Lang May Yer Lum Reek

(Which means 'long may your chimney smoke, and is a traditional Scots greeting for the New Year and other celebrations!)  

Happy New Year!

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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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