May 4, 2015

Doha

After a couple of days in Poland, and a brief stop at home, we're off further afield. First we head to Qatar for three days, before heading to the Philippines and China. It will be the group's first time in Manila, and I'm really looking forward to it. In our travels we have encountered choirs from the Philippines, and they have been extremely good. We also have a day off in Manila next Sunday, so I hope to be able to explore Manila.Last Saturday's concert in Czestochowa was part of a great festival run by Gaude Mater. On Thursday the German countertenor Andreas Scholl performed, and on Friday Arvo Part was there for a concert featuring his music. Our programme contained early music from Spain, France, England and Germany, and included Julian's first performance of Mateo Flecha's 'ensalada' La Bomba. This is one of those milestone pieces in the life of a King's Singer. There's something about the combination of a hand-written score, archaic Spanish/Portuguese, a lively narrative through the piece, and the confident performances of your colleagues around you, that makes this quite a challenge. It's a long time since my first La Bomba, but I remember the feeling very well. Julian did a great job on Saturday.No La Bomba on the rest of this trip, however, but plenty of Postcards and Great American Songbook repertoire to enjoy.