. Well, it’s been a tough month or so and now I should tell you just a bit about it: I've been suffering from a condition known as 'GERD' (Gastric Oesophogal Reflux) which caused chronic laryngitis. On December 30th I lost my voice, having felt unwell for several days and was not able to speak at all for 9 days. I was then referred to a specialist by my own doctor. To keep a long story short, and to spare you the details, I am now well on the road to recovery, the medication is working, and my vocal chords are steadily recovering. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues who have been tremendously supportive and to all my friends and family for their kindness and care.

On to more important things: we really enjoyed a small, private event in Little Gransden Village Hall last night with family and friends. We are all SO impressed with Chris Bruerton’s cool temperament and quality singing, he is going to make a first-class King’s Singer. Last night's concert had a wonderfully intimate atmosphere, with around 150 guests, in aid of 'Cancer Research UK'. We raised almost £1000, and I'm tremendously grateful to everyone who gave so generously. Today we are in London having a day-long photo shoot, then a couple of day's rest before our tour 'down under'.

It's good to be back writing 'blogs and to be back in contact with all of you. Thanks again for all your support, and I'll see you soon!

04 / 02 / 2012

Johnny

HULLO.

I'm at home, gearing up for our flight to Sydney tomorrow. It's been a wonderful week, with amazing new suits and an exciting photo shoot, a delightful event to celebrate Chris' Bruerton's official arrival in Little Gransden (and an awesome curry, might I add), and...drumroll...my surprise 25th birthday party on Friday! Irina and a couple of other very close friends had organised for us all to be red-trousered and to be incredibly edgy in Brixton. I had the most brilliant evening, and can't wait for many similar events in the future. Photos will follow, I promise.

And so, tomorrow! We fly across the world AND it's my mother's birthday. A momentous day, I'm sure you'll agree.

Speak soon, xx

06 / 02 / 2012

David

Dubai - Monday 1.04 am

We are back in Dubai airport less than a month after our last visit, but this is just our transit point on the way to Sydney (13 hours away). Last night snow hit southern England, which is something we don't cope with very well. However we all made it to Heathrow, and the plane was running (many had been cancelled, but mostly to European destinations gripped by far worse weather than the UK). Anyway for three weeks we don't have to think too much about snow and ice as we head to summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Apologies for my smugness - I spent yesterday morning helping a plumber sort out some frozen pipes, so I am ready for warmth.

Having been doing this job for a few years I don't tend to get too over-excited about the actual travel, but our flight from London to Dubai was my first trip on the huge Airbus 380 - it is pretty incredible with a full length upper level, where the engines sound rather distant. I am also very excited by my first tour of Australia and New Zealand. The group had a few successful visits 'down under' in the 1970s, but the growth of the US market squeezed it out. We have been trying to get back there for many years, and we are so delighted that it is at last happening.

07 / 02 / 2012

Tim

G'day!! So here we are in sunny Sydney......As David mentioned, after a gap of 27 years, The King's Singers are back 'down under' and keen to make up for lost time!

Our time at home has gone by very quickly - after the Salisbury and Gransden concerts, I had a few days to organise everyone's music for the rest of the term and I'm happy to report that the library is finally taking shape........phew! It's a great job but it's a lot of work at the very beginning - it makes me appreciate even more what a tight ship Philip used to run when he was in charge of it!!

Today, I'll be getting down to some work for the next couple of orchestral shows in Adelaide and we have a rehearsal later this afternoon. I must admit that my slumber between the hours of 1am and 3am were not entirely sufficient and consequently I sound like a basso profondo this morning. I'm sure a little siesta will sort me out........

Sadly, I haven't ventured out as yet to get you some shots of the wonderful harbour with the Opera House etc in the distance but do not fear, the pics are on their way........

Instead, I leave you with some shots of the fancy dress 80s night out we all had in Brighton on Friday night - what a great decade!

08 / 02 / 2012

Paul

Hi everyone from 'down under!' What a pleasure it is to be here in Sydney, having just spent a day off recovering after our long journey. Yesterday I had a thoroughly enjoyable run from our hotel at Darling Harbour to the Sydney Opera House. The temperature was comfortable and the air fresh after leaving a snowy and freezing England, and it was fun 'dodging' the thousands of tourists sauntering along the waterfront.

Today we have devoted almost the entire day to press and media events: radio interviews and performances, and chatting with journalists. I'm impressed by the amount of goodwill shown to us here, and the anticipation and expectation of our tour. It really fills me with pride to be a member of the KS, being here in Oz, representing our tradition and music making. I feel sure that this will be the start of many trips to this part of the world, and I'm delighted to be a part of it.

09 / 02 / 2012

Chris B

G'day as they say in this part of the world!

This is the first of what I hope is many blogs for The King's Singers. It's fantastic being 'down-under' again and I'm loving the warmer weather and much-improved coffee...Kiwi coffee's great but Aussie coffee is another step up, I reckon. Still, both are miles better than English stuff, sorry to say!

We had a busy day yesterday doing various media appointments from radio shows being broadcast both locally and across Australia as well as some phone interviews for a couple of newspapers. The group has been received very well so far and I've been made to feel very welcome as the new boy, which has been great. The guys loved being down by Circular Quay and taking in the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge as well as posing for a few snaps.

Last night we headed out to St James' Church for a masterclass with some members of the local Cathedral choirs. We were all impressed by the sound of the ensembles and their interpretations of the chosen repertoire. Particular mention must be made of one of the choir members, Jo Twist's, Lamentations of Jeremiah. It is a beautiful setting of the famous text that I hope is performed by other choirs when it becomes more widely known.

Today in Adelaide we'll be rehearsing with the orchestra ahead of our first concert in the Adelaide Festival Centre. I'm looking forward to it and it will be interesting to sing with a handheld microphone.

Bye for now!

10 / 02 / 2012

Chris G

I've been looking forward to touring in Australia and New Zealand for a while. Partly because my parents have lived in NZ for the past decade, so I get to spend a bit of time with them at their home, but mostly because of the weather. And the singing, of course.

Actually, the weather's terrible. For all our friends and family members who smiled through gritted teeth at our good fortune as we headed off into summer, leaving a snowy England behind, it's poetic justice. Here in Adelaide, it's raining and none too warm! Sydney wasn't much better, but at least there's no snow.

Tonight we perform our first concert in Oz for nearly 30 years, and the reception so far has been wonderful. Our media day in Sydney brought radio appearances for both local and national stations, and everywhere we went we were amazed by how much people already knew about the group. "Even though you've not been here in a while," one person said "we've kept in touch with the group's progress, and you have many friends here."

The special thing about this part of the world is that, without it, the KS may never have become the group we know today. For it was in 1972 that the fledgling ensemble, all of whom had other jobs and career prospects, were invited Down Under for a three-month tour. This was more work than they could undertake whilst retaining their other commitments, so they had stark choice to make: make a go of the group, and attempt a full-time professional career, or decline the touring offer. Thankfully for us, they chose the former option. And, on that very first international tour, the group of six singers posed for a photograph outside the Sydney Opera House. We re-created that shot on Wednesday of this week, and you can see the two photographs on our Facebook page.

We take to the stage this evening with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, one of the tightest ensembles with whom we've performed in recent years. There is a very high quality of music-making in Australia, and we're pleased to add to it. In the programme are a couple of the original songs written for our most recent studio disc, "Swimming over London" - including the title track, but also Mia Makaroff's wonderful song "Silent Love." I'm particularly looking forward to performing the latter, as it will be the World premiere live performance.

11 / 02 / 2012

Johnny

Well, HELLO from a sunny Melbourne.

This has been the most wonderful week. Let me tell you all about it.

I don't mind saying this now, but before I made my maiden voyage to Australasia last Sunday, I thought the journey took approximately four years by spaceship, and that it would be an experience so uncomfortable that I'd more happily give birth TWICE than ever make the trip Down Under. How wrong I was. During the course of the flight I read, tended to some admin, blissfully supped champagne and, most masculinely, watched both The Rescuers (an absolute childhood favourite, though I always used to watch it in German...) and Beauty and the Beast (arguably the best film of all time). I also watched The Help, an absolutely fantastic drama set in 1960s Mississippi that examines precisely how 'the Help' - the class of African-American women in domestic service in white households - were treated and how they found their voice in a society that was not inclined to listen to them. Viola Weeks and Emma Stone both do an incredible job (the former definitely deserved her Golden Globe), and I encourage you all to watch it.

