Well, after a few hours sleep, we were leaving the hotel at 4.45am this morning to catch our 6am flight from Yellowknife to Calgary. We're in Calgary for six hours en route to Pensacola, with an overnight at Dallas Airport this evening. As far as travel days go, this is one of the punchier ones! Just Google Map-ing Yellowknife to Pensacola is rather humorous!Now, let's get one thing out in the open...I'm very sorry for my lack of blogs so far this year. I'm back in the game!We've all got bucket lists. You have one. I have one. It changes regularly. Mostly additions. One thing that has always been there is seeing the Northern Lights. Last September we all got excited about being in Iceland as it was reportedly a fantastic time to see them. Alas, it wasn't to be. Then, out of the blue, Yellowknife came into the diary. After some Google Map-age I got a little bit excited about the prospect of possibly seeing the Northern Lights on this trip. I am happy to say that a lifetime ambition has now been fulfilled. Two nights in a row! Last night was a balmy -30ºC, beautifully clear skies, and the lights were dancing around! Words don't really do justice to the experience. You'll just have to head to Yellowknife yourself.For our next discussion point I have chosen Fish and Chips, known affectionately to self-aware New Zealanders, and hilarious Australians, as Fush 'n' Chups. Landlocked countries might think they can create this dish to a high standard but coastal cities and towns quietly self-assure themselves that they really create this dish to a high standard. Yellowknife achieves crazy high results and the location you need to know about is Bullocks' Bistro. This place has personality to burn. It's basically a single room log cabin with open plan kitchen and dining area. The sourdough bread is created right in front of your eyes, kneaded on the table, put in the oven, and (the previous batch) served up with butter and homemade marmalade. I'm getting to the fish. You're invited to choose your type of fish and how you would like it prepared. This is where local knowledge helps. Whitefish is best served deep-fried, Pickerel pan-fried, Arctic Char grilled. You're obviously able to have these cooked any way you'd like but I recommend you try them as suggested...perhaps not all in one sitting...Coffee. A lifeline for so many of us. A chance to liven up any occasion. The necessary ingredient to deal with those meetings. With regards to a bucketlist, please add Tim Wendelboe to it. He's Norwegian, a past winner of the World Barista Championship (WBC) and works out of a very cool, unpretentious, hipster-esque, cafe and roastery in Oslo. A friend of mine, the Australian countertenor, David Hansen, and his wife, took Liz and I to sample his coffee the weekend before this North American tour as we enjoyed a wonderful city break there. Not sure I've ever tasted a better espresso but, interestingly, that's not how Tim – the Heston Blumenthal of coffee – recommends having his legendary brews. You'll have to try it yourself.Staying in Oslo, I ticked another thing off my ever-growing bucketlist: The Norwegian Soloist' Choir. This is truly one of the world's finest ensembles and I hope you have the pleasure of hearing them live one day. Perhaps you buy a CD or hear them online in the interim. I first came across them when their artistic director, Grete Pederson, came to NZ at the invitation of Dr Karen Grylls, who directed the NZ Youth Choir of which I was fortunate to sing in for four years. Grete is one of the most highly respected choral directors in the world and has the most wonderful control of her ensembles. Substitute control for mastery, in case you think of that word with the slightest negative inflection. The concert Liz and I attended was with guest conductor, Peter Dijkstra. The programme was entitled 'A Marriage of Heaven and Hell', the title of Bo Holten's supreme composition. I wasn't familiar with any of the works in it but I sat back and marvelled at the precision, beauty, artistry and delivery of some incredibly complex music. The highlight was the Holten and the 22 singers divided into as many parts as necessary and created one instrument – Liz remarked is sounded like an organ at times – something that resonates with me and the work we do in The King's Singers. Very few choirs in the world achieve this result and to hear it live is spine-tingling.Right, it's time to phone the office and keep planning our Summer Schools next year. See you next week and every week hence!Bye for now!
