We Vous Souhaiter Ein Fröhliches Nativitatis

After more Mozart in divers countries, it's time for a real change...  Between the Holland Baroque Society and the Ribattuta Ensemble, I'm having a December spread all around the country, filled with music spanning almost 7 centuries, several languages and a plethora of styles!  Palestrina, Gabrieli, Tunder, Poulenc, Matthias, Lauridsen, McCartney and el-Roumi to name just a few.  

Crazy, yes, but completely divine!

lambertuskerk, helmond

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Baroque Influences

Pergolesi and Stravinsky were matched perfectly in the set of concerts just finished with Het Nieuwe Mannheim Koor en Orkest conducted by Quentin Clare.  

First up was the relatively unknown (yet wonderfully forward-looking) 'Missa Romana' by Pergolesi, which was followed by Stravinsky's 'ballet with song' 'Pulcinella', in which Stravinsky used music by Pergolesi as the basis of his own neo-classic work.  It was all pretty fabulous, I must say!

But there's no rest for the wicked - I'll be taking myself off to Normandy, France soon, for a reprise of the Mozart concerts with Arsys Bourgogne.

the marvellous ceiling of the dominicuskerk in amsterdam

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Masses of Mozart

Did you see what I did there? Heh! I'm just back from the first set of concerts of Mozart's Mass in c minor and the Requiem with Arsys Bourgogne and Camerata Saltzburg down in France, conducted by Pierre Cao.  Steamy temperatures and very impressive thunderstorms in both Burgundy and the Auvergne did nothing to dampen some wonderful performaces of these great works.  

More of the same coming up in October, this time in Brittany.

basilique sainte marie-madeleine de vézelay

l'abbaye de la chaise-dieu

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The Cricket Recovers

A little departure from the norm: I'm helping out with language coaching for the Holland Festival production of 'The Cricket Recovers' by English composer Richard Ayres.  Apart from the recent French music departure, I've never been this close to contemporary music before, but I have to admit I'm thoroughly enjoying  the experience! 

Even the cracking the language-whip part!

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Musique du 20ème Siècle

I know, I know - TWENTIETH CENTURY FRENCH MUSIC? But really, glorious gorgeousness is to be found in the 12-part 'Cantique des Cantiques' by Daniel-Lesur I've just finished singing with the Ribattuta Ensemble. Wow. Also in the same programme was the Requiem by Alfred Desenclos, which is pretty scrummy too.   

The venues have been beautiful, and I have to admit to totally revelling in this lower singing. I feel like I've come home! Marvellous!  

the beautiful ceiling of sint bavo in haarlem

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Zerfließe, mein Herze

This month saw possibly the last time ever I sing the soprano solo in Bach's Saint John Passion, which I sang with The Northern Consort under the excellent direction of Fokko Oldenhius, in Den Bosch.  It was an excellent way to say goodbye, at least for the time being, to the high soprano repertoire!  

Not the end of an era, perhaps, but certainly the beginning of a new one!

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Oo - shiny!

You may have noticed that my nicolawemyss.com site is no longer with us.  This is due primarily to moving away from France, where the account was based, and I rather fancied working in English for a change!  Until the dot com name is back on the register, I decided to try my hand at a free hosting site called Wix and this is the result:

And jolly pleased I am with it, too!  Click HERE for the direct link, and do feel free to let me know what you think of it - here or over there!

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