Here we are in France - not the sunny, summertime of this past August when we enjoyed a glorious week of touring before we went off for our long break, but instead a grey, wet and windy France. Luckily, the audiences are still warm and the food is excellent...This term has been punctuated by a number of short trips, efficiently planned and perfectly executed in terms of logistics. In some ways, these short trips are harder than longer ones as it's more difficult to get into a touring rhythm - but in other ways, you arrive refreshed for each touring period, having spent time at home with family. On this occasion it's been good to have a few days in the UK rehearsing, meeting and preparing for the upcoming Christmas programmes, and looking at today's programme as well. Today we sing in the beautiful Grand Theatre in Perreux-sur-Marne, and the programme involves a number of French readings as well as music on the theme of penitence and salvation. It's always been important to us that we speak (at least for part of the concert) in local language, and fortunately several of us have good enough French to ad lib and build up a good rapport with the audience. The readings this evening are Sonnets written by William Shakespeare, interspersed amongst music such as Britten's "Sacred and Profane," a real favourite of ours. It's a well-crafted programme, and I for one always enjoy approaching this slightly different repertoire - especially in advance of Christmas concerts, when we can often perform the same programme for a month. I don't mind that, either (it's good to get to know a programme really well over the space of a three-week tour) so I suppose what I'm really saying is that I love the variety! This past Tuesday, we spent a few hours in the company of the Choral Scholars of King's College, Cambridge. These young men, aged between 18-22, are the successors to the original King's Singers of 50 years ago. It was amazing to see how young they all looked, but they certainly possess the same hunger that Jules, Pat and I remember from our time as Cambridge scholars. We coached their acappella group, "The King's Men," and I hope we encouraged them never to accept second best in their performance, but strive for perfection in all things. That's the message handed down to us by the first KS members, and something we aim for each and every day.
Here we are in France - not the sunny, summertime of this past August when we enjoyed a glorious week of touring before we went off for our long break, but instead a grey, wet and windy France. Luckily, the audiences are still warm and the food is excellent...This term has been punctuated by a number of short trips, efficiently planned and perfectly executed in terms of logistics. In some ways, these short trips are harder than longer ones as it's more difficult to get into a touring rhythm - but in other ways, you arrive refreshed for each touring period, having spent time at home with family. On this occasion it's been good to have a few days in the UK rehearsing, meeting and preparing for the upcoming Christmas programmes, and looking at today's programme as well. Today we sing in the beautiful Grand Theatre in Perreux-sur-Marne, and the programme involves a number of French readings as well as music on the theme of penitence and salvation. It's always been important to us that we speak (at least for part of the concert) in local language, and fortunately several of us have good enough French to ad lib and build up a good rapport with the audience. The readings this evening are Sonnets written by William Shakespeare, interspersed amongst music such as Britten's "Sacred and Profane," a real favourite of ours. It's a well-crafted programme, and I for one always enjoy approaching this slightly different repertoire - especially in advance of Christmas concerts, when we can often perform the same programme for a month. I don't mind that, either (it's good to get to know a programme really well over the space of a three-week tour) so I suppose what I'm really saying is that I love the variety! This past Tuesday, we spent a few hours in the company of the Choral Scholars of King's College, Cambridge. These young men, aged between 18-22, are the successors to the original King's Singers of 50 years ago. It was amazing to see how young they all looked, but they certainly possess the same hunger that Jules, Pat and I remember from our time as Cambridge scholars. We coached their acappella group, "The King's Men," and I hope we encouraged them never to accept second best in their performance, but strive for perfection in all things. That's the message handed down to us by the first KS members, and something we aim for each and every day.
