Afternoon all!I'm currently in Cambridge, still reeling after a wonderful day yesterday. Yesterday saw the culmination of months of hard work: A Carol for Christmas reached its conclusion. Composers competed in four categories to write carols, chosen from a number of texts, and over the course of the afternoon, with the help (and we were so grateful for it) of Inner Voices from London, Quay Voices from Gateshead, King's Junior Voices from Cambridge and the National Youth Chamber Choir (from across the country), all four compositions were performed by different ensembles and (I'm not sure if this is an actual word but I'm going to use it anyway) workshopped by the incomparable Stephen Cleobury. In the evening, we had the opportunity to perform the winning entry of the pieces written for us - a setting of I saw three ships by (the very lovely) Clive Smith - as part of our own concert in the King's College chapel. It is such a magical place: partly (of course) because it's our spiritual home, the place where the original King's Singers met; partly because it's just so beautiful and majestic; and partly because it's such an important landmark in the world of choral music. I've now performed there twice as a King's Singer and it's so humbling to be offered the chance to sing in a building so special.Today, with a weekend off in December before Christmas (I can't remember another year when this has happened), I'm trying to finish my Christmas shopping. Thankfully Cambridge is bursting with great present options, so I don't think I'm going to struggle to buy everything I need. And I know I live in and went to Oxford (so I'm clear where my allegiances lie), but it's impossible not to be staggered by just how beautiful Cambridge is. I can think of worse ways to spend a weekend!
Afternoon all!I'm currently in Cambridge, still reeling after a wonderful day yesterday. Yesterday saw the culmination of months of hard work: A Carol for Christmas reached its conclusion. Composers competed in four categories to write carols, chosen from a number of texts, and over the course of the afternoon, with the help (and we were so grateful for it) of Inner Voices from London, Quay Voices from Gateshead, King's Junior Voices from Cambridge and the National Youth Chamber Choir (from across the country), all four compositions were performed by different ensembles and (I'm not sure if this is an actual word but I'm going to use it anyway) workshopped by the incomparable Stephen Cleobury. In the evening, we had the opportunity to perform the winning entry of the pieces written for us - a setting of I saw three ships by (the very lovely) Clive Smith - as part of our own concert in the King's College chapel. It is such a magical place: partly (of course) because it's our spiritual home, the place where the original King's Singers met; partly because it's just so beautiful and majestic; and partly because it's such an important landmark in the world of choral music. I've now performed there twice as a King's Singer and it's so humbling to be offered the chance to sing in a building so special.Today, with a weekend off in December before Christmas (I can't remember another year when this has happened), I'm trying to finish my Christmas shopping. Thankfully Cambridge is bursting with great present options, so I don't think I'm going to struggle to buy everything I need. And I know I live in and went to Oxford (so I'm clear where my allegiances lie), but it's impossible not to be staggered by just how beautiful Cambridge is. I can think of worse ways to spend a weekend!
Afternoon all!I'm currently in Cambridge, still reeling after a wonderful day yesterday. Yesterday saw the culmination of months of hard work: A Carol for Christmas reached its conclusion. Composers competed in four categories to write carols, chosen from a number of texts, and over the course of the afternoon, with the help (and we were so grateful for it) of Inner Voices from London, Quay Voices from Gateshead, King's Junior Voices from Cambridge and the National Youth Chamber Choir (from across the country), all four compositions were performed by different ensembles and (I'm not sure if this is an actual word but I'm going to use it anyway) workshopped by the incomparable Stephen Cleobury. In the evening, we had the opportunity to perform the winning entry of the pieces written for us - a setting of I saw three ships by (the very lovely) Clive Smith - as part of our own concert in the King's College chapel. It is such a magical place: partly (of course) because it's our spiritual home, the place where the original King's Singers met; partly because it's just so beautiful and majestic; and partly because it's such an important landmark in the world of choral music. I've now performed there twice as a King's Singer and it's so humbling to be offered the chance to sing in a building so special.Today, with a weekend off in December before Christmas (I can't remember another year when this has happened), I'm trying to finish my Christmas shopping. Thankfully Cambridge is bursting with great present options, so I don't think I'm going to struggle to buy everything I need. And I know I live in and went to Oxford (so I'm clear where my allegiances lie), but it's impossible not to be staggered by just how beautiful Cambridge is. I can think of worse ways to spend a weekend!