With entertainment like that to keep me occupied, it's no wonder that the twenty-two hour trip to Sydney (via Dubai) flew by. Better still, I think I somehow managed my sleep correctly, which meant that I stretched to six hours asleep on our first night in Sydney - a feat I'm hugely proud of. Bright-eyed, I took full advantage of our day off on Tuesday and made my way to Bondi Beach, to soak up some sun and gawk at some impressive surfing. Thankfully, I was full of energy after an amazing brunch at Bill's, about which I'm inclined to tell you a bit. The first Bill's restaurant - which I visited - opened over twenty years ago on Liverpool Street in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Their food is so good, that there are now three branches in Sydney, three in (wait for it) Japan, and most excitingly of all, one that has recently opened in Notting Hill, though under the different name - Granger & Co. This Westbourne Grove outlet is open all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and all their food is dangerously tasty, though I'm usually not up early enough to make anything before a late lunch. Given that Bill Granger's restaurants are most renowned for their three hallmark breakfast dishes, however, I thought I'd better have one of them: sweetcorn fritters with roasted tomatoes, spinach and bacon. It was incredible - the best cure for jetlag - and I'll find it difficult not order the very same whenever I head to one of his restaurants from now on. On a different note, Australian coffee is out of this world. I didn't believe my Aussie friends when they said that their coffee was the best in the world, but I think they have a point. The coffee Bill's gave me to wash my food down with was (figuratively) living proof.

I know my colleagues have told you all about meeting the delightful Elena Kats-Chernin on Wednesday, our day of interviews for the Australian media and our sound check at the Sydney Opera House (which was breathtaking), so I won't spoil you with the details all over again. What I will say is that I've totally fallen for Sydney, and can't wait to spend even more time there as soon as I can.

Adelaide was equally wonderful, of course. Our two concerts with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra were a real joy and a great success, and I would love to work with them again. Particularly huge thanks, once again, go to Sophie from the ASO for her wonderful company and all her hard work, and to Olivier-Philippe Cuneo, for conducting us and the orchestra so brilliantly. I hope to see both of you again very soon. Finally, to barbershop-singing Robin, whom Chris B and I had the pleasure of meeting after the first concert in Adelaide, I'm going to carry your 'room of awesomeness' analogy with me for the rest of my days.

And so now we've arrived in Melbourne. It is a bit cloudy today, but the hive of activity along the banks of the Yarra river is just amazing. I can't wait for the sun to shine tomorrow, so I can see this marvellous city in its best light. I'm also hoping to go for a run around the Olympic Park, even though that might induce early-onset London-Olympics-related-hyperactivity, which I have been trying to curb until now.

In any case, to prepare for my run tomorrow morning, I'd better get some sleep. We have a long day of media appearances tomorrow afternoon before a masterclass in the evening, and I'd like my eyes to look bag-free if at all possible. In the meantime, why not follow me on Instagram? That way you'll be able to keep up to date with all the photos I've been taking over the course of this trip. Here's one of my most recent snaps from Melbourne: http://instagr.am/p/G5r4mmQvnN/. You should be able to follow me from there!

Speak soon, xx.

13 / 02 / 2012

David

I woke up this morning to the great news that Light and Gold has won the Best Choral Performance Grammy at yesterday’s awards ceremony. This album presents music by Eric Whitacre, conducted by the composer, and includes in the playlist The Stolen Child, which we commissioned from Eric in 2008 to celebrate our 40th anniversary. We recorded this with Eric in London over a year ago, and we’re delighted that this CD has been honoured in this manner.

Our stop in Adelaide was great, although we had to leave a little early for my liking. There was a One Day Cricket International between India and Australia, starting just as we were leaving Melbourne. From my hotel room I could see into the Adelaide Oval, where the match was played, although I could only see part of the ground. I watched the end of the game on the TV in my room in Melbourne, and it was so exciting. The Indian captain, M.S.Dhoni, hit the most incredible six in the last over, leaving the visitors requiring just three runs to win off three balls. They managed to run those off the next delivery for a memorable victory (although the locals may not see it in quite the same way). I do realise that for some of you the last couple of sentences will make no sense, so apologies!

We have now reached Melbourne, where we spent the day visiting some of the city’s radio stations. Tonight we have a workshop with four groups of singers, ranging from a 6 voice mixed a cappella ensemble to an 80 voice choir, which will be fun.

I am enjoying this trip greatly, and have loved all the places we have been so far, with each one having its own charms. Standing near the Sydney Opera House, with the Harbour Bridge as a backdrop is a sight to behold, and I am looking forward to singing there on Thursday. The Melbourne Recital Centre, in which we will give our next two concerts, is considered one of the best halls of the 21st Century. It is one of the halls featured in the culture magazine Limelight’s list of the Top 10 Millennium Halls. Others include the Parco della Musica in Rome, Singapore’s Esplanade, the Musiikkitalo in Helsinki and the Sage Gateshead, all of which we have performed in recently. If the Melbourne hall is of the same standard as the others, we are in for a treat.

Here is Paul doing his video blog with a friend

Johnny, Paul and Chris by Melbourne's Yarra River

14 / 02 / 2012

Tim

Hi all and a happy Valentine's Day from a very hot and sunny Melbourne! This city is truly awesome..........lots of fun shops, restaurants and bars in amongst some really beautiful buidlings and Churches. It certainly ticks all the boxes for me!!

Today we have our last PR spot on the Australian leg of this tour. It's at the ABC Radio Station in town and we'll have a chat and sing a couple of pieces and then it's all done! We're all really enjoying these interview sessions - be it on radio or over the phone. It's important to let the public understand who exactly we are and what it is they should expect from a King's Singers concert. There have been positive responses and feedback so far and the ticket sales are going well I hear!

After the radio station we have a rehearsal for a couple of hours before our first of two concerts here in Melbourne. We are lucky enough to be performing at the glorious Melbourne Recital Centre, where we held some masterclass sessions last night. They were great fun and all the participating choirs and ensembles performed brilliantly and we all had a great time! The acoustics are amazing and I know that all members of The KS can't wait to perform in there for ourselves!!

Ok, well I better start getting ready for this radio interview, but first I have some photos to show you.................

A picture taken from the masterclass sessions at the beautiful St. James' Church, Sydney.

The view from my hotel room in Adelaide.

A group of local school children and teachers attended the first part of our joint orchestral rehearsal - here's a pic with us all in.

The fantastic Adelaide Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Ollivier-Philippe Cunéo.

The funky Melbourne Recital Centre.

Chris B sporting some sort of floral creation.

The KS flying the Auzzie flag!

A wonderful Church near our hotel.....sorry didn't catch the name but I will investigate!

One of the groups we taught last night in the Recital Centre here in Melbourne - they were called fixate and were great fun to work with!

Toodle-oo.........

15 / 02 / 2012

Paul

It's been a lovely few days here in Melbourne. This is a vibrant and pleasant city, with a nice climate, friendly audiences and great architecture. Both concerts have been great fun, and the venue, Melbourne Recital Centre, is a world-class auditorium. The hall's designer attended last night's concert, and was so pleased to receive our positive feedback.

We've been staying at the 'Mantra Southbank' - a really nice apartment hotel, and we've had our own kitchens and washing machines. It has been a rare pleasure to do my own washing and ironing as well as a bit of cooking!! Simple pleasures, but like a home from home.

So now onto Sydney once again and to the Opera House, one of the world's most iconic buildings. More soon ....

A scene of domestic bliss at the Mantra Apartment Hotel!

16 / 02 / 2012

Chris B

Last night we performed an almost entirely different program. This time our theme was “Byrd to Bublé”, moving from madrigals and sacred English works to Spain and Portugal with Alonso de Alba’s La Tricotea Samartin (a sailor’s drinking song with plenty of colourful language!) and my first La Bomba, Mateo Flecha’s fine example of a form of humourous ballad known as the Ensalada (literally, a “mixed salad”), a hybrid of folksongs, sacred and secular influences, all mixed together to tell the story of a group of sailors whose ship is sinking… And who can’t swim!

I get the impression that the group would VERY much like to return to Melbourne in the not too distant future. The feeling was that Melbourne was a place they could all spend more time in, and I would have to agree. It’s certainly my favourite Australian city! The weather was superb and the Southbank vibe is so infectious and positive. See you again soon, Melbourne!

The Sydney Opera House. Where does one begin? As one of the most recognisable landmarks in Australia and one of the most revered venues on the international concert circuit, I can’t begin to tell you what a privilege it was to perform there tonight… Extraordinary! Arguably the highlight of the tour to date. Chris and Tim commented after the show that it was one of the finest concerts they’d ever been a part of in all their years with the group. Paul now has some admiring fans, that’s for sure!

In the second half we were delighted to present the Australian premiere of River’s Lament by local composer Elena Kats-Chernin. This work in four movements, with text by the American artist and poet Charles Anthony Silvestri, tells the story of a river from its formation (“I am born where clouds descend to kiss the mountain top”) to a celebration of its life-giving wonder (“I am the thread that binds all creation”). It was a lovely moment when Elena came out to take a bow and kiss each one of us on the cheek. Then it was time to put our music stands away and sing our customary close harmony set, complete with a playful rendition of Obladi Oblada as encore.

It was great to catch up with friends afterwards - some that I hadn't seen for a decade - and the biggest surprise was seeing two former students of mine from the Burnside High School Male Voice Chorus, James and Tim Anderson, who'd flown over to hear the performance!!! Hearing the mellifluous tones of the Kiwi accent was a beautiful thing...

I’m feeling really settled in the group – they’ve made it easy to fit in and the social side of things is wonderful. We all get on well and I know this journey is going to be fantastic. Bring on Brisbane!