Here we are in France - not the sunny, summertime of this past August when we enjoyed a glorious week of touring before we went off for our long break, but instead a grey, wet and windy France. Luckily, the audiences are still warm and the food is excellent...This term has been punctuated by a number of short trips, efficiently planned and perfectly executed in terms of logistics. In some ways, these short trips are harder than longer ones as it's more difficult to get into a touring rhythm - but in other ways, you arrive refreshed for each touring period, having spent time at home with family. On this occasion it's been good to have a few days in the UK rehearsing, meeting and preparing for the upcoming Christmas programmes, and looking at today's programme as well. Today we sing in the beautiful Grand Theatre in Perreux-sur-Marne, and the programme involves a number of French readings as well as music on the theme of penitence and salvation. It's always been important to us that we speak (at least for part of the concert) in local language, and fortunately several of us have good enough French to ad lib and build up a good rapport with the audience. The readings this evening are Sonnets written by William Shakespeare, interspersed amongst music such as Britten's "Sacred and Profane," a real favourite of ours. It's a well-crafted programme, and I for one always enjoy approaching this slightly different repertoire - especially in advance of Christmas concerts, when we can often perform the same programme for a month. I don't mind that, either (it's good to get to know a programme really well over the space of a three-week tour) so I suppose what I'm really saying is that I love the variety! This past Tuesday, we spent a few hours in the company of the Choral Scholars of King's College, Cambridge. These young men, aged between 18-22, are the successors to the original King's Singers of 50 years ago. It was amazing to see how young they all looked, but they certainly possess the same hunger that Jules, Pat and I remember from our time as Cambridge scholars. We coached their acappella group, "The King's Men," and I hope we encouraged them never to accept second best in their performance, but strive for perfection in all things. That's the message handed down to us by the first KS members, and something we aim for each and every day.
Here we are in France - not the sunny, summertime of this past August when we enjoyed a glorious week of touring before we went off for our long break, but instead a grey, wet and windy France. Luckily, the audiences are still warm and the food is excellent...This term has been punctuated by a number of short trips, efficiently planned and perfectly executed in terms of logistics. In some ways, these short trips are harder than longer ones as it's more difficult to get into a touring rhythm - but in other ways, you arrive refreshed for each touring period, having spent time at home with family. On this occasion it's been good to have a few days in the UK rehearsing, meeting and preparing for the upcoming Christmas programmes, and looking at today's programme as well. Today we sing in the beautiful Grand Theatre in Perreux-sur-Marne, and the programme involves a number of French readings as well as music on the theme of penitence and salvation. It's always been important to us that we speak (at least for part of the concert) in local language, and fortunately several of us have good enough French to ad lib and build up a good rapport with the audience. The readings this evening are Sonnets written by William Shakespeare, interspersed amongst music such as Britten's "Sacred and Profane," a real favourite of ours. It's a well-crafted programme, and I for one always enjoy approaching this slightly different repertoire - especially in advance of Christmas concerts, when we can often perform the same programme for a month. I don't mind that, either (it's good to get to know a programme really well over the space of a three-week tour) so I suppose what I'm really saying is that I love the variety! This past Tuesday, we spent a few hours in the company of the Choral Scholars of King's College, Cambridge. These young men, aged between 18-22, are the successors to the original King's Singers of 50 years ago. It was amazing to see how young they all looked, but they certainly possess the same hunger that Jules, Pat and I remember from our time as Cambridge scholars. We coached their acappella group, "The King's Men," and I hope we encouraged them never to accept second best in their performance, but strive for perfection in all things. That's the message handed down to us by the first KS members, and something we aim for each and every day.
Here we are in France - not the sunny, summertime of this past August when we enjoyed a glorious week of touring before we went off for our long break, but instead a grey, wet and windy France. Luckily, the audiences are still warm and the food is excellent...This term has been punctuated by a number of short trips, efficiently planned and perfectly executed in terms of logistics. In some ways, these short trips are harder than longer ones as it's more difficult to get into a touring rhythm - but in other ways, you arrive refreshed for each touring period, having spent time at home with family. On this occasion it's been good to have a few days in the UK rehearsing, meeting and preparing for the upcoming Christmas programmes, and looking at today's programme as well. Today we sing in the beautiful Grand Theatre in Perreux-sur-Marne, and the programme involves a number of French readings as well as music on the theme of penitence and salvation. It's always been important to us that we speak (at least for part of the concert) in local language, and fortunately several of us have good enough French to ad lib and build up a good rapport with the audience. The readings this evening are Sonnets written by William Shakespeare, interspersed amongst music such as Britten's "Sacred and Profane," a real favourite of ours. It's a well-crafted programme, and I for one always enjoy approaching this slightly different repertoire - especially in advance of Christmas concerts, when we can often perform the same programme for a month. I don't mind that, either (it's good to get to know a programme really well over the space of a three-week tour) so I suppose what I'm really saying is that I love the variety! This past Tuesday, we spent a few hours in the company of the Choral Scholars of King's College, Cambridge. These young men, aged between 18-22, are the successors to the original King's Singers of 50 years ago. It was amazing to see how young they all looked, but they certainly possess the same hunger that Jules, Pat and I remember from our time as Cambridge scholars. We coached their acappella group, "The King's Men," and I hope we encouraged them never to accept second best in their performance, but strive for perfection in all things. That's the message handed down to us by the first KS members, and something we aim for each and every day.