Well, after a few hours sleep, we were leaving the hotel at 4.45am this morning to catch our 6am flight from Yellowknife to Calgary. We're in Calgary for six hours en route to Pensacola, with an overnight at Dallas Airport this evening. As far as travel days go, this is one of the punchier ones! Just Google Map-ing Yellowknife to Pensacola is rather humorous!Now, let's get one thing out in the open...I'm very sorry for my lack of blogs so far this year. I'm back in the game!We've all got bucket lists. You have one. I have one. It changes regularly. Mostly additions. One thing that has always been there is seeing the Northern Lights. Last September we all got excited about being in Iceland as it was reportedly a fantastic time to see them. Alas, it wasn't to be. Then, out of the blue, Yellowknife came into the diary. After some Google Map-age I got a little bit excited about the prospect of possibly seeing the Northern Lights on this trip. I am happy to say that a lifetime ambition has now been fulfilled. Two nights in a row! Last night was a balmy -30ºC, beautifully clear skies, and the lights were dancing around! Words don't really do justice to the experience. You'll just have to head to Yellowknife yourself.For our next discussion point I have chosen Fish and Chips, known affectionately to self-aware New Zealanders, and hilarious Australians, as Fush 'n' Chups. Landlocked countries might think they can create this dish to a high standard but coastal cities and towns quietly self-assure themselves that they really create this dish to a high standard. Yellowknife achieves crazy high results and the location you need to know about is Bullocks' Bistro. This place has personality to burn. It's basically a single room log cabin with open plan kitchen and dining area. The sourdough bread is created right in front of your eyes, kneaded on the table, put in the oven, and (the previous batch) served up with butter and homemade marmalade. I'm getting to the fish. You're invited to choose your type of fish and how you would like it prepared. This is where local knowledge helps. Whitefish is best served deep-fried, Pickerel pan-fried, Arctic Char grilled. You're obviously able to have these cooked any way you'd like but I recommend you try them as suggested...perhaps not all in one sitting...Coffee. A lifeline for so many of us. A chance to liven up any occasion. The necessary ingredient to deal with those meetings. With regards to a bucketlist, please add Tim Wendelboe to it. He's Norwegian, a past winner of the World Barista Championship (WBC) and works out of a very cool, unpretentious, hipster-esque, cafe and roastery in Oslo. A friend of mine, the Australian countertenor, David Hansen, and his wife, took Liz and I to sample his coffee the weekend before this North American tour as we enjoyed a wonderful city break there. Not sure I've ever tasted a better espresso but, interestingly, that's not how Tim – the Heston Blumenthal of coffee – recommends having his legendary brews. You'll have to try it yourself.Staying in Oslo, I ticked another thing off my ever-growing bucketlist: The Norwegian Soloist' Choir. This is truly one of the world's finest ensembles and I hope you have the pleasure of hearing them live one day. Perhaps you buy a CD or hear them online in the interim. I first came across them when their artistic director, Grete Pederson, came to NZ at the invitation of Dr Karen Grylls, who directed the NZ Youth Choir of which I was fortunate to sing in for four years. Grete is one of the most highly respected choral directors in the world and has the most wonderful control of her ensembles. Substitute control for mastery, in case you think of that word with the slightest negative inflection. The concert Liz and I attended was with guest conductor, Peter Dijkstra. The programme was entitled 'A Marriage of Heaven and Hell', the title of Bo Holten's supreme composition. I wasn't familiar with any of the works in it but I sat back and marvelled at the precision, beauty, artistry and delivery of some incredibly complex music. The highlight was the Holten and the 22 singers divided into as many parts as necessary and created one instrument – Liz remarked is sounded like an organ at times – something that resonates with me and the work we do in The King's Singers. Very few choirs in the world achieve this result and to hear it live is spine-tingling.Right, it's time to phone the office and keep planning our Summer Schools next year. See you next week and every week hence!Bye for now!