Afternoon all!I'm currently in Cambridge, still reeling after a wonderful day yesterday. Yesterday saw the culmination of months of hard work: A Carol for Christmas reached its conclusion. Composers competed in four categories to write carols, chosen from a number of texts, and over the course of the afternoon, with the help (and we were so grateful for it) of Inner Voices from London, Quay Voices from Gateshead, King's Junior Voices from Cambridge and the National Youth Chamber Choir (from across the country), all four compositions were performed by different ensembles and (I'm not sure if this is an actual word but I'm going to use it anyway) workshopped by the incomparable Stephen Cleobury. In the evening, we had the opportunity to perform the winning entry of the pieces written for us - a setting of I saw three ships by (the very lovely) Clive Smith - as part of our own concert in the King's College chapel. It is such a magical place: partly (of course) because it's our spiritual home, the place where the original King's Singers met; partly because it's just so beautiful and majestic; and partly because it's such an important landmark in the world of choral music. I've now performed there twice as a King's Singer and it's so humbling to be offered the chance to sing in a building so special.Today, with a weekend off in December before Christmas (I can't remember another year when this has happened), I'm trying to finish my Christmas shopping. Thankfully Cambridge is bursting with great present options, so I don't think I'm going to struggle to buy everything I need. And I know I live in and went to Oxford (so I'm clear where my allegiances lie), but it's impossible not to be staggered by just how beautiful Cambridge is. I can think of worse ways to spend a weekend!
Afternoon all!I'm currently in Cambridge, still reeling after a wonderful day yesterday. Yesterday saw the culmination of months of hard work: A Carol for Christmas reached its conclusion. Composers competed in four categories to write carols, chosen from a number of texts, and over the course of the afternoon, with the help (and we were so grateful for it) of Inner Voices from London, Quay Voices from Gateshead, King's Junior Voices from Cambridge and the National Youth Chamber Choir (from across the country), all four compositions were performed by different ensembles and (I'm not sure if this is an actual word but I'm going to use it anyway) workshopped by the incomparable Stephen Cleobury. In the evening, we had the opportunity to perform the winning entry of the pieces written for us - a setting of I saw three ships by (the very lovely) Clive Smith - as part of our own concert in the King's College chapel. It is such a magical place: partly (of course) because it's our spiritual home, the place where the original King's Singers met; partly because it's just so beautiful and majestic; and partly because it's such an important landmark in the world of choral music. I've now performed there twice as a King's Singer and it's so humbling to be offered the chance to sing in a building so special.Today, with a weekend off in December before Christmas (I can't remember another year when this has happened), I'm trying to finish my Christmas shopping. Thankfully Cambridge is bursting with great present options, so I don't think I'm going to struggle to buy everything I need. And I know I live in and went to Oxford (so I'm clear where my allegiances lie), but it's impossible not to be staggered by just how beautiful Cambridge is. I can think of worse ways to spend a weekend!
Afternoon all!I'm currently in Cambridge, still reeling after a wonderful day yesterday. Yesterday saw the culmination of months of hard work: A Carol for Christmas reached its conclusion. Composers competed in four categories to write carols, chosen from a number of texts, and over the course of the afternoon, with the help (and we were so grateful for it) of Inner Voices from London, Quay Voices from Gateshead, King's Junior Voices from Cambridge and the National Youth Chamber Choir (from across the country), all four compositions were performed by different ensembles and (I'm not sure if this is an actual word but I'm going to use it anyway) workshopped by the incomparable Stephen Cleobury. In the evening, we had the opportunity to perform the winning entry of the pieces written for us - a setting of I saw three ships by (the very lovely) Clive Smith - as part of our own concert in the King's College chapel. It is such a magical place: partly (of course) because it's our spiritual home, the place where the original King's Singers met; partly because it's just so beautiful and majestic; and partly because it's such an important landmark in the world of choral music. I've now performed there twice as a King's Singer and it's so humbling to be offered the chance to sing in a building so special.Today, with a weekend off in December before Christmas (I can't remember another year when this has happened), I'm trying to finish my Christmas shopping. Thankfully Cambridge is bursting with great present options, so I don't think I'm going to struggle to buy everything I need. And I know I live in and went to Oxford (so I'm clear where my allegiances lie), but it's impossible not to be staggered by just how beautiful Cambridge is. I can think of worse ways to spend a weekend!
Afternoon all!I'm currently in Cambridge, still reeling after a wonderful day yesterday. Yesterday saw the culmination of months of hard work: A Carol for Christmas reached its conclusion. Composers competed in four categories to write carols, chosen from a number of texts, and over the course of the afternoon, with the help (and we were so grateful for it) of Inner Voices from London, Quay Voices from Gateshead, King's Junior Voices from Cambridge and the National Youth Chamber Choir (from across the country), all four compositions were performed by different ensembles and (I'm not sure if this is an actual word but I'm going to use it anyway) workshopped by the incomparable Stephen Cleobury. In the evening, we had the opportunity to perform the winning entry of the pieces written for us - a setting of I saw three ships by (the very lovely) Clive Smith - as part of our own concert in the King's College chapel. It is such a magical place: partly (of course) because it's our spiritual home, the place where the original King's Singers met; partly because it's just so beautiful and majestic; and partly because it's such an important landmark in the world of choral music. I've now performed there twice as a King's Singer and it's so humbling to be offered the chance to sing in a building so special.Today, with a weekend off in December before Christmas (I can't remember another year when this has happened), I'm trying to finish my Christmas shopping. Thankfully Cambridge is bursting with great present options, so I don't think I'm going to struggle to buy everything I need. And I know I live in and went to Oxford (so I'm clear where my allegiances lie), but it's impossible not to be staggered by just how beautiful Cambridge is. I can think of worse ways to spend a weekend!