Here we are in France - not the sunny, summertime of this past August when we enjoyed a glorious week of touring before we went off for our long break, but instead a grey, wet and windy France. Luckily, the audiences are still warm and the food is excellent...This term has been punctuated by a number of short trips, efficiently planned and perfectly executed in terms of logistics. In some ways, these short trips are harder than longer ones as it's more difficult to get into a touring rhythm - but in other ways, you arrive refreshed for each touring period, having spent time at home with family. On this occasion it's been good to have a few days in the UK rehearsing, meeting and preparing for the upcoming Christmas programmes, and looking at today's programme as well. Today we sing in the beautiful Grand Theatre in Perreux-sur-Marne, and the programme involves a number of French readings as well as music on the theme of penitence and salvation. It's always been important to us that we speak (at least for part of the concert) in local language, and fortunately several of us have good enough French to ad lib and build up a good rapport with the audience. The readings this evening are Sonnets written by William Shakespeare, interspersed amongst music such as Britten's "Sacred and Profane," a real favourite of ours. It's a well-crafted programme, and I for one always enjoy approaching this slightly different repertoire - especially in advance of Christmas concerts, when we can often perform the same programme for a month. I don't mind that, either (it's good to get to know a programme really well over the space of a three-week tour) so I suppose what I'm really saying is that I love the variety! This past Tuesday, we spent a few hours in the company of the Choral Scholars of King's College, Cambridge. These young men, aged between 18-22, are the successors to the original King's Singers of 50 years ago. It was amazing to see how young they all looked, but they certainly possess the same hunger that Jules, Pat and I remember from our time as Cambridge scholars. We coached their acappella group, "The King's Men," and I hope we encouraged them never to accept second best in their performance, but strive for perfection in all things. That's the message handed down to us by the first KS members, and something we aim for each and every day.
Here we are in France - not the sunny, summertime of this past August when we enjoyed a glorious week of touring before we went off for our long break, but instead a grey, wet and windy France. Luckily, the audiences are still warm and the food is excellent...This term has been punctuated by a number of short trips, efficiently planned and perfectly executed in terms of logistics. In some ways, these short trips are harder than longer ones as it's more difficult to get into a touring rhythm - but in other ways, you arrive refreshed for each touring period, having spent time at home with family. On this occasion it's been good to have a few days in the UK rehearsing, meeting and preparing for the upcoming Christmas programmes, and looking at today's programme as well. Today we sing in the beautiful Grand Theatre in Perreux-sur-Marne, and the programme involves a number of French readings as well as music on the theme of penitence and salvation. It's always been important to us that we speak (at least for part of the concert) in local language, and fortunately several of us have good enough French to ad lib and build up a good rapport with the audience. The readings this evening are Sonnets written by William Shakespeare, interspersed amongst music such as Britten's "Sacred and Profane," a real favourite of ours. It's a well-crafted programme, and I for one always enjoy approaching this slightly different repertoire - especially in advance of Christmas concerts, when we can often perform the same programme for a month. I don't mind that, either (it's good to get to know a programme really well over the space of a three-week tour) so I suppose what I'm really saying is that I love the variety! This past Tuesday, we spent a few hours in the company of the Choral Scholars of King's College, Cambridge. These young men, aged between 18-22, are the successors to the original King's Singers of 50 years ago. It was amazing to see how young they all looked, but they certainly possess the same hunger that Jules, Pat and I remember from our time as Cambridge scholars. We coached their acappella group, "The King's Men," and I hope we encouraged them never to accept second best in their performance, but strive for perfection in all things. That's the message handed down to us by the first KS members, and something we aim for each and every day.