17 / 02 / 2012

Chris G

We are so fortunate in the KS to sing in wonderful venues on our many tours and this week has been no exception. A list was recently published of the ten best new concert halls in the world and, as David mentioned in his blog, we have now sung in half of them in the past few years. The most recent addition to our list was the Melbourne Recital Centre, a floating concert hall in the middle of a quirky building whose acoustics we enjoyed very much. However, one building on my personal list has forever been the Sydney Opera House - one of the truly iconic structures of the 20th century.

Last night my ambition to sing there was fulfilled, and it lived up to every expectation I could ever have had. I wondered if the interior would ever live up to the famous outside silhouette, as in so many instances the halls are not as good as they promise to be, but in this case I needed have no doubts; it is a fine hall and a wonderful place to perform.

The audiences on this tour have been gracious and enthusiastic, and last night was no exception as we were greeted almost like long-lost family members! For me personally it was a special night as my parents had flown across from New Zealand to attend, and they said it was the best group performance they'd heard during my time. I would have to agree that it was certainly one of the best concerts I can remember in recent years; the group rose to the occasion magnificently and made good sounds.

This trip is slipping away from us now; we have only one more concert here in Australia and then a short stay in New Zealand before heading home in just over a week. Based on our experience so far, we have many friends here and we ought not to neglect them by leaving it another 27 years before we return. We will enjoy the rest of this tour, but I'm already hoping we will come back very soon!

18 / 02 / 2012

Johnny

Hello all!

I'm sitting in Brisbane Airport waiting to board our flight to Auckland, and it's not long until we have to board. After two delightful weeks in Australia, we now have to bid it farewell as we head to New Zealand, a country particularly dear to three of my colleagues: Chris Bruerton is a Kiwi; Tim's girlfriend, Gemma, is a Kiwi; Chris Gabbitas' parents have been living in Hamilton for the last ten years. As a consequence, I reckon our concerts are going to be pretty emotional! What I still can't believe is how far we are away from home! As of this afternoon, there's going to be a THIRTEEN HOUR TIME DIFFERENCE, which feels ridiculous.

In any case, I can't quite believe it, but our flight has just been called! This is my shortest blog in history, I'm so sorry! I'll have more time to write a lengthier offering when I'm back in England next week!

Speak soon, xx

20 / 02 / 2012

David

After two fantastic weeks we have now left Australia, and have travelled across the sea to Auckland in New Zealand. The approach to Auckland’s airport is rather beautiful as you fly in over the sea with land either side of the plane. Chris B had a huge grin on his face as we touched down, for it is over a year and a half since he left his homeland to move to Oxford. Late this afternoon we headed to TVNZ to sing on the early evening show Close Up. The host of the show was very excited that we have a Kiwi in the line-up, and especially so when he realised that Chris is the first non-Brit in the group. I think that is going to be the case throughout the next week.

This evening most of us went to a Belgian restaurant with a Monday special of Moules Frites (Mussels and Fries!). It does seem to be so strange to be eating such a Belgian favourite on the other side of the world. Having said that, the mussels were fantastic and much larger than we get in Europe.

Looking back over the last few days, our last stop in Australia took us to Brisbane, where we performed with the Queensland Pops Orchestra, under the direction of Barrie Gott. Barrie was instrumental, along with Cristian Pilditch of John Cristian Productions, in getting the ball rolling with this trip, and we are so grateful for the opportunity their hard work has given us. Cristian, who is also in charge of the New Zealand leg of the tour, has looked after us as we travelled from city to city, and, along with a strong team of publicists, has filled our time with some great press opportunities. Brisbane is his hometown, so he was able to be with his family for a few days before we headed to New Zealand. We would like to thank everyone involved in the tour, and for all their work this weekend we are greatly indebted to Barrie and his Orchestral Manager, Jenni. I for one can’t wait to return to Australia.

From my first glimpses of the country, I think I will become as enamoured of New Zealand, especially if I keep having such delicious seafood.

21 / 02 / 2012

Tim

Hello from Hamilton, New Zealand!!

So today we travelled from sunny Auckland, where we appeared on the Good Morning Show, to a rather wet Hamilton for a set of masterclasses and a concert tomorrow night at The Waikato University. This is the same establishment that Chris G's father works at, and it is truly a beautiful place and setting. It was a wonderful drive between the two cities - full of incredible scenery and breathtaking views. I always knew that my first impressions of this country were going to be fantastic - I've heard so much about it from Gemma and her family and can't wait to see them all later this week!

I'm looking forward to the last two concerts on this tour - I'm really enjoying singing River's Lament in the programmes at the moment. It's a commission that the Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin wrote for us and it's very beautiful. There are 4 parts and each one has it's own charm and merit. It was certainly well-received at the Opera House in Sydney so fingers crossed that the Kiwi audiences like it as well!

So now for some photos:

A selection from The Sydney Opera House concert.

Chris G getting a wee bit over excited about seeing our poster up in Brisbane last week.

I was so chuffed that my old school friend Dan and his lovely wife Mel were able to come to the concert in Brisbane. It was great to have a proper catch up afterwards as well!

The famous Auckland Sky Tower.

Some of the beautiful views driving from Auckland airport to our hotel.

A rather big cruise ship docked in Auckland as we walked past for our lunch today.

The magnificent Auckland Town Hall where we'll be performing on Saturday night - if you look closely you can see The KS poster on the front!

22 / 02 / 2012

Paul

After 24 hectic hours in New Zealand, I am writing this in bed, after two national tv appearances, radio interviews, a master class for four choirs, and a visit to Auckland Town Hall to check out Saturday's concert venue. No wonder I'm tired, and no wonder I'm writing this whilst tucked up, ready for a long sleep!

New Zealand has struck me so far as a friendly, beautiful country - seemingly more laid back than Australia, and with a distinctive character of its own. Earlier today we were discussing the British cities which we felt compared to Auckland; the nearest I could come up with was Inverness on a particularly warm day. (I like Inverness, by the way) Right now we are in Hamilton (think King's Lynn!) having taught four choirs this evening at the University of Waikato. Goodness me, the standard of choral singing is excellent! Tomorrow's concert will take place in the same rather lovely, intimate hall on campus, and I'm looking forward to it immensely. As this tour draws to a close I'd like to thank our tour producer down here, Christian Pilditch for his outstanding work in organising this trip, and laying solid foundations for future tours in this most beautiful part of the world.

Finally, on behalf of all the KS, I'd like to say that our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Christchurch, as they mark the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake, and continue to rebuild their communities. May the next year be one of hope ....

Auckland Town Hall, with biggest KS poster I've ever seen.

A view of Auckland from our hotel on Tuesday

Dinner in Brisbane

24 / 02 / 2012

Chris G

Our trip is nearly at an end - just one concert to go - and although we're far from home and it's been nearly three weeks now, it's also flown by. They say that time flies when you're having fun, and on the evidence of the past few weeks we'd all agree with that, I feel sure.

None of us can believe it's been 32 years since the group last visited New Zealand, and we're determined it won't be anywhere near as long before we come back. Our amazing team of representatives around the world has excelled themselves in producing one of the most enjoyable tours since I joined the group, 8 years ago. Australia was fantastic and a real eye-opener, and I hope the guys would agree that NZ has lived up to all the hype that Chris B and I provided beforehand!

Although we are only performing two concerts in NZ, we've been busy. Monday and Tuesday saw live television appearances in Auckland before a drive to Hamilton and a masterclass in the evening. My father was singing in one of the choirs and it was strange to be teaching his group as I'm so used to being taught things by him! They did really well, though, and all four groups made beautiful sounds and showed that choral music is healthy in the Waikato region. The concert, in the wonderful acoustics of the intimate Gallagher Academy, was full to the rafters. We dedicated an encore to those who had suffered in the Christ Church earthquake a year ago, "It's a New World" by Harold Arlen, and it seemed a fitting way to end the evening.

Following a day of filming some of our "KS Share" videos (not an investment vehicle, but educational tips...) we headed back up to Auckland today and enjoyed a rare evening off, deciding to take the ferry over to Waiheke Island, famous for its wineries, restaurants, and stunning views. Although we didn't sample the wineries this time around, we DID enjoy a wonderful meal and incredible views from our restaurant.

The pictures below are of Auckland as we left on the ferry, and the view from our restaurant table. Not too bad!

26 / 02 / 2012

Johnny

New Zealand is a wonderful country. We've been delighted to wonderful hospitality in Hamilton (and particularly to wonderful dining chez Gabbitas!) and we've done some exciting filming for The King's Singers Foundation, the details of which will be revealed very soon! So now, we're back in Auckland, where we started the week with some exciting appearances on prime time TV. Yesterday morning we held a masterclass in Auckland Cathedral with some phenomenally good choirs, including the choir I looked after, Voicemale, who, despite their age (they were all between 12 and 18), were formidably musical and huge fun to work with. Given how much I enjoyed their company, it was brilliant to see so many of them in our concert in Auckland town hall last night. Now, I always thought the concert was going to be especially emotional. Chris Gabbitas' parents were with us from Hamilton; Tim's girlfriend Gemma's family had travelled up from Nelson (Tim has already flown down to the South Island this morning, in fact, with Gemma, whom it's AMAZING to have with us here, all the way from London on her home soil); and even Chris Bruerton's father and brother, alongside dozens of his friends, were all with us: some from Christchurch, some from other parts of the country.&

The concert was electrifying. I particularly remember the stillness in the room as were singing our Maori folksongs and some of the pieces in our close-harmony set. I couldn't wait for us to wheel out our surprise encore, Slice of Heaven by Dave Dobbyn at the end of our concert either. It's an absolute institution of a song in New Zealand, and it was so touching to hear the crowd give out a massive cheer as they realised what we were singing. I was elated after the concert, and we all shared a drink with our friends and families afterwards to celebrate. Tim, Gemma, a few of her friends and I may have even gone out for a bit of a boogie to end the night....

