February 12, 2015

Tallahassee, FL

How nice it is to be in balmy Florida. This is my third Florida winter experience and I thoroughly recommend it! Today we had the pleasure of working with Dr André Thomas and the FSU Men's Glee club. They are a terrific bunch of young men, some of whom are Music Majors, others something completely unrelated to music, but even after a week and half of being together this year, they are making a beautiful sound. It's no surprise really. Those of you who are familiar with the work of Dr Thomas will know that he is held in the highest regard, both within the States and abroad. I first came across his name in 2002 when I workshopped an arrangement of his, Keep your Lamps!, with another wonderful American choral director, Dr Anton Armstrong. It was an invaluable experience to understand how one should approach singing a spiritual in terms of the authenticity of the pronunciation, choice of tempi, and any other musical decision. To get the chance to finally meet him, thirteen years after first encountering his name, was a real joy!So, tonight's the first show of the tour. Gonna be a great night and I've no doubt the audience will appreciate the Great American Songbook programme.Look forward to seeing you soon.Bye for now!p.s. I nearly forgot to mention that the soloist this morning was a terrific young Bass-Baritone, Richard Coleman. I hope I haven't written his name incorrectly. I will not be surprised to see his name out there one day...what a voice!