Our Latest Blogs. http://www.kingssingers.com 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, itamp;rsquo;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 Bruertonamp;rsquo;s cool temperament and quality singing, he is going to make a first-class Kingamp;rsquo;s Singer. Last night's concert had a wonderfully intimate atmosphere, with around 150 guests, in aid of 'Cancer Research UK'. We raised almost amp;pound;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. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Feb 01 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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 Thamp;eacute;amp;acirc;tre, 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. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 31 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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 Kamp;rsquo;S, and still lives nearby. As many of you may know, the concert was not an ordinary Kingamp;rsquo;s Singers a cappella show. The event was a joint one with South Wilts A Cappella, the excellent choir from Salisburyamp;rsquo;s girlsamp;rsquo; grammar school. They were already planning to do Maurice Duruflamp;eacute;amp;rsquo;s sublime Requiem in a concert on the 28th, and somehow our plans and theirs combined together. Philamp;rsquo;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 Duruflamp;eacute; 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 choiramp;rsquo;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 Kamp;rsquo;S, and was, we feel, instrumental in the creation of the Kingamp;rsquo;s Singers sound. It was lovely that he was able to attend the concert. The second half continued with Bob Chilcottamp;rsquo;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 Kamp;rsquo;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 Philamp;rsquo;s successor, Chris Bruerton, will be Philamp;rsquo;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 amp;ndash; I am not sure how I will post my next blog from the plane. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 30 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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 amp;quot;guest appearanceamp;quot;, 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 amp;quot;uncoolamp;quot;. 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 amp;quot;When are you going away again?amp;quot;. It's never too late, I tell myself. Philip http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 26 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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 Thamp;eacute;amp;acirc;tre 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 Thamp;eacute;amp;acirc;tre 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. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 24 2012 00:12:30 GMT In my years in the Kingamp;rsquo;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 UKamp;rsquo;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 amp;ndash; I resisted the temptation to have a small mid-morning snack. Todayamp;rsquo;s concert has an interesting first half (of course the whole concert will be interestingamp;hellip;), 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 Weelkesamp;rsquo; fabulous As Vesta was descending. I have written about these two collections in previous amp;lsquo;blogs last summer, so I wonamp;rsquo;t bore you with a history lesson. They are amongst my favourite pieces in the Kamp;rsquo;S repertoire, and so I am greatly looking forward to the eveningamp;rsquo;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 http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 23 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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: amp;quot;Flow o my tearsamp;quot; by John Dowland as a precursor to, and inspiration for, John Bennett's wonderful amp;quot;Weep, o mine eyesamp;quot; - and amp;quot;The Silver Swanamp;quot; 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. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 20 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 17 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 16 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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. amp;nbsp; 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,amp;nbsp; 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.amp;nbsp; 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. amp;nbsp;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. amp;nbsp;Speak soon, xx amp;nbsp; http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 14 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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 amp;quot;get intoamp;quot; 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. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 13 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 12 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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.amp;nbsp; http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 10 2012 00:12:30 GMT 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. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Jan 09 2012 00:12:30 GMT Today we start our Christmas break, having arrived home this morning from Singapore. It is difficult not to be rather taken with that amazing city. Our hotel was located overlooking Marina Bay, and from my room I had the most spectacular view of the harbour, and beyond to the Singapore Straits. It is amazing by day, and dazzling by night. All I can say is that it is a good thing that the desk was located near the window, but facing into the room, otherwise I would have got nothing done during my stay. The food is wonderful, with influences from both Asia and the Indian subcontinent. On Friday night some of us headed out to a covered market, with small food outlets providing all kinds of cuisines. I had the most delicious curry, with just the right amount of spice. We sang our concert in a venue new to us, the marvellous Esplanade Concert Hall. This is part of an arts complex, opened in 2005, which, in addition to the concert hall, has a large theatre, an arts library, a gallery and a recital hall. Like our hotel, it is located on Marina Bay, and is a very striking building (well actually a pair of buildings). I did not venture into any other part of the complex, but the concert hall, which was packed with people, is very fine indeed. Earlier on Saturday we happened to be discussing the great concert venues in which we have performed, and the Esplanade has definitely been added to my list. It is also has wonderful staff, and in particular I would like to thank Suzanna, the Artist Liaison Officer, for looking after us so brilliantly. By the way, someone left a CD booklet on the signing table after the concert, and if it is yours, Suzanna has it in the Esplanade office. On Sunday we spent some time with the Choral Directors Association of Singapore, giving a lecture/demo. It was held at Commonwealth Secondary School, and members of the schoolamp;rsquo;s choir looked after us (on a Sunday morning after the end of term.). There does seem to be great enthusiasm for choral singing in Singapore, but the choir directors each seemed to have responsibility for quite a few ensembles, with one person I spoke to being responsible for nine different choirs in as many different schools. However they do seem to be doing a great job, for many of the young people I met after our concert seemed extremely enthused by singing. On this tour we have been serenaded by groups after our shows, and in particular in Shanghai when a group sang Simon Carringtonamp;rsquo;s arrangement of Randy Newmanamp;rsquo;s amp;ldquo;Short Peopleamp;rdquo;. It reminded me of our first visit to Shanghai in 2006, when a group of singers, unable to get tickets for the concert, waited at the stage door for the entire concert and for about an hour after in order to sing for us. When they started with one of our own arrangements I was staggered. We had never been to China before, and yet people knew of the group. Amazing. This will be my last amp;lsquo;blog of 2011. Have a merry Christmas, and I hope you will be able to attend a KS show in person in 2012 amp;ndash; there are quite a few to choose from. P.S. At breakfast yesterday, Tim and I decided to do a shared amp;lsquo;blog today, with my text and his array of photos. Each week he shames the rest of us by illustrating his entries with loads of pictures. I took a few pictures of the view from my hotel, but they did not so it justice, so here follow some higher resolution snaps from Tim. Helen our wonderful contact in China who looked after us during our stay. Singapore: The building on the left of the shot with the three towers is called the Marina Bay Sands resort and below are some photos from the top. Looking out to sea to the vast array of ships...... The infinity pool at the top of Marina Bay Sands. After the concert in Singapore with the lovely Suzanna who kept us all in check during our stay. Again backstage - this time with a huge fan of the group, who was waiting for us.. Cabin KS. On our way to Singapore.......... The bay side view from our hotel - the concert hall was one of the slug-like silver buildings - The Esplanade Concert Hall.amp;nbsp;An amazing venue with breathtaking acoustics. Shots at night across the bay - wow is all that I can say. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Dec 20 2011 00:12:30 GMT It's been a difficult week of no social media in China - and it made me realise how much I rely on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in order to keep in touch with friends and loved ones whilst we're on tour. Skype worked (just about.) but all in all it was a bit trying. So, it was good that all this was more than made up for by the incredible response of our Chinese audiences. Over the past four visits we've noticed an appreciable upward-trend in our audience numbers and enthusiasm. All the concerts were sold-out and the venue in Shanghai had to be changed from the usual Concert Hall because there aren't enough seats for us there now. It's humbling and we're so very grateful for the way this nation has taken us to its heart. We can all sense a real opportunity to make the KS the leading force behind a cappella in this part of the World, and it's a chance we're going to take. Already there is a large number of singers who come to our shows, having got hold of arrangements from goodness knows where, and perform them to us in the lobby or even outside the hall. I hope very much that we can do some education work on our next visit. From China to Singapore, trading outpost of the Empire and a real step towards home. Very much one of the World's greatest cities, this is a lovely way to end 2011 touring life for us. The weather is balmy, the concert is yet another sell-out, and we have a bit of free time to exercise (good gym in this hotel), sightsee and enjoy the incredible views out over the harbour from our hotel rooms. Wherever you are, have a peaceful and merry Christmas, and a safe and prosperous New Year. This is me signing out for 2011. See you next year. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Dec 16 2011 00:12:30 GMT I'm sitting at Shanghai airport waiting to board our flight to Singapore. It 's been a very interesting few days here in China, culminating in a sold-out show at a new venue for us - the Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre. After that we were hosted on the top floor (floor 66) of our lovely hotel by our management, Harrison Parrott, in the shape of Helen Desmond, who had been flown out at short notice to look after us, and who declared that it was amp;quot;like being on holidayamp;quot; (.). Let's hope she meant a nice holiday rather than a holiday from hell. The audiences and the staff at the venues have all been really good to us - thank you everyone for that, and now we move on to the last leg of the tour: Singapore here we come. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Dec 15 2011 00:12:30 GMT It was lovely to wake up to bright sunshine this morning, after a couple of fairly 'smoggy' days here in Beijing and Tianjin. The sunshine poured into my room as it rose, and woke me up from a weird dream: I was having a cup of tea in Little Gransden Village Hall during a masterclass session with Latvian Voices (a group we have coached at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival) wondering how they could all stand so still wearing such high heels.. Anyway, I'm not even going to try to analyse that one, and tell you instead about about our time here in China. You'll often find me talking about the people we meet along the way, and last night in Tianjin we were fortunate enough to meet many new KS fans. Unfortunately, various 'security' concerns have prevented us from doing our usual 'meet and greet' sessions with the audience after our concerts. However, last night I went onto the stage, soon after the end of the show to collect our music, only to be 'mobbed' by the concert ushers, most of whom were students at local universities. It was a wonderful, spontaneous moment, I signed programmes and had my photo taken with each of them, as their increasingly frustrated supervisor tried to move them away. However, I couldn't let any of these bright, happy young fans go without a signature or picture, so I'm afraid I insisted on staying-put until I was sure that nobody had been missed. I was also lucky enough to catch up with one of my best friends in Beijing - Nigel Couch is a close family friend from 'back home' (Helena is Godmother to his daughter) and yet because of our hectic lives, we get precious little time to 'hang out'. However, Nigel was able to combine a series of meetings with some of his clients and colleagues here, which coincided with our concert and day off in Beijing. I had arranged for him and some of his clients to attend our concert on Sunday at the NCPA, and it was so good to see him yet strange to be be in his company SO far from home, and so 'out of context'. It proved to me once again just how small the world is becoming. Today we travel to Shanghai, a city very different in character to Beijing, and to a 'new' concert hall for us - we shall be performing at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center. I look forward to that, and to future visits to China - a fascinating and truly wonderful country. Thank you to all our friends here for making our visit run so smoothly and for their kindness expressed to us through thunderous applause and cheering. The view from my hotel room. Hooray. The sun is shining. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Dec 14 2011 00:12:30 GMT Hello all. Here we are in the bustling city of Beijing, enjoying a few nights in the same hotel and sampling some of the delights that this amazing city has to offer. We sang the night before last at the incredible National Centre for the Performing Arts. This brought back fond memories for me from my first trip a couple of years ago to Asia with The KS. I vividly remember walking out on stage to the same warm, friendly audience that we had the pleasure of singing in front of on Sunday evening. Yesterday we had a non-concert day and I managed to put the finishing touches to a Christmas song which we have just started to perform, by the English composer and arranger Alexander L'Estrange - Let it Snow. It's a fantastic piece and one that I'm sure will stay firmly in our repertoire for this time of year. Apart from work, I managed to go to the gym (twice.) and have a wander around the nearby streets with Johnny, before catching up with everyone for dinner. A fun and productive day all round.. So today we sing in The Tianjin Concert Hall which certainly looks like an impressive building on the internet and one that I'm very excited about performing in. I'm also looking forward to seeing actually how fast this 'fast train' is - let's see if it can keep to it's scheduled arrival in 33 minutes. Sorry about the lack of video blogs recently but the internet here in China is quite patchy, and I'm unable to upload any of the hilarious and informative videos. You'll have to take my word for it that they were either of these two things. Anyway, here are a couple of pics from Korea and beyond.......... Some photos from the 2-concert day in Korea... Paul taking a quick nap before the first one. Phil modelling the local fashion The programme before the guests could have their lunch. Paul and Phil during the sound check The second concert hall in The Raum Korean BBQ time with the lovely Chaehwan who looked after us so brilliantly during our stay in Korea. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Dec 13 2011 00:12:30 GMT Today we have a free day in Beijing. The sun is shining outside, although I suspect it will be rather cold. I must try not to sit in my room all day staring at my computer, even though there is plenty of admin to deal with. In last weekamp;rsquo;s amp;lsquo;blog I mentioned the free day in Seoul, and was looking forward to a bit of sightseeing. I am afraid to say that I only managed a walk to a cafamp;eacute;, spending the rest of the day in the hotel. I must try better today. Last night we sang in the National Centre for the Performing Arts Concert Hall, which is located adjacent to the imposing Great Hall of the People here in Beijing. Looking at our database of past programmes, I noted that this is our fourth trip to China, and our third visit to the NCPA, which was opened in December 2007, just before the Beijing Olympics. In addition to all the new sports venues, the city invested in a new cultural centre, imaginatively designed by the French architect Paul Andreu. It was marvellous that the arts were not forgotten in the rush to prepare for the 2008 Games. Another thing I mentioned in last weekamp;rsquo;s amp;lsquo;blog was the well-behaved children at our concerts. Last night two little girls were seated in the front row, and they charmed all of us with their attention to the concert. At the end of the show, we were presented with a huge bouquet of flowers (actually given to Paul.), and he then presented them to these girls. Before the second encore they came onto the stage to say thank you to each of us with a hug. I will long remember the smiles on the faces of the group as this happened. Tomorrow we have a concert in Tianjin. This city is located about 80 miles from Beijing. In a car it would take just under two hours to make the trip, but by the high-speed train it is just 33 minutes. I am looking forward to this journey. We have experienced fast trains in many places, but this will be our first chance to try out the Chinese version. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Dec 12 2011 00:12:30 GMT Iamp;rsquo;m in Xiamp;rsquo;an, in the heart of China. We arrived here last night, after a wonderful week in Korea. I was particularly pleased to see my friend James from school and his girlfriend Jong-Min the night before last in Seoul, when they took me out for some (non-barbecued, for once) traditional Korean dining in the centre of the city. On the recommendation of another school friend Woon, who is wonderfully and justifiably proud of his Korean heritage, I tried pahjeon (a wonderful cross-over between pancakes, Spanish omelettes and ramp;ouml;stis), makkuli (a delicious cloudy rice wine) and soju (a stronger alcoholic drink not for the faint-hearted) alongside several other tasty delights, before we walked to the palace, which is an incredibly beautiful building set at the foot of a mountain, right in the middle of the city. It was all such a treat, and I was especially pleased that I managed to absorb the Korean alphabet during our bus ride home. The language looks unbelievably complicated to someone whoamp;rsquo;s grown up with romantic languages and (predominantly) the Roman alphabet, but in fact there are only twenty-four characters. Iamp;rsquo;m sure my fellow passengers were bemused that I was reading the names of bus stops out with such elation, but I was incredibly content. And so now, China. This country has always been a mystery to me, as Iamp;rsquo;ve looked on it from far away, so Iamp;rsquo;m delighted to be able to experience it first hand. For a start (and incisive comments like this next one attest to the sheer analytical power of my brain), itamp;rsquo;s huge. Our flight from Beijing to Xiamp;rsquo;an yesterday took over two hours, and yet weamp;rsquo;re not even a third of the way across the country. And there are a lot of people. Our drive into the city from the airport took an hour, and for most of it we were passing huge apartment buildings on either side, each one numbered according to which family of buildings it belonged to. And now for a true testament to my ignorance amp;ndash; I had no idea Xiamp;rsquo;an was of such historical significance: it is the old capital of China, which was home to thirteen of Chinaamp;rsquo;s emperors; a vast wall surrounds the entire city centre; itamp;rsquo;s only a two hour drive from the site of the ancient Terracotta Army; the list goes on. I think I need a few more lessons in world history. amp;nbsp;Itamp;rsquo;s now an hour before we leave to rehearse for our concert, so Iamp;rsquo;d better head back to our hotel (Iamp;rsquo;m in Starbucks, embarrassingly) to get ready. Iamp;rsquo;m really looking forward to performing for a Chinese audience, and canamp;rsquo;t wait to continue our Chinese adventure this week in Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai. Thankfully we have Helen travelling with us, who is breathtakingly good at Chinese, to help us whenever the language barrier becomes a problem. Here she is with David during our meal last night. Ironic, I thought, that she was presented with the blue straw and David the pink oneamp;hellip;. amp;nbsp; Iamp;rsquo;ll report back on the rest of our travels through China next Saturday, by which point weamp;rsquo;ll already be in Singapore. Needless to say, Iamp;rsquo;m sure itamp;rsquo;ll be a real treat to enjoy temperatures in the high twenties and low thirties by the marina before flying back to London just in time for Christmas. I know: itamp;rsquo;s a hard life. amp;nbsp;Until then, xx.amp;nbsp; http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Dec 10 2011 00:12:30 GMT A week in Korea is something of a luxury for us (as is spending seven nights in the same hotel.). Over the past few tours we have strengthened our relationship with promoters and fans alike in this hotbed of musical appreciation, and it's rapidly becoming one of our favourite destinations - due in no small part to the extremely high standard of everything from concert halls to transport links to sound systems and the truly wonderful sound engineer we use while we're here, the amazing Hawk. Which sounds almost like a Marvel Comics