Well, after a few hours sleep, we were leaving the hotel at 4.45am this morning to catch our 6am flight from Yellowknife to Calgary. We're in Calgary for six hours en route to Pensacola, with an overnight at Dallas Airport this evening. As far as travel days go, this is one of the punchier ones! Just Google Map-ing Yellowknife to Pensacola is rather humorous!Now, let's get one thing out in the open...I'm very sorry for my lack of blogs so far this year. I'm back in the game!We've all got bucket lists. You have one. I have one. It changes regularly. Mostly additions. One thing that has always been there is seeing the Northern Lights. Last September we all got excited about being in Iceland as it was reportedly a fantastic time to see them. Alas, it wasn't to be. Then, out of the blue, Yellowknife came into the diary. After some Google Map-age I got a little bit excited about the prospect of possibly seeing the Northern Lights on this trip. I am happy to say that a lifetime ambition has now been fulfilled. Two nights in a row! Last night was a balmy -30ºC, beautifully clear skies, and the lights were dancing around! Words don't really do justice to the experience. You'll just have to head to Yellowknife yourself.For our next discussion point I have chosen Fish and Chips, known affectionately to self-aware New Zealanders, and hilarious Australians, as Fush 'n' Chups. Landlocked countries might think they can create this dish to a high standard but coastal cities and towns quietly self-assure themselves that they really create this dish to a high standard. Yellowknife achieves crazy high results and the location you need to know about is Bullocks' Bistro. This place has personality to burn. It's basically a single room log cabin with open plan kitchen and dining area. The sourdough bread is created right in front of your eyes, kneaded on the table, put in the oven, and (the previous batch) served up with butter and homemade marmalade. I'm getting to the fish. You're invited to choose your type of fish and how you would like it prepared. This is where local knowledge helps. Whitefish is best served deep-fried, Pickerel pan-fried, Arctic Char grilled. You're obviously able to have these cooked any way you'd like but I recommend you try them as suggested...perhaps not all in one sitting...Coffee. A lifeline for so many of us. A chance to liven up any occasion. The necessary ingredient to deal with those meetings. With regards to a bucketlist, please add Tim Wendelboe to it. He's Norwegian, a past winner of the World Barista Championship (WBC) and works out of a very cool, unpretentious, hipster-esque, cafe and roastery in Oslo. A friend of mine, the Australian countertenor, David Hansen, and his wife, took Liz and I to sample his coffee the weekend before this North American tour as we enjoyed a wonderful city break there. Not sure I've ever tasted a better espresso but, interestingly, that's not how Tim – the Heston Blumenthal of coffee – recommends having his legendary brews. You'll have to try it yourself.Staying in Oslo, I ticked another thing off my ever-growing bucketlist: The Norwegian Soloist' Choir. This is truly one of the world's finest ensembles and I hope you have the pleasure of hearing them live one day. Perhaps you buy a CD or hear them online in the interim. I first came across them when their artistic director, Grete Pederson, came to NZ at the invitation of Dr Karen Grylls, who directed the NZ Youth Choir of which I was fortunate to sing in for four years. Grete is one of the most highly respected choral directors in the world and has the most wonderful control of her ensembles. Substitute control for mastery, in case you think of that word with the slightest negative inflection. The concert Liz and I attended was with guest conductor, Peter Dijkstra. The programme was entitled 'A Marriage of Heaven and Hell', the title of Bo Holten's supreme composition. I wasn't familiar with any of the works in it but I sat back and marvelled at the precision, beauty, artistry and delivery of some incredibly complex music. The highlight was the Holten and the 22 singers divided into as many parts as necessary and created one instrument – Liz remarked is sounded like an organ at times – something that resonates with me and the work we do in The King's Singers. Very few choirs in the world achieve this result and to hear it live is spine-tingling.Right, it's time to phone the office and keep planning our Summer Schools next year. See you next week and every week hence!Bye for now!
