I’ve had a lovely few days travelling between home, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire. On Friday night we sang in Paul’s local church in Great Gransden, in a concert to mark his farewell to the King’s Singers (yes, he has over 30 concerts to go as a member of the group, but this was a special evening for him and the rest of the KS). The concert was in aid of Sarah’s Sprirt, a charity recently set up in memory of a good friend of Paul and Helena’s, Sarah Gostick, and our concert helped raise money towards the first project chosen by Sarah’s husband Mark – to raise £25,000 to fund a new building for Watoto. Watoto is an amazing organisation that builds and runs orphanages in Uganda, and through these wonderful communities supports and educates children. I am delighted that a considerable amount of money was raised towards this target.
On Saturday night I had the rare pleasure of sitting down and listening to a concert, rather than performing in it. It took place in Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre, and was one of the events to mark the retirement after 38 years of Professor Edward Higginbottom, Organist and Director of Music at New College, Oxford. Back in the early 1980s I was a choral scholar (well, more accurately, an academical clerk) there, and spent three wonderful years singing for Edward (Johnny was also a choral scholar, but much more recently, and it was Edward who highly recommended him to me as Stephen’s replacement). Having been a chorister I knew a lot of standard choral repertoire, but through Edward I discovered a wider range of less mainstream music, particularly from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. One of the enduring qualities I have appreciated more and more over the years is Edward’s unwillingness to churn out identikit performances of music. His sharp intellectual rigour is always to the fore, and his choir is never allowed to forget that it is singing from the heart (although you always have to be sure your brain is fully engaged). It was great to hear the choir in such marvellous form, and both Johnny and I were able to be at this lovely event (sadly we won’t be able to attend any of the other events as we’ll be down under!).
The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing at home, and preparing for the next trip away to Switzerland and Germany later this week.
I’ve had a lovely few days travelling between home, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire. On Friday night we sang in Paul’s local church in Great Gransden, in a concert to mark his farewell to the King’s Singers (yes, he has over 30 concerts to go as a member of the group, but this was a special evening for him and the rest of the KS). The concert was in aid of Sarah’s Sprirt, a charity recently set up in memory of a good friend of Paul and Helena’s, Sarah Gostick, and our concert helped raise money towards the first project chosen by Sarah’s husband Mark – to raise £25,000 to fund a new building for Watoto. Watoto is an amazing organisation that builds and runs orphanages in Uganda, and through these wonderful communities supports and educates children. I am delighted that a considerable amount of money was raised towards this target.
On Saturday night I had the rare pleasure of sitting down and listening to a concert, rather than performing in it. It took place in Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre, and was one of the events to mark the retirement after 38 years of Professor Edward Higginbottom, Organist and Director of Music at New College, Oxford. Back in the early 1980s I was a choral scholar (well, more accurately, an academical clerk) there, and spent three wonderful years singing for Edward (Johnny was also a choral scholar, but much more recently, and it was Edward who highly recommended him to me as Stephen’s replacement). Having been a chorister I knew a lot of standard choral repertoire, but through Edward I discovered a wider range of less mainstream music, particularly from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. One of the enduring qualities I have appreciated more and more over the years is Edward’s unwillingness to churn out identikit performances of music. His sharp intellectual rigour is always to the fore, and his choir is never allowed to forget that it is singing from the heart (although you always have to be sure your brain is fully engaged). It was great to hear the choir in such marvellous form, and both Johnny and I were able to be at this lovely event (sadly we won’t be able to attend any of the other events as we’ll be down under!).
The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing at home, and preparing for the next trip away to Switzerland and Germany later this week.
I’ve had a lovely few days travelling between home, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire. On Friday night we sang in Paul’s local church in Great Gransden, in a concert to mark his farewell to the King’s Singers (yes, he has over 30 concerts to go as a member of the group, but this was a special evening for him and the rest of the KS). The concert was in aid of Sarah’s Sprirt, a charity recently set up in memory of a good friend of Paul and Helena’s, Sarah Gostick, and our concert helped raise money towards the first project chosen by Sarah’s husband Mark – to raise £25,000 to fund a new building for Watoto. Watoto is an amazing organisation that builds and runs orphanages in Uganda, and through these wonderful communities supports and educates children. I am delighted that a considerable amount of money was raised towards this target.