And so, now, I'm sitting in Auckland Harbour, letting our lovely end-of-tour lunch with our brilliant tour manager Cristian digest, and having a final celebratory beer before we embark on the seemingly-endless flight home to London. I don't think i'm alone in saying this first tour to the Antipodes has been a huge success, and I can't wait for our return! Thank you to everyone who's made it possible.  

27 / 02 / 2012

David

Sunday

16.48 in New Zealand - 03.48 UK 

I am sitting with Paul and Chris G in Auckland airport having checked in for the flight back home. Our group is slightly depleted, as Tim and Chris B are staying a few extra days in New Zealand. I think Johnny is somewhere spending his last few New Zealand Dollars. I have to admit that I wouldn’t mind having a little longer to explore Auckland and beyond. Last night’s concert in the Town Hall was so enjoyable, and the public seemed to love it. It had such a great atmosphere from the start. Singing the last encore, Michael Bublé’s Home, was quite an emotional moment, especially after Chris B’s heartfelt announcement.

18.26 in New Zealand - 05.26 UK

We have just boarded for the first leg from Auckland to Melbourne. It is nearly two weeks since we were there singing in the wonderful acoustics of the Melbourne Recital Centre (the John Gallagher Hall in Hamilton has similarly great acoustics). Paul, sitting next to me, is planning his films to view for the journey. We are also wondering when we to try to sleep on this very long night. I am determined to stay up until we are well into the next leg of the trip from Melbourne to Dubai. Well, that’s the plan.

21.20 in Melbourne - 10.20 UK

We have now reached Melbourne, where we have a brief stop. One of the joys of International Transit is that we have had to disembark, go through security, and then wait to return to the same seat on the same plane. We were delayed on our way into Melbourne by a spectacular thunderstorm, which we flew right past on our way in. When we are back in the air, there will be a second offering of dinner, which I may pass on. I was already full before the first one from a delicious meal down at Auckland’s waterfront earlier today before we left for the airport. It was a chance to thank Cristian Pilditch, who has managed this trip to Australasia, for all his work on our behalf. We drank a toast to an early return for the group (not leaving it as long as we have since our last trip).

21.41 UK

I am not sure what time it is down below in Colombo on the island of Sri Lanka, but the sky is clear, and there is a great view of the city below. I have had a very good sleep, and we are around three and a half hours from Dubai. This trip may seem rather long, but considering that it is around 14,000 miles from New Zealand to Britain, it is incredible that it takes so little time. My Grandfather once told me about a journey he took from London to Australia in the early 1950s. It took seven or eight days of hops, with some overnight stays in various places along the way. He then took over the command of a ship and sailed it back to the Northern Hemisphere. Now that really does take a long time. Our lives as itinerant musicians would be very different without the jet engine.

Monday

06.14 in Dubai - 02.14 UK

I can thoroughly recommend the showers at Dubai International Airport as the best way to revive a flagging traveller. We have a couple of hours here before our connection to London. I have to admit that my body clock is extremely confused, but maybe a second breakfast will convince it that it is morning. However I am feeling better than I thought I would! Paul is sitting opposite me eating a bowl of cereal!

07.13 in Dubai - 03.13 UK

We have now boarded out last flight of the journey, and after two flights in a Boeing 777, we are now aboard the enormous Airbus 380, which I have to admit is a little bit exciting!

05.57 UK

I have decided to watch Dr Zhivago. It’s not often that you get the time or the inclination to sit for 3 and a half hours watching a movie. I have to admit I have just taken a break from it, and helped Johnny with the Times non-cryptic crossword. We sat in the bar, and I was fascinated by the places on the large route map screen. We flew right over Baghdad earlier, and Yerevan is somewhere off to the right of us at the moment.

11.34 UK

We’ve landed in London after many hours of travel. At the moment I feel pretty perky, but I am not sure how long it will last.

12.51 UK

Philip has just driven past me on the motorway. I called him for a chat, and to check it was him. What a small world. Looked at another way, it is about 11500 miles from Auckland to my home, which is rather a large distance.

13.24 UK

Arrived at home at last. Now I must unpack and get the washing on, and avoid sitting down on a comfy seat if I wish to stay awake!

28 / 02 / 2012

Tim

Well, well.........our trip to the antipodes is over and it's gone by so quickly! Our last concert in Auckland's Town Hall was spectacular fun and was made extra special knowing that Gemma and her family/friends were in the audience. I've hugely enjoyed learning the two Maori folksongs on this trip - Pokarekare Ana and Po Atarau. They are both beautiful pieces and the wonderful arrangements written especially for The KS and for this tour, were certainly my highlights.

Since leaving the rest of the group on Sunday, I've had the pleasure of staying with Gemma and her family in their home city of Nelson at the top of the South Island. What a beautiful part of the world. The sea, the mountains, the lush vegetation and the fresh air is all making for an unforgettable experience! Not to mention swimming with seals and going salmon fishing..........

I'll pop some photos up of all these fun experiences next week, but for now here's some pics from our time in Auckland.

Photo of Gemma and her family plus me, all out for an awesome dinner in Auckland last Friday night.

One of the many wonderful choirs whom The KS had the pleasure of teaching at our masterclass session on Saturday in Auckland Cathedral.

A stunning view through to the sea from Gemma's house in Nelson.

Sunsets don't come much better than this............

Gemma and sister Mel on Tahunanui Beach near their house.

29 / 02 / 2012

Paul

One of the great pleasures about going away, is the joy at returning home, and this homecoming has been particularly lovely. After a hugely successful trip 'down under', I am enjoying a few family days, and this year I am home for my Mum's birthday (today!) and for William's sixteenth birthday on Saturday. (How did I suddenly have a sixteen year old son, and where have the years gone?) Meanwhile, I'm trying to adjust to the thirteen hour time change, before we encounter the next disruption to our body clocks. (Twenty-one time zones in eight days if you include next tuesday's flight to L.A. ..... Aaaaaagh!) Also I'm not usually one to feel the cold, but having enjoyed part of a southern hemisphere summer, in spite of the unseasonably warm weather here in England, it feels freezing to me!

I am of course looking forward to our trip to the USA and Canada starting next week, and hope that many of you reading this will be attending a concert or two! Do make sure you stay to say 'hello' after a show, we love to see you and to hear that you read our 'blogs and enjoy them.

I'll leave you with a couple of contrasting photos from New Zealand - summing up the quality of the food and the beautiful, clear and unpolluted skies. I can't wait to go back!

Sunday brunch in Auckland - my starter!!!

Sunset in Hamilton

02 / 03 / 2012

Chris B

As I sit here waiting for my flight back to London, I think of what a fabulous trip ‘down-under’ it’s been. For me, the Auckland concert was the highlight as there was overwhelming support from the audience and I caught up with so many friends afterwards, some who’d travelled from as far south as Wanaka (Google Maps if you’re unsure) and everywhere in between. Dad, my brother Alastair and his partner Heather, uncles and aunts, cuzzies and friends galore came along and had a ball! We all met up at a hotel bar afterwards and then I had a lovely evening round at a mate’s place with a small group of friends. I tried hard to circulate and have a chat with everyone. Too many people, too little time! Still, better than nothing…

I flew down to Christchurch the following day. It was the first time I’d been home since leaving to move to England in June 2010. I’ve read the articles, seen the pictures and heard the stories so was aware that it was going to be a bittersweet reunion. To be honest, they don’t really give you anywhere near the actual feeling of walking around the streets and ‘carparks’ strewn all over the city. It was weird trying to remember what building used to stand in the spot now vacant. The thing is, I haven’t seen the gradual deterioration of the buildings so all I remember is that they were once proud and useable and now they’re completely gone…very sobering.

Unfortunately I didn’t have time to head over to the Eastern suburbs to see the ghost town that that’s become, according to friends. I filled my time catching up with staff and students at Burnside High School, sang evensong with the Cathedral Choir at Christ’s College Chapel, took a morning rehearsal of the choristers, went out to our friends’ walnut farm in Ohoka (Google Maps), had 30 cuzzies round for dinner, learnt the pieces for the upcoming tour to USA and Canada, slept, spent quality time with Dad and Alastair and caught up with as many people as I could!

Still working on a sleeping plan of attack for the flight home…thinking that I’ll just do what my body feels like doing and go from there. I can’t wait to see Liz for 24 hours! Easter holidays are only around the corner so will be able to have a better catch up then with her and various other friends. What an introduction to life in The King’s Singers…Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada…I read in Paul’s blog that we will have crossed 21 time zones by the time we get back to England on March 26. Already feels like it! Anyway, really looking forward to my debuts in the USA and Canada. Having kept up with the news it's an interesting time to be touring there and I'm particularly interested in how the election campaigns are depicted in the media there. Will be fascinating seeing it from the 'inside' so to speak.

