Friday, June 26, 2009

Aldeburgh festival




After a really crazy few weeks, Martha and I went "on retreat" to Aldeburgh for a couple of days. The festival was on, and there was a musical buzz, in this lovely sun drenched "arty" environment. Our stay was made all the more special by the ( converted convent) bed and breakfast , where we had views of the sea and a table and chair by the window to sit and write. The lady who owned it was an artist, and her pictures and Murals adorned the walls of the big convent entrance hall there was also the most beautiful herb and flower garden where her and her friends played croquet.


There were various concerts and workshops going on as part of the fringe festival in the town itself, and every tenth person seemed to be carrying a cello!.


We paid homage to the Britten memorial shell on the beach, and read books and drank coffee.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Sing up/sign up

Just found this on youtube. Its the song "Switching it on" I wrote with Hyawyn Oram for the governments "Sing up" project musical. It is a version with signing for deaf students.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSQJeMl22Jc

Also a signed version of my arrangement of the "Menu song" by the fantastic Paul Whittaker. Unfortunately they put that I wrote the song which isn't true, but I did do the arrangement.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15XIr_n-23M&feature=related

But I decided on this.

There have been numerous things I have wondered about blogging about this week. The first was to talk about the wood pigeon I listened to the other day that had a syncopated and rather complex call. I wondered how you would get some people to do that let alone a bird.
The second was about "keeping it real" and about how we, in our crazy lives go for "Instant gratification" by eating, shopping etc.
The third was to discuss the fact that the school where I should have been teaching today was closed due to swine flu. (yes really).
Anyway, I went for the fourth which followed Chloe and I listening to Leroy Anderson's "Typewriter" in the car yesterday.
WATCH THIShttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWJBfvWjlk0&feature=PlayList&p=1238F899CA0E1F95&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3