On Saturday night I had the rare pleasure of sitting down and listening to a concert, rather than performing in it. It took place in Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre, and was one of the events to mark the retirement after 38 years of Professor Edward Higginbottom, Organist and Director of Music at New College, Oxford. Back in the early 1980s I was a choral scholar (well, more accurately, an academical clerk) there, and spent three wonderful years singing for Edward (Johnny was also a choral scholar, but much more recently, and it was Edward who highly recommended him to me as Stephen’s replacement). Having been a chorister I knew a lot of standard choral repertoire, but through Edward I discovered a wider range of less mainstream music, particularly from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. One of the enduring qualities I have appreciated more and more over the years is Edward’s unwillingness to churn out identikit performances of music. His sharp intellectual rigour is always to the fore, and his choir is never allowed to forget that it is singing from the heart (although you always have to be sure your brain is fully engaged). It was great to hear the choir in such marvellous form, and both Johnny and I were able to be at this lovely event (sadly we won’t be able to attend any of the other events as we’ll be down under!).
The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing at home, and preparing for the next trip away to Switzerland and Germany later this week.
I’ve had a lovely few days travelling between home, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire. On Friday night we sang in Paul’s local church in Great Gransden, in a concert to mark his farewell to the King’s Singers (yes, he has over 30 concerts to go as a member of the group, but this was a special evening for him and the rest of the KS). The concert was in aid of Sarah’s Sprirt, a charity recently set up in memory of a good friend of Paul and Helena’s, Sarah Gostick, and our concert helped raise money towards the first project chosen by Sarah’s husband Mark – to raise £25,000 to fund a new building for Watoto. Watoto is an amazing organisation that builds and runs orphanages in Uganda, and through these wonderful communities supports and educates children. I am delighted that a considerable amount of money was raised towards this target.
On Saturday night I had the rare pleasure of sitting down and listening to a concert, rather than performing in it. It took place in Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre, and was one of the events to mark the retirement after 38 years of Professor Edward Higginbottom, Organist and Director of Music at New College, Oxford. Back in the early 1980s I was a choral scholar (well, more accurately, an academical clerk) there, and spent three wonderful years singing for Edward (Johnny was also a choral scholar, but much more recently, and it was Edward who highly recommended him to me as Stephen’s replacement). Having been a chorister I knew a lot of standard choral repertoire, but through Edward I discovered a wider range of less mainstream music, particularly from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. One of the enduring qualities I have appreciated more and more over the years is Edward’s unwillingness to churn out identikit performances of music. His sharp intellectual rigour is always to the fore, and his choir is never allowed to forget that it is singing from the heart (although you always have to be sure your brain is fully engaged). It was great to hear the choir in such marvellous form, and both Johnny and I were able to be at this lovely event (sadly we won’t be able to attend any of the other events as we’ll be down under!).
The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing at home, and preparing for the next trip away to Switzerland and Germany later this week.
I’ve had a lovely few days travelling between home, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire. On Friday night we sang in Paul’s local church in Great Gransden, in a concert to mark his farewell to the King’s Singers (yes, he has over 30 concerts to go as a member of the group, but this was a special evening for him and the rest of the KS). The concert was in aid of Sarah’s Sprirt, a charity recently set up in memory of a good friend of Paul and Helena’s, Sarah Gostick, and our concert helped raise money towards the first project chosen by Sarah’s husband Mark – to raise £25,000 to fund a new building for Watoto. Watoto is an amazing organisation that builds and runs orphanages in Uganda, and through these wonderful communities supports and educates children. I am delighted that a considerable amount of money was raised towards this target.