Farewell New Zealand, see you at Christmas! Kia ora!

03 / 03 / 2012

Johnny

HELLO everyone! Having a week in London in the middle of a journey across twenty-one time zones is definitely welcome. I'm spending all of today in my flat with Irina, diving into the fridge more often than I should and wearing the baggiest pair of basketball shorts I own. I always find that a day in pyjamas really helps to focus the mind, and that's a great thing, given that we have a day of recording tomorrow and then eleven hours airborne on Tuesday before touching down in Los Angeles that night.

I can't wait to fly back to the States and Canada. Not only are we seeing lots of King's Singers friends, which is always a treat, and not only are we heading to delightful parts of the Northern continent (including Princeton, where I have wanted to visit for YEARS), but I have a week with Irina and another of my best friends, Alex, to look forward to at the end of the trip, before we all head up to Harvard to visit more friends for a final weekend of fun at the beginning of April. And, given that Harvard is one of my favourite places in the world, I have lots of reasons to be HUGELY excited.

In other news, it's been raining all day here. So at least it's good to know that weather in the mid- to high-twenties is forecast for when we land Stateside!

Finally, I wrote a blog post last week. Which is all well and good, but I forgot to post it. Which is equivalent, in your terms, to me not having written one at all. Silly me. I'm going to make sure none of the material's been covered by the others this week, and  when I've done that, I'm going to send it in! So, if you've got the time, it'll be slotted in between the other posts from last week and you can read ALL about Auckland.

Speak soon from the States,

Johnny, xx

05 / 03 / 2012

David

This last week has gone so quickly. I have managed to get my body clock back into UK time, only to put it out again on Tuesday as we fly to the West Coast of the US, a mere 8 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Today we meet in London to record the last few tracks for a new CD of royal music. We have been trying to finish this disc for a while, but circumstances have prevented us from doing so. However all looks good for today.

I have enjoyed a few relaxing days at home after the Australasia trip. I had my sister’s two energetic terriers for five days (starting almost as soon as I got home last Monday). They are used to a seven o’clock start to their day, so I was forced to get up each morning at that time. It has been lovely to have an excuse to go out for a long walk each day in some unusually mild March weather.

I am looking forward to the next trip. We have a varied itinerary ahead of us, with stops in California, Wisconsin, Minnesota and West Virginia among other US States. We also spend a few days in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The trip ends with a visit to New York’s Carnegie Hall and a concert in Nashville, recorded for a CD (more information will follow on that soon).

06 / 03 / 2012

Tim

So off we go again!!

Today we leave for Los Angeles and I'm not really sure what my body clock is telling me at the moment - 48 hours ago I returned from NZ after a wonderful stay with Gemma and her family, and just as the creases are disappearing from my concert suit, it's time to start folding it again!

America is always a fun place to perform - the audiences are so full of energy and I can't wait to see Chris B's face when he first walks out on to stage and sees some of the KS banners being held by the fans! Another thing I'm very much looking forward to is The Food Challenge. This has become a regular occurrence on our US trips. It is very simple - Johnny gets to order me one meal of his choice. This usually comprises of an extreme burger with all the trimmings, some incredibly large ice cream sundae and some other sweet treats. I am yet to be defeated (apart from the one onion ring I had to leave last time!) so I am looking forward to seeing what he has in store for me this time. The Wisconsin Butter Burger is going to take some beating let me tell you..................

Sadly, my ancient computer is still downloading the pics from NZ, so only one photo for you today. This is from our recording session yesterday - some members of The KS with our masterful producer, Adrian Peacock. Watch this space for our new Diamond Jubilee recording - I'm sure you will all enjoy it.................

07 / 03 / 2012

Paul

Reading the 'blogs from my fellow KS over the last few days you could be forgiven for thinking that we have developed an obsession with jet lag and its effect upon our bodies. Not for the first time, I am writing this whilst tucked up in bed, with my eyes getting more and more heavy, and like my colleagues, suffering from jet lag. Yes, we are all obsessed with it, but that's due to our desire to maximise sleep time and to be at our best for all our performances.

We arrived in L.A. a few hours ago after a 10 hour flight with the world's favourite airline, and upon arrival I went to the gym, just to give me an energy boost before bed. Now I can hardly keep my eyes open .... More very soon .... Night night dear friends!

08 / 03 / 2012

Chris B

Unlike my colleagues I won't be talking about jetlag, as relevant as it may well be to my situation. Instead I will shed light on the road trip to Palm Desert. We left the hotel in the morning after 10am and had fun finding lunch along the way - let's just say I'm pleased I wasn't driving! 'Eventually' we found a wee Mexican joint and I was surprised to find that the starter was a similar size to that of a NZ main! With food in our bellies we continued towards our destination past literally hundreds and hundreds of wind turbines. Other than the giant revolving flowers the scenery actually bore a resemblance to the Mackenzie Basin (google maps) in the South Island of NZ...

So tomorrow is my first concert on American soil and I'm looking forward to the programme of 16th and 17th Renaissance polyphony and madrigals, some Poulenc chansons and works from one of the newest discs, High Flight.

Now to get over jetlag...

09 / 03 / 2012

Chris G

Palm Desert is to be placed on my list of "places where I might consider retiring," along with Fort Lauderdale and Nassau. Or I might just stay in the UK and not get tanned to a raisin-like degree. It's nice to be here for a few days, but difficult to motivate yourself to work when everyone else is sunbathing and taking it easy! The Indian Wells tennis tournament is just up the road, and we're staying in one of the "designated hotels" - meaning we're sharing it with various tennis pros and their entourages and I am awoken in the mornings by the "Thwack!" of tennis balls being pummelled by grunting (and, in some cases, screeching) ladies with large and terrifying thighs. Not in my room, I hasten to add - there are tennis courts across the way.

It's been a little confusing, travelling from New Zealand to the UK, adjusting to good old Greenwich Mean Time and then flying 11 hours to another time zone, but we're taking it in our collective stride and looking forward to this trip very much. A lot awaits us - Chris' first US and Canadian concerts, of course, plus another appearance at Carnegie Hall (our first of two in 2012) and a live burn recording for Naxos, down in Nashville, of our Pater Noster programme. Following that, three weeks of blissful holiday (in my case, here in the US with family) and then we do it all over again next term.

Of the programmes on this trip, I'm very much looking forward to performing Alessandro Striggio's Il Gioco di Primiera, in which we act out a card game complete with elements of luck, skill, tension and no small amount of cheating. Once we've mastered that, there are some beautiful Renaissance pieces in the Pater Noster programme, including Victoria's Popule Meus, a real favourite of mine! Hope to see some of you there....

10 / 03 / 2012

Johnny

Hullo all!

After a brief stint in bakingly-hot southern Californian desert, we flew 700 miles East yesterday to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I am currently sitting, sipping coffee, contemplating a brief trip to the gym and writing my blog. Our concert tonight is in Los Alamos, about 100 miles north of here through the desert, so I'm pleased to announce that our car will be well air-conditioned.

It's funny, the longer I'm in this group, the faster time flies while we're on tour. Perhaps it's a) because I  have more responsibilities for group matters, so much of my free time is spent writing emails tending to them, and b) because I've discovered that I will become fat if I don't exercise, so more of my life is spent in gym kit. Today I also have to acquaint myself with some new music that's been commissioned for us and our concert at Carnegie Hall, New York City later this month. As with the Sydney Opera House last month, performing in Carnegie Hall for the first time will be a real pinch-myself moment, I think. New York really is one of my favourite cities, and I will have friends at the concert too, so I really cannot wait for that.

Finally, before I go and work up a sweat downstairs (now my coffee is finished), I'd just like to wish a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Irina, who turns 25 today. We will celebrate properly later this month, when she and another of our best friends Alex come to join me for a week in New York and Harvard later this month, when our tour has ended and our three weeks of holiday have begun. Such exciting thoughts!

 Anyway, for now, speak soon, xx

12 / 03 / 2012

David

I am aware that the effect of time changes on our precious little systems has been a major feature of the last week’s ‘blogs (and looking back on my last one I notice that I mentioned it), but please forgive one last mention of the perils of time zone changes. Yesterday saw the start of Daylight Savings Time in the USA, so we lost an hour of sleep. Given that we only arrived back at the hotel near midnight after Saturday’s concert, and that we left at 6am yesterday for Albuquerque airport, the time change did restrict the hours available for sleep. We then flew to Denver, which is an hour ahead of Albuquerque, en route to Saskatoon, which until yesterday was an hour ahead of Denver. However the Canadian province of Saskatchewan does not change its clocks in the spring (unlike the rest of Canada), but stays on the same time all year round. Adding to our confusion is the fact that the UK has not yet adjusted its clocks to British Summer Time. Anyway, that’s enough chat about time, although it does feel a little like the mechanical fugue from Paul Patterson’s Timepiece.

