June 15, 2018

Kremsmünster, Austria

I do enjoy summer touring in Europe - especially northern Europe. Because we suffer through such horrid, grey winters, I think we feel more appreciative of the sunshine. Things move more slowly, time is taken, and we're able to enjoy a more languid form of touring.Today is a slight exception, as we had an early start following our concert in Reading last night. A quick taxi ride to the airport hotel saw us wake up bright and early in time for our flight to Vienna, and we've spent the day since then enjoying the beautiful sights of this monastery - performing live on the radio and singing in a stunning salon with views overlooking the town of Kremsmünster and the valley below.The benefit of joined-up programming, where we're often singing the same repertoire for several concerts in a row, is that we seldom need to rehearse beyond polishing a few corners and looking ahead to new close harmony pieces. The downside is that things can feel a little stale, but when we're in such gorgeous surroundings it makes it easy to rise to the event and put on a good show. We have the weekend here and then I'm dashing back to the UK in order to attend Royal Ascot with Stephanie - something we promise each other we'll do every year as a date set in stone!