Razza Sazza

Just found this performance of that well known opus on youtube. worth looking at for a giggle.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvGQC5dEBhA
Shame it looks like theyre using photocopies!

Watts on itunes!

One of the excitements of the weekend, was to find out that "Angel voices" is now on itunes and is starting to get noticed

http://www.apple.com/search/ipoditunes/?q=Sarah+Watts

I am so pleased, as this collection was a great work of the heart, I have really believed in it. I know it has only been out since the Autumn but I have had no feedback or news of anyone using it. The Kevin Mayhew rep says it is being re ordered now by music shops, and there has been some very positive feedback on youtube.

It is important to me as a composer to be able to work on less commercial projects ( back to my harmonica concerto!).

Watts happening?

It has been a little while since I blogged, but I have to say things have been a bit crazy. I am still working on the very exciting project "Red Hot Dots song library" and have just finished book five of six ( onto the last!!). We were recording the backing tracks for the first three books at the weekend (warm ups, rounds and openers and finales). I have a lovely new singer working on this project. Ella Rooke studied jazz singing at Trinity, and has really captured the spirit of the work. She recorded nearly fifty tracks at the weekend, and there are three more books to go!. ( Add on songs, Silly songs and chants and music games). Listen to Ella here http://www.myspace.com/ellarooke

I have to confess to being very excited about these books. There are lots of new fun songs that I hope people will find useful.

Guildford international festival.

Chloe has been managing some concerts for the Guildford festival . It has been quite hard work, but a valuable career experience. Among the rush and stress, her and Jo did just manage to pose with the Steinway!!.

show and tell

I had a "show and tell"dinner party with a few friends this week. ( great fun!! plan to do it again with more friends). Each person had to bring a track of music to play and share , and an object to show. It was a really great evening and very interesting to see what everyone brought ( and what their musical choice was). My friend Rake had found a retro recipe book at her mums house and brought that, and also some "party cone cakes" she had made from it. Pinder made a rainbow jelly ( with vodka) from the same book. The tastes reminded me of Christmas party's we went to at an Aunties when I was a child. Simon brought what was left of his favourite childhood toy Clownie ( a foot!). Chris showed his favourite gardening jumper. Another friend (also a Chris) brought her favourite kitchen utensil.

The evening developed into a bit of a jam session , and a few people had tuba lessons (!!).

Cambridge University Chinese Orchestral Society

We went to a splendid concert yesterday presented by the above. Our trip was mainly to see a Chinese virtuoso harmonica player called Jai-Yi He who is doing three concerts in England, but we were enchanted by the performance in the first half of the orchestra playing traditional Chinese instruments. It was so refreshing to hear unfamiliar instruments playing delightful music with titles like. "Ode to a yellow river", "Azure waves" and "Altar of the golden flower". There were some virtuoso players among the ensemble who played solos on instruments I am ashamed to say I cannot even name. But it was a "red letter" experience to hear them.

Mr Yi He's performance on the Harmonica ( actually four harmonica's at once at one point!) didn't disappoint. He was truly a technician, and played a stunning duet with himself playing a ( not simple) two part piece using the right and left sides of his mouth to play each part simultaneously ( How??????).

We likened his masterclass to that of a stunt footballer doing trick shots before the real sport begins, but we did have a taste of his virtuosity as he played a Gypsy violin standard with the "Western Instrument orchestra" in the second half.

I'm so glad we went to Cambridge in the rain for this concert. it was a treat.

memories

I paid a visit to my favourite little one pound vinyl shop, and came across a gem from the past. It was a record made by the North Bucks wind band ( that Chris and I both played in). The band is pictured outside the old music centre ( sadly now in ruins!). I took my grades there ( highly traumatic!) and had my first violin lesson ( yes! violin lesson)