On Saturday night we headed up into the mountains to Los Alamos, New Mexico, which is just over 7,000 feet above sea level. According to the programme listings we were last there on the 26th February 1995. The backstage walls are covered with signatures of the performers that have visited the venue, and remarkably easily we found the group’s signatures from the 1995 visit, and added some newer ones.

We are now in Swift Current, having driven down from Saskatoon across some far-reaching prairie land, with some amazing scenery. I think we have been on the some of the longest stretches of straight road I have ever driven along. We are here in Saskatchewan for three concerts (two here in Swift Current and one in Saskatoon) and two workshops, all made possible by the collaboration of the Organization for Saskatchewan Arts Councils and the Saskatchewan Choral Federation, along with other individuals and institutions. There does seem to be a strong support for singing in this province, which always means we will have enthusiastic audiences at our concerts.

13 / 03 / 2012

Tim

Oh dear - sorry for the late blog this week......

Time ran away from me yesterday and before I knew it, I was walking on to stage for the evening show!!

We had the pleasure of taking some workshops yesterday at the Swift Current Comprehensive High School. There were 2 choirs - The Winston Knoll Chamber Choir of Regina directed by Diane Taylor-Neale and The Swift Current Comprehensive High School Chamber Singers who were conducted by Brianna Dennehy. Both choirs made a beautiful sound and it really was a pleasure to teach them. We combined forces with them in the evening concert for one song - The Gift to be Simple. This is the title track of our 2009 Grammy-winning album Simple Gifts and if you don't know the tune, I'd definitely recommend a listen here!  

The concert was a great success and the audience seemed to really enjoy the comic items in the programme - such as The Lazy Man and I Bought Me a Cat which are two of the four pieces from Bob Chilcott's North American Folksongs. They are all really good fun to perform and Chris B seemed to have a good time in his first performance of them!

Ok, now to some pics of my time in NZ that I promised you a couple of weeks ago!

Me and Gemma with the glorious city of Auckland in the background.

Me and Gemma's dad, Warwick, trying to catch our fish supper!

The beautiful Nelson Cathedral.

14 / 03 / 2012

Paul

Its not until you drive through Saskatchewan that you realise just how vast a country Canada is - populated by friendly, hardy souls many of whom evidently have a love of choral music. We've experienced some unseasonably warm weather whilst we've been here; its all relative though, as David will tell you having just stood in a 'biting' cold wind on a gas station forecourt to fill our van with fuel, and as I can testify having decided to run outdoors in the bright sunshine on Monday, only to arrive back at the hotel some 40 minutes later with no feeling in my extremities! Wow the wind really blows hard and cold up here in Canada!

So now we are en route to our performance in Saskatoon this evening followed by a master class session tomorrow morning before we head back to the USA. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Denise Gress who runs the Saskatchewan Choral Federation, for making our visit here so enjoyable, for looking after us, and for facilitating all of our educational work in this region. We need to be thankful for people like Denise who believe passionately in the benefit of choral training for young people, whether they have professional aspirations or not. To her, encouraging young students to be a member of a team and learning how to communicate effectively with others is all-important. I look forward to coming back ...

Paul and Tim. Goodbye Swift Current!

15 / 03 / 2012

Chris B

Last night's concert was certainly the pick of the bunch so far. The audience was fantastic from the moment we walked on-stage. They particularly enjoyed Striggio's Il gioco di primiera, which is a piece about a card game that we act out using a card table and chairs, gambling coins and a deck of cards, when they're remembered!

The programme was our fourth performance of High Flight, and the Eric Whitacre pieces of Alone and This Marriage were a bit of a hit with certain members of the audience! We finished off the concert with a bit of stand-up from Paul and some well-received Beatles numbers before grabbing our sharpies and meeting the locals.

After the signing we headed out to The Ivy for a sponsors' meal - first time I'd tasted Bison meat - and I bumped into a descendant of John Ballantyne who founded the eponymously (Chris assures me this is the correct word) named department store in Christchurch, NZ! Small world!

This morning Johnny and I had a mini food adventure and took up an invitation from Shelley, the owner of Broadway Cafe, to go for the best breakfast in town...it didn't disappoint! Four cups of coffee later and we were all set to join up with the others guys for a masterclass at The University of Saskatchewan. The choirs we worked with were the University of Greystone Singers, Rosthern Junior College Choir, St. Joseph High School Choir and Walter Murray Collegiate Choir. It was a very short session but the choirs responded well and were a pleasure to work with.

I've had a fantastic time in Canada and as we reach the middle point of our tour it's a good time to take stock of where we're at and to get ready for some exciting concerts ahead! See you soon...

16 / 03 / 2012

Chris G

Yesterday we had our first delayed flight in as long as I can remember. Taking around 100 flights a year means this is an occupational hazard, but we've had extraordinary luck recently! It's a good chance to catch up with emails, write a blog (!) and go through the carry-on paperwork so that when we do arrive at the hotel I can sleep!

Our brief foray into Canada was a pleasurable as ever. Our good friend Denise welcomed us into Saskatchewan once again, and over four days we worked with around 200 young singers as well as performing three concerts (two in a casino - where Il Gioco di Primiera really came into its own!) and driving up and down the straightest road in the world (apparently). The weather was nicer this year, too. Temperatures of minus 40 celsius in Calgary last year were banished from our minds as we enjoyed the heady heights of positive temperatures! We hope to return next year.

We're now in the real choral heartland of the USA - the midwest. Milwaukee and Minneapolis have long provided us with wonderful concert experiences and I'm sure this time will be no different. We have the chance to meet old friends, and are enjoying performing our High Flight programme very much. In particular, Francis Poulenc's French Folksong arrangements are going down very well. It's always nice to have a good run at the same programme as it develops extra layers that a single performance doesn't allow for. We're also starting to prepare our Pater Noster programme for the recording in Nashville, and have got the new Salvation Army repertoire up to speed for the Carnegie Hall concert next week. What now? Perhaps some new close harmony....

17 / 03 / 2012

Johnny

HULLO again.

We've arrived in Minneapolis at the beautiful Hotel Ivy, in preparation for our matinee performance here in Orchestra Hall tomorrow afternoon. Chris B and I enjoyed a short night of sleep last night, after enjoying the company of friends in Milwaukee over delicious pizza after our concert at the marvellous Wilson Center in Brookfield, which continued into the wee hours over decaffeinated coffee. We have such a rock-star lifestyle, clearly. To keep me awake, I've just had the most delicious seared tuna burger with wasabi (one of THE best condiments there is, I swear) downtown, which I'll wash down with caffeine-full coffee in a minute.

This tour really is flying by. I can't believe that our last concert is a week today in Nashville, after which I'll travel back to the east coast for a further nine days. I am having the best time, even if we are incredibly busy (and yes, I am HUGELY looking forward to our night off this evening)! Talking of which, David, Chris B and I are having a meeting in five minutes, so I'd better dash.

All the best, and speak soon, xx

19 / 03 / 2012

David

I write this on Sunday evening at Minneapolis airport, and we are delayed once again. Chris mentioned that this is a rare occurrence, which is the case, but like London buses, you wait for ages for one to come along, and then two appear one straight after the other. Simon Carrington used occasionally comment on the lack of delays, and as if by magic the very next flight would be held up.

We have had a lovely time here in Minneapolis. We arrived yesterday from Milwaukee, and were able to relax a bit for the afternoon and evening, which was a welcome respite. Downtown Minneapolis was buzzing with St Patrick’s Day revellers, all gathered to drink some Guinness and watch the Parade. I went for coffee with Johnny and Chris B, and when we came out of the café there were a large group of people with their Irish Wolf Hounds, who were remarkably calm in the circumstances. They seemed oblivious to the blare of the bagpipes, and the fire engine sirens that were sounding all around them left them unmoved. They must be used to this, as it seemed to be an annual St Patrick’s Day ritual.

This afternoon we sang in a packed Orchestra Hall. Minnesota is a strong choral State, with loads of great choirs, including René Clausen’s marvellous Concordia Choir, which features on our CD High Flight. The concert programme (also called High Flight), included some wonderful pieces from the CD by Bob Chilcott, Eric Whitacre and Morten Lauridsen. It was great to see lots of friends after the show, including A Lover’s Journey composer Libby Larsen, along with members of the Minnesota Commissioning Club, who supported our commissioning of Gabriela Lena Frank’s Tres Mitos de Mi Tierra.

I think the whole group agrees that we love the Twin Cities, and look forward to returning. The atmosphere in Minneapolis was especially good this weekend, thanks to the extraordinarily warm weather for March. As we drove to the airport the outside temperature was 80˚C, which is way higher than the average. Now we are off to Newark airport (hopefully) and from there to Princeton. That is another place where we have lots of friends, not least our former colleague, Gabriel, who runs the Choral Programme at the University.

20 / 03 / 2012

Tim

Here we are on a train in America from Princeton to Washington DC via Philadelphia. I certainly can't remember the last time I hopped on to a train in the States - it did remind me of waiting on the train platform back in London........the only main difference being that there were not 3 million other humans fighting to get on to each carriage!!