On Saturday night I had the rare pleasure of sitting down and listening to a concert, rather than performing in it. It took place in Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre, and was one of the events to mark the retirement after 38 years of Professor Edward Higginbottom, Organist and Director of Music at New College, Oxford. Back in the early 1980s I was a choral scholar (well, more accurately, an academical clerk) there, and spent three wonderful years singing for Edward (Johnny was also a choral scholar, but much more recently, and it was Edward who highly recommended him to me as Stephen’s replacement). Having been a chorister I knew a lot of standard choral repertoire, but through Edward I discovered a wider range of less mainstream music, particularly from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. One of the enduring qualities I have appreciated more and more over the years is Edward’s unwillingness to churn out identikit performances of music. His sharp intellectual rigour is always to the fore, and his choir is never allowed to forget that it is singing from the heart (although you always have to be sure your brain is fully engaged). It was great to hear the choir in such marvellous form, and both Johnny and I were able to be at this lovely event (sadly we won’t be able to attend any of the other events as we’ll be down under!).
The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing at home, and preparing for the next trip away to Switzerland and Germany later this week.
I’ve had a lovely few days travelling between home, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire. On Friday night we sang in Paul’s local church in Great Gransden, in a concert to mark his farewell to the King’s Singers (yes, he has over 30 concerts to go as a member of the group, but this was a special evening for him and the rest of the KS). The concert was in aid of Sarah’s Sprirt, a charity recently set up in memory of a good friend of Paul and Helena’s, Sarah Gostick, and our concert helped raise money towards the first project chosen by Sarah’s husband Mark – to raise £25,000 to fund a new building for Watoto. Watoto is an amazing organisation that builds and runs orphanages in Uganda, and through these wonderful communities supports and educates children. I am delighted that a considerable amount of money was raised towards this target.
On Saturday night I had the rare pleasure of sitting down and listening to a concert, rather than performing in it. It took place in Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre, and was one of the events to mark the retirement after 38 years of Professor Edward Higginbottom, Organist and Director of Music at New College, Oxford. Back in the early 1980s I was a choral scholar (well, more accurately, an academical clerk) there, and spent three wonderful years singing for Edward (Johnny was also a choral scholar, but much more recently, and it was Edward who highly recommended him to me as Stephen’s replacement). Having been a chorister I knew a lot of standard choral repertoire, but through Edward I discovered a wider range of less mainstream music, particularly from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. One of the enduring qualities I have appreciated more and more over the years is Edward’s unwillingness to churn out identikit performances of music. His sharp intellectual rigour is always to the fore, and his choir is never allowed to forget that it is singing from the heart (although you always have to be sure your brain is fully engaged). It was great to hear the choir in such marvellous form, and both Johnny and I were able to be at this lovely event (sadly we won’t be able to attend any of the other events as we’ll be down under!).
The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing at home, and preparing for the next trip away to Switzerland and Germany later this week.
I’ve had a lovely few days travelling between home, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire. On Friday night we sang in Paul’s local church in Great Gransden, in a concert to mark his farewell to the King’s Singers (yes, he has over 30 concerts to go as a member of the group, but this was a special evening for him and the rest of the KS). The concert was in aid of Sarah’s Sprirt, a charity recently set up in memory of a good friend of Paul and Helena’s, Sarah Gostick, and our concert helped raise money towards the first project chosen by Sarah’s husband Mark – to raise £25,000 to fund a new building for Watoto. Watoto is an amazing organisation that builds and runs orphanages in Uganda, and through these wonderful communities supports and educates children. I am delighted that a considerable amount of money was raised towards this target.
On Saturday night I had the rare pleasure of sitting down and listening to a concert, rather than performing in it. It took place in Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre, and was one of the events to mark the retirement after 38 years of Professor Edward Higginbottom, Organist and Director of Music at New College, Oxford. Back in the early 1980s I was a choral scholar (well, more accurately, an academical clerk) there, and spent three wonderful years singing for Edward (Johnny was also a choral scholar, but much more recently, and it was Edward who highly recommended him to me as Stephen’s replacement). Having been a chorister I knew a lot of standard choral repertoire, but through Edward I discovered a wider range of less mainstream music, particularly from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. One of the enduring qualities I have appreciated more and more over the years is Edward’s unwillingness to churn out identikit performances of music. His sharp intellectual rigour is always to the fore, and his choir is never allowed to forget that it is singing from the heart (although you always have to be sure your brain is fully engaged). It was great to hear the choir in such marvellous form, and both Johnny and I were able to be at this lovely event (sadly we won’t be able to attend any of the other events as we’ll be down under!).
The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing at home, and preparing for the next trip away to Switzerland and Germany later this week.