Well, after a few hours sleep, we were leaving the hotel at 4.45am this morning to catch our 6am flight from Yellowknife to Calgary. We're in Calgary for six hours en route to Pensacola, with an overnight at Dallas Airport this evening. As far as travel days go, this is one of the punchier ones! Just Google Map-ing Yellowknife to Pensacola is rather humorous!Now, let's get one thing out in the open...I'm very sorry for my lack of blogs so far this year. I'm back in the game!We've all got bucket lists. You have one. I have one. It changes regularly. Mostly additions. One thing that has always been there is seeing the Northern Lights. Last September we all got excited about being in Iceland as it was reportedly a fantastic time to see them. Alas, it wasn't to be. Then, out of the blue, Yellowknife came into the diary. After some Google Map-age I got a little bit excited about the prospect of possibly seeing the Northern Lights on this trip. I am happy to say that a lifetime ambition has now been fulfilled. Two nights in a row! Last night was a balmy -30ºC, beautifully clear skies, and the lights were dancing around! Words don't really do justice to the experience. You'll just have to head to Yellowknife yourself.For our next discussion point I have chosen Fish and Chips, known affectionately to self-aware New Zealanders, and hilarious Australians, as Fush 'n' Chups. Landlocked countries might think they can create this dish to a high standard but coastal cities and towns quietly self-assure themselves that they really create this dish to a high standard. Yellowknife achieves crazy high results and the location you need to know about is Bullocks' Bistro. This place has personality to burn. It's basically a single room log cabin with open plan kitchen and dining area. The sourdough bread is created right in front of your eyes, kneaded on the table, put in the oven, and (the previous batch) served up with butter and homemade marmalade. I'm getting to the fish. You're invited to choose your type of fish and how you would like it prepared. This is where local knowledge helps. Whitefish is best served deep-fried, Pickerel pan-fried, Arctic Char grilled. You're obviously able to have these cooked any way you'd like but I recommend you try them as suggested...perhaps not all in one sitting...Coffee. A lifeline for so many of us. A chance to liven up any occasion. The necessary ingredient to deal with those meetings. With regards to a bucketlist, please add Tim Wendelboe to it. He's Norwegian, a past winner of the World Barista Championship (WBC) and works out of a very cool, unpretentious, hipster-esque, cafe and roastery in Oslo. A friend of mine, the Australian countertenor, David Hansen, and his wife, took Liz and I to sample his coffee the weekend before this North American tour as we enjoyed a wonderful city break there. Not sure I've ever tasted a better espresso but, interestingly, that's not how Tim – the Heston Blumenthal of coffee – recommends having his legendary brews. You'll have to try it yourself.Staying in Oslo, I ticked another thing off my ever-growing bucketlist: The Norwegian Soloist' Choir. This is truly one of the world's finest ensembles and I hope you have the pleasure of hearing them live one day. Perhaps you buy a CD or hear them online in the interim. I first came across them when their artistic director, Grete Pederson, came to NZ at the invitation of Dr Karen Grylls, who directed the NZ Youth Choir of which I was fortunate to sing in for four years. Grete is one of the most highly respected choral directors in the world and has the most wonderful control of her ensembles. Substitute control for mastery, in case you think of that word with the slightest negative inflection. The concert Liz and I attended was with guest conductor, Peter Dijkstra. The programme was entitled 'A Marriage of Heaven and Hell', the title of Bo Holten's supreme composition. I wasn't familiar with any of the works in it but I sat back and marvelled at the precision, beauty, artistry and delivery of some incredibly complex music. The highlight was the Holten and the 22 singers divided into as many parts as necessary and created one instrument – Liz remarked is sounded like an organ at times – something that resonates with me and the work we do in The King's Singers. Very few choirs in the world achieve this result and to hear it live is spine-tingling.Right, it's time to phone the office and keep planning our Summer Schools next year. See you next week and every week hence!Bye for now!