Last night we had a very enjoyable time on stage at The McCarter Theatre in Princeton. The audience were amazingly enthusiastic and seemed to thoroughly enjoy our programme entitled High Flight. It consists of musical gems from the English composer and former tenor in The KS, Bob Chilcott and also offerings from the American composers Morten Lauridsen and Eric Whitacre. If I was put on the spot (as I was last night by some members of the audience!!) and asked which my favourite piece was, I would be inclined to say O Nata Lux by Lauridsen. I really enjoy his compositions and first came across his music whilst singing at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. I vividly remember being incredibly moved by his 1994 world-wide hit O Magnum Mysterium.

So it's our last performance tonight of High Flight and then we set our sights on the concert in Carnegie Hall with The Salvation Army, not forgetting about our live concert recording of the sacred programme Pater Noster in Nashville on Saturday!

Here are some visual delights for your enjoyment:

One of the choirs in our fun masterclass sessions at The University of Saskatchewan.

The glorious Chapel at Princeton University.

The wonderful American Boychoir whom we had the huge pleasure of teaching yesterday. If you haven't heard them yet, I urge you to listen to some of their recordings. It is an astonishing sound!

One of the many KS posters from yesteryear on the backstage walls in The McCarter Theatre.

Chris B's best impersonation of a walrus.

Goodbye!!

21 / 03 / 2012

Paul

I know what you're thinking .... Paul always writes his 'blogs in the back of a van. Today is no exception, as we make our way to New York City for tomorrow's concert in Carnegie Hall. Wow!

After last night's concert I was asked by a member of the audience why we had visited Shepherd University in West Virginia, when Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall figured on our itinerary? The answer to this is simple - we love to share our music with as wide an audience as possible. I was reminded of a story from a very long time ago ...

Back in 1977 I was a ten year old chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral. On June 7th that year I sang in the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebration service. We spent weeks rehearsing and preparing for what was a major, televised event and our music director, Barry Rose, worked us hard. However, on the same day we also had to sing evensong, and Barry was at pains to remind us that even though we had already sung in a high-profile event, we were about to take part in something even more crucial. He reminded us that every time we sing, we have to treat it as the most important thing we have ever done, and never to forget our priorities.

This is something that has stayed with me all my life, and I'm grateful to Barry for his guidance and friendship over the years. Today, every time I am privileged to sing with the King's Singers, it doesn't matter whether we are performing in the largest concert hall in the world, or in the smallest - every concert is the most important show we have ever given. Last night's concert on the friendly campus of Shepherd University in an extremely pretty part of the USA was one of the most enjoyable shows I have been lucky enough to take part in for a long time. Thank you to everybody who came along and who stayed to chat afterwards, I shall miss Shepherdstown and add it to my list of places I'd like to visit again.

David having a 'traditional' breakfast at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown! Yummy ....

22 / 03 / 2012

Chris B

I woke up this morning to the sound of New York, which for those of you who have been here will know of that buzz or rhythm that is constantly going on here. Last night Chris and I went to The Met to hear Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore. Juan Diego Flórez and Diana Damrau were the unlikely lovers, Mariusz Kwiecien the vainglorious sergeant, and Alessandro Corbelli the dispenser of the elixir. It's always been a dream of mine to go to The Met, ever since I started singing at the University of Canterbury with Dame Malvina Major in 2002. I couldn't believe my luck when I saw the cast list. Damrau is arguably one of the most terrifying Queen of the Night's on the world stage (Youtube her Die Hölle rache!!!), and Flórez, who was first introduced to me by an excited opera buff mate from NZ, Hamish, has an incredible voice. Every thing he sings seems effortless!

I slept well after that - something I'm figuring out is the key to survival on tour - and although I have a few tasks to do today, namely a meeting with the group's accountants, I am fully focused on singing my debut at Carnegie Hall. I slipped that surreptitiously into a conversation with the man at Social Services and was asked by him 'How do you get to Carnegie Hall?' Given my limited knowledge of the whereabouts of the main attractions in Manhattan, I was pleased to be able to tell him it was on West 57th Street...he replied that the correct answer was 'Practice, practice, practice!' (bit of an in-joke apparently...). I have just had lunch with a kiwi mate, Rachelle Pike, who is studying at the Manhattan School of Music, and former Senior Organ Scholar of Christ Church, Oxford, Ben Sheen, who is studying at the Julliard. Was great to catch up with them and hear about New York life and what not.

Sitting in a cab with a friendly driver from Ghana heading back to the hotel before having a rehearsal of both tonight's Salvation Army programme and Nashville's Pater Noster live recording. It's been a whirlwind few months in the group. I can't thank the guys enough for how they've helped me, encouraged me and really made me feel at home in group. I've got a heap of things to work on in the holidays in preparation for next term (not only music but also a regular sleeping pattern!) and I can't wait to spend three weeks with Liz over Easter. Really missed her and looking forward to heading up to her family home in Northumberland for some much-needed R & R!! See you in a few weeks...

23 / 03 / 2012

Chris G

We're nearly at the end of this tour, after which we have three weeks' holiday with family and friends. It's been a busy term, travelling across three continents and flying tens of thousands of miles, but we're still pretty fresh and enjoying ourselves. New York has been blissful - balmy temperatures, sunshine and a great concert with our friends at the Salvation Army all combined to make it a great stop on our travels.

On Wednesday evening, Chris and I went to the Met to see part of Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore", as he's no doubt already told you. It was a production not to be forgotten, with some of our favourite singers (including the wonderful Diana Damrau) on top form. It's rare that we get to catch such a performance on a night off, so I was grateful for the chance.

Otherwise, we're working hard on our Pater Noster programme for Nashville. Live recordings are tough; you don't want to make mistakes, but you don't want to turn in a performance that's risk-free and too "safe." The balance is everything! We get to sing some of our very favourite music, though, so I think the occasion will take over and we'll perform well. My personal favourites? Maurice Durufle's wonderful setting of the Lord's Prayer in French, Notre Pere, and Orlando di Lasso's beautiful psalm setting, Ad te levavi oculos meos - Unto thee do I lift up my eyes.

This is my last blog for this term; it remains only for me to wish you all a very Happy Easter! I look forward to writing again next term.

24 / 03 / 2012

Johnny

HELLO.

I am FINALLY in Boston, and I can't tell you how happy this makes me. Yesterday's recording in Nashville went very well, I'm pleased to say. After a successful performance of our Pater Noster programme, we were treated to the most brilliant Southern hospitality, and I believe my stomach is still recovering from delightful chocolate and coca-cola cake and some of the best beef I have ever tasted. Tomorrow morning I fly to New York, to spend a few days with Irina and another of my best friends, Alex, in that great city, before returning to Harvard (where I am now) for a final weekend of great fun. I promise that photos will follow at the beginning of next term.

So, for now, I'd better get some shut-eye, as my flight leaves in nine hours. Thank you all for the wonderful support you've shown me all over the globe for the last three months, and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible next term.

All the best,

xx

26 / 03 / 2012

David

We have now reached the end of our North American tour, and we now have three weeks break. Our last stop was in Nashville, Tennessee, where we recorded a live concert CD of a programme entitled Pater Noster for Naxos. The repertoire consists of settings of The Lord’s Prayer, including versions in Gregorian Chant, along with other ones by Josquin des Pres, Heinrich Schütz, Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Duruflé, John Tavener and Leonard Bernstein. Interspersed between these pieces is other music which reflects on the text of the Prayer. The CD playlist is based on a concert programme that Philip put together a few years ago, and which we have performed many times very successfully in European church concerts. For the CD we made a few adjustments (to lengthen the sequence to fit a full length CD). The live record/concert took place in the lovely acoustics of Nashville’s Cathedral of the Incarnation, with a live audience, who were incredibly quiet. I wish the same could be said of the various trucks and motorbikes that added a few effects to the soundtrack. We did have to re-take a few bits after the show, but we hope the final disc will have a great atmosphere of the live performance that it was. We would like to thank John Hill and Kevin Edlin, and all the tech team, for their calm professionalism. We would also like to thank Lea Maitlen of Naxos for all her work to make the recording possible.

We have visited Nashville regularly in the recent past, and have made some great friends there. We would particularly like to thank Sharon and Tracy for their marvellous Southern hospitality. We turned up at Sharon’s house at 11.30 on Saturday night, after the patch session, and stayed way beyond my bedtime. Her sons then took Johnny, Tim and Chris B, along with some others, to one of Nashville’s late night bars to continue the partying. It was such a great way to end our term, and a lovely way to relax after the pressure of the last week’s itinerary.

I am now looking forward to getting back home. Chris B and I are heading back via Chicago, and will be home early on Monday; Paul follows soon after. The rest are taking advantage of being in the US to have a holiday (not together…). I am looking forward to our summer concerts, which are all within Europe. After the last few months of travel, I am quite glad to be taking no long distance flights for a few months. Over the next three weeks my modes of transport will be by car, on foot, by bike, and, if I am feeling adventurous, by train.

Chris at Nashville airport eating some delicious smoked chicken wings provided in our travel picnic by Tracy. He did finish the whole plate a few minutes after this photo was taken.