superhero, but no, he's just a man. But a very good sound engineer. This past week has seen a schedule that in many countries would be seen by the group as gruelling and potentially worrying - but not here. Easy transit and a fantastic team looking after us has blown away any suggestion of fatigue and we have completed our six concerts in five days feeling as fresh as spring daisies; buoyed by the wonderful hosting of Chaewan and the succession of good reviews creeping out of the local media, we have truly enjoyed our singing. Speaking of reviews, we're been fortunate to have had a very good month of coverage for our latest Christmas products, so please excuse me if I plug a few here. Our Christmas DVD and CD releases are going well (last-minute presents, anyone?) and it was great to see an advertisement for these in BBC Music Magazine right opposite a big article about King's College, Cambridge and their famous Nine Lessons and Carols Service. For many, Christmas is all about choral singing and we love that connection as it's one of the seasons we do best at when it comes to programming and performing, I think. Next year we're already looking forward to a couple of UK concerts in December and we hope very much that we can be joined by many of our friends from home - we can promise a great evening of well-known carols, plus of course a few surprises up our sleeves... A word of warning at this time of year: don't enter into a battle with your Christmas Tree. Apparently they're turning into killers. At least, that's what the council of Poole in the UK will have you believe. They were so worried about the Civic Christmas Tree falling over and killing passers-by that they erected a fake fir cone instead. And it looks truly terrible. Still, at least we're still allowed to call them Christmas Trees in the UK. For now... http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Dec 09 2011 00:12:30 GMT We're enjoying what we feel is a well-earned day off today, after a hectic period of six concerts in five days, and especially busy yesterday with 2 concerts in a day here in Seoul. The Korean audiences have as always been immensely enthusiastic, with the queues in the concert hall lobbies afterwards to get our signatures and the obligatory photo sometimes extending out of sight. We were treated to a Korean barbecue last night by our excellent team at Mast Media, the local promoters here, and all that remains to do is to repack the suitcase and prepare for our next country - tomorrow we fly to China. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Dec 08 2011 00:12:30 GMT Good morning all. Today is a pretty extraordinary day: it's not often that we perform two concerts on the same day, but as I write this (at 1330 local time), we've already sung one concert, and we're back at our lovely hotel (Seoul's 'Grand Intercontinental') resting before our next one. This morning's concert was a 'corporate' event, in a beautiful function room at a superb venue, named 'The Raum' - a multi- purpose venue, which specializes in wedding parties, and various corporate events. We performed at a Christmas party for a well-known cosmetics company to some three hundred ladies, who enthusiastically clapped, helping us keep time in our pieces, and who cheered when we sung one of Korea's favourite pop songs, 'Magic Castle'. In short it was great fun. It was also a great pleasure to catch up with an old friend. 'Hawk' is the name of the sound engineer who toured with us the last time we were in Korea, and today we are lucky enough to have him along as the 'sound guy' at 'The Raum'. Not only is he one of the coolest, nicest guys you could ever meet, he's also highly skilled at his job, and today we are in extremely safe hands, with Hawk making us sound 'good'. To me the mark of a true professional, is somebody who shows consistency in their work, and in our necessarily short, fifteen minute sound-check this morning, Hawk had all our mics. ready, and virtually no adjustments were necessary. Thus our lives were made extremely easy by Hawk, and along with our 'minder' Chaehwan Oh from 'Mast Media' whose kindness and care of us during this tour has been wonderful, we have had an extremely happy time here in Korea once again. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Dec 07 2011 00:12:30 GMT Hello all.. So today we were treated to a fantastic lunch with our lovely tour managers from Mast Media - it's just all so tasty and healthy.. The gyoza, soup noodles, the pork, I could just go on and on. We then travelled for an hour and a half to Masan for our third Christmas show here in Korea - all the performances so far have been incredibly enjoyable and the crowds have been absolutely fantastic. It is a wonderful feeling to walk out on to stage to such warm applause and cheers - something that always reminds me what a special group I am part of........... After the concert and the long signing session (..) we departed on our tour bus back to Seoul for our two-show extravaganza tomorrow. We arrived a bit bleary-eyed but all looking forward to the next performances and not forgetting our dinner tomorrow night with our promoter. We've all had such fun in Korea and it's been lovely to see fans and friends along the way that keep coming again and again to our concerts. To all of you who have made us feel so welcome - kamsahamnida. Here are some pictures from the last few days: Johnny outside a service station where we stopped on our journey from Seoul to Daegu. Paul enjoying some local delicacies. Some of The KS enjoying a picture with our two wonderful tour managers. A couple of shots from our walk to the restaurant for lunch yesterday. http://www.kingssingers.com/friends/blog.php?nid=636 Dec 06 2011 00:12:30 GMT