Well, after a few hours sleep, we were leaving the hotel at 4.45am this morning to catch our 6am flight from Yellowknife to Calgary. We're in Calgary for six hours en route to Pensacola, with an overnight at Dallas Airport this evening. As far as travel days go, this is one of the punchier ones! Just Google Map-ing Yellowknife to Pensacola is rather humorous!Now, let's get one thing out in the open...I'm very sorry for my lack of blogs so far this year. I'm back in the game!We've all got bucket lists. You have one. I have one. It changes regularly. Mostly additions. One thing that has always been there is seeing the Northern Lights. Last September we all got excited about being in Iceland as it was reportedly a fantastic time to see them. Alas, it wasn't to be. Then, out of the blue, Yellowknife came into the diary. After some Google Map-age I got a little bit excited about the prospect of possibly seeing the Northern Lights on this trip. I am happy to say that a lifetime ambition has now been fulfilled. Two nights in a row! Last night was a balmy -30ºC, beautifully clear skies, and the lights were dancing around! Words don't really do justice to the experience. You'll just have to head to Yellowknife yourself.For our next discussion point I have chosen Fish and Chips, known affectionately to self-aware New Zealanders, and hilarious Australians, as Fush 'n' Chups. Landlocked countries might think they can create this dish to a high standard but coastal cities and towns quietly self-assure themselves that they really create this dish to a high standard. Yellowknife achieves crazy high results and the location you need to know about is Bullocks' Bistro. This place has personality to burn. It's basically a single room log cabin with open plan kitchen and dining area. The sourdough bread is created right in front of your eyes, kneaded on the table, put in the oven, and (the previous batch) served up with butter and homemade marmalade. I'm getting to the fish. You're invited to choose your type of fish and how you would like it prepared. This is where local knowledge helps. Whitefish is best served deep-fried, Pickerel pan-fried, Arctic Char grilled. You're obviously able to have these cooked any way you'd like but I recommend you try them as suggested...perhaps not all in one sitting...Coffee. A lifeline for so many of us. A chance to liven up any occasion. The necessary ingredient to deal with those meetings. With regards to a bucketlist, please add Tim Wendelboe to it. He's Norwegian, a past winner of the World Barista Championship (WBC) and works out of a very cool, unpretentious, hipster-esque, cafe and roastery in Oslo. A friend of mine, the Australian countertenor, David Hansen, and his wife, took Liz and I to sample his coffee the weekend before this North American tour as we enjoyed a wonderful city break there. Not sure I've ever tasted a better espresso but, interestingly, that's not how Tim – the Heston Blumenthal of coffee – recommends having his legendary brews. You'll have to try it yourself.Staying in Oslo, I ticked another thing off my ever-growing bucketlist: The Norwegian Soloist' Choir. This is truly one of the world's finest ensembles and I hope you have the pleasure of hearing them live one day. Perhaps you buy a CD or hear them online in the interim. I first came across them when their artistic director, Grete Pederson, came to NZ at the invitation of Dr Karen Grylls, who directed the NZ Youth Choir of which I was fortunate to sing in for four years. Grete is one of the most highly respected choral directors in the world and has the most wonderful control of her ensembles. Substitute control for mastery, in case you think of that word with the slightest negative inflection. The concert Liz and I attended was with guest conductor, Peter Dijkstra. The programme was entitled 'A Marriage of Heaven and Hell', the title of Bo Holten's supreme composition. I wasn't familiar with any of the works in it but I sat back and marvelled at the precision, beauty, artistry and delivery of some incredibly complex music. The highlight was the Holten and the 22 singers divided into as many parts as necessary and created one instrument – Liz remarked is sounded like an organ at times – something that resonates with me and the work we do in The King's Singers. Very few choirs in the world achieve this result and to hear it live is spine-tingling.Right, it's time to phone the office and keep planning our Summer Schools next year. See you next week and every week hence!Bye for now!
Well, after a few hours sleep, we were leaving the hotel at 4.45am this morning to catch our 6am flight from Yellowknife to Calgary. We're in Calgary for six hours en route to Pensacola, with an overnight at Dallas Airport this evening. As far as travel days go, this is one of the punchier ones! Just Google Map-ing Yellowknife to Pensacola is rather humorous!Now, let's get one thing out in the open...I'm very sorry for my lack of blogs so far this year. I'm back in the game!We've all got bucket lists. You have one. I have one. It changes regularly. Mostly additions. One thing that has always been there is seeing the Northern Lights. Last September we all got excited about being in Iceland as it was reportedly a fantastic time to see them. Alas, it wasn't to be. Then, out of the blue, Yellowknife came into the diary. After some Google Map-age I got a little bit excited about the prospect of possibly seeing the Northern Lights on this trip. I am happy to say that a lifetime ambition has now been fulfilled. Two nights in a row! Last night was a balmy -30ºC, beautifully clear skies, and the lights were dancing around! Words don't really do justice to the experience. You'll just have to head to Yellowknife yourself.For our next discussion point I have chosen Fish and Chips, known affectionately to self-aware New Zealanders, and hilarious Australians, as Fush 'n' Chups. Landlocked countries might think they can create this dish to a high standard but coastal cities and towns quietly self-assure themselves that they really create