17 / 04 / 2012

Tim

Hello there KS fans and a belated Happy Easter!! I do hope that you all had a lovely time and didn't make yourself too sick with all those tempting chocolates! I know that my willpower was put to the test...........

So I thoroughly enjoyed my time in New York with my mother at the end of last term. It was great to spend time looking around such an exciting city and fun to catch up properly with mum - it was a pretty crazy start to 2012 and so I hadn't seen her since Christmas!

I also managed to fit in a quick visit to Prague with Gemma, which was awesome. It is an amazing city with so many interesting historical points around every corner. At night, Prague Castle is lit up and it looks so beautiful. Our walking tour guide actually told us an interesting story about this............Apparently back in the early 1980s, the Rolling Stones came to play a concert in Prague. Mick Jagger fell in love with the city and adored the Castle. He was upset that the Castle was in darkness at nightfall meaning that no one could see its true splendour. Unfortunately, the government at the time simply couldn't afford to beautify the City, so Jagger himself paid for the Castle illuminations!! That's a lot of bulbs.................

Off we go to Germany on tour tomorrow - the start of a nearly two week patch with concerts in Hannover, Berlin and Siegen to name but a few! We also pop over to the wonderful Salzburg in Austria - what a joy it is to sing there. It is home to such great musical heritage and you can also grab a mean schnitzel anywhere as well!

There is one piece of music which stands out for me in our upcoming programmes and that is Adoramus Te, Christe by Orlandus Lassus. It is a masterpiece and after hearing it on The King's Singers album "La Dolce Vita" (1991), I was totally inspired. I have performed it with the group before but only in my first few weeks in the job. I'm hugely looking forward to singing it again - Renaissance polyphony doesn't get much better than this in my opinion...................

Here are some visual delights for you:

Me and mum at the top of The Empire State Building - it was incredibly windy up there!!

One of the reflecting pools at Ground Zero's Memorial site. It was so hard to believe that this was where one of those huge buildings stood - a very moving experience.

The hustle and bustle of Time Square.

Me and Gemma at a restaurant opposite Prague Castle - what a great spot!

Whilst walking over Charles Bridge, we spotted a guy doing these caricature sketches and couldn't resist............

The magnificent Tyn Church in the old town square - a breathtaking sight by day or night.

18 / 04 / 2012

Paul

Welcome back to a new term, our new-look website and a summer of exciting travel and concerts in some of our favourite places in Europe. Today we 'kick-off' in Wurzburg - a city I have enjoyed visiting over the years. I ran quickly and easily by the river this morning, enjoying the fresh spring air and listening to birdsong as I went. It really doesn't get much better than that ....

The next few weeks will see us in Austria and Switzerland, before we visit Ireland - a first for me, and somewhere I'm really excited to visit. Many of our upcoming performances will reflect and celebrate to 'Diamond Jubilee' of Queen Elizabeth, and I feel honoured to be a small part of those festivities. I hope that many of you reading this will join us this summer at a concert.

I thought I'd share a photo of me and Helena, taken during our Easter break

19 / 04 / 2012

Chris B

Hallo aus Deutschland!

After an early start for Tim and me on Wednesday, we eventually made it to the airport after our taxi broke down...twice. Fortunately, thanks to a Polish painter with some jump leads and a second driver who came to our rescue on the motorway, we made the flight! Tim's sense of humour is now back in action and we can see the funny side!

The first concert to kick off our 2012 German tour was in the lovely city of Würzburg. I was looking forward to this concert for two reasons: my first concert as a baritone in Germany; and, secondly, my friend Steffen was coming along and we hadn't seen each other since studying together at Burnside High School (6th form/Year 12/Lower Sixth) in 2001!

The programme was entitled 'Will you, Won't you join the dance' and takes the listener on a dancing-themed journey from Byrd to Britten, Janequin to Poulenc, G. da Nola to Ligeti, and finishing with folk songs from the British Isles across on the Eurostar to France and back. My favourites would have to be Camille Saint-Saëns' Saltarelle and the beautiful arrangement by my predecessor, Philip, of Tis the last rose of summer. It reminds me of Britten's setting of Down by the Salley Gardens, with its simple opening accompaniment motif.

We're off to Heidelberg today, which I'm told is a beautiful city and has one of the oldest universities in Europe. Brand new programme again tonight so looking forward to getting my teeth into some Estonian!

Tschüss!

20 / 04 / 2012

Chris G

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!

23 / 04 / 2012

David

Last night we returned once again to one of my favourite venues – 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 – 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 Gabriela’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 can’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 Gabriela’s name in the programme, for they studied together in Houston under the distinguished teacher, Norman Fischer, brother of Jerry – 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 Mädchenchor 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 Emin’s award-winning art installation that caused such a stir at London’s Tate Modern a few years back. Sadly my version was just too tidy to excite the art world.

24 / 04 / 2012

Tim

Hello! Here we are in Fürth 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 "Woopee, I know those pieces!!"

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................

25 / 04 / 2012

Paul

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!

26 / 04 / 2012

Chris B

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. Tchüss

27 / 04 / 2012

Chris G

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 "Changing my voice," 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....

28 / 04 / 2012

Johnny

HELLO ALL.

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 Bachwürfel 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 Zürich, 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.

30 / 04 / 2012

David

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 Zürich to London this morning, whilst the other three went for the extremely early option. I am not sure what this says about us all!

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 centre’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.

We have a couple of days off before our next concerts. On Wednesday we are singing at King’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).

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.

Johnny and Paul outside the Parish House in Boswil

01 / 05 / 2012

Tim

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.

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........

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:

Johnny outside the Berlin Philharmonie.

The effects of learning so much music.

The effects of knowing so much music.

Chris G getting peckish on the train.

Views from the train when we travelled from Austria to Switzerland - wow!!

02 / 05 / 2012

Paul

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!

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 ....

A guilty-looking dog .... 'Didn't I tell you to stay in the kitchen?'

03 / 05 / 2012

Chris B

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 enjoyed Flora's Queen by John Stainer with its rich texture in the louder sections. The other highlight was Paul Drayton's new work, 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. 

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!

See you soon...

04 / 05 / 2012

Chris G

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!

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!

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.

05 / 05 / 2012

Johnny

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)!

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!

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!

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.

Thinking about rounds like this makes me wonder what my favourite round is. Three blind mice? London's burning? Frère 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!

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! 

Otherwise, all the best and speak soon, xx

07 / 05 / 2012

David

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.

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.

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.

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 people’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.

Next we head to Italy, which is always a favourite stop for the group if you look at the “Revealed” section of the “About us” part of our website. I have found it interesting reading, and have learnt some surprising facts about my colleagues!

08 / 05 / 2012

Tim

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, "One day, you'll have to do all that!!" 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..........

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!

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................

09 / 05 / 2012

Paul

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 ....

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!

 It did stop raining long enough on Sunday for me to take Wiz for a walk, during my brief 'stopover' at home!

10 / 05 / 2012

Chris B

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 Düsseldorf Airport.

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!

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.

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 Caffè Bodoni (best coffee) making sure I'm up to speed with music for the rest of the term. Still, from the little I have seen, I want to come back soon!

Ciao Torino e la prossima volta!

11 / 05 / 2012

Chris G

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.

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.

I've been engaged in a side project over the past few weeks, preparing to record a documentary for BBC Radio 4 entitled "Changing My Voice." 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!

12 / 05 / 2012

Johnny

HELLO.

Today has been a day filled with the sublime, the ridiculous, and everything in between. I will explain.

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.

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 "How not to live your life of you're in your mid-twenties". 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....

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.

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!

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!

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.

And so, speak soon!

xx

14 / 05 / 2012

David

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.

London's burning, London's burning.


Fetch the engines, fetch the engines.


Fire fire, Fire Fire!


Pour on water, pour on water.


London's burning,

London's burning.

Another one you may know is:

Three blind mice, three blind mice,


See how they run, see how they run,


They all ran after the farmer's wife,


Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,


Did you ever see such a thing in your life,


As three blind mice?

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 “blind mice” are thought to be three Protestant Lords who plotted against the Queen, but were eventually brought to justice by “the Farmer’s Wife” – not the most flattering nickname for “Bloody Mary”, but then “Bloody Mary” is no better. However the original version, first published by Thomas Ravenscroft in 1609, has different words, which talk of the “miller and his merry olde wife”. Mary was eleven years older than her husband, King Philip II of Spain, but the “merry” soubriquet does not seem to fit.

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 “The Henry VIII Manuscript”, which inspired our choice of repertoire from the reign of Henry. Another wonderful work from the manuscript is William Cornyshe’s Ah Robin, Gentle Robin. The lower two parts run as a canon or round, whilst the top part provides a beautiful descant.

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.

15 / 05 / 2012

Tim

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!

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's 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.........

Below is a photo from Turino - some of the chaps with our wonderful Italian local agent Denise. Bellissimo!

16 / 05 / 2012

Paul

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!

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.

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!!!

Notice the hat!!! Yours truly in Cambridge ...

17 / 05 / 2012

Chris B

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!

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.

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!

18 / 05 / 2012

Chris G

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.

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.

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....

19 / 05 / 2012

Johnny

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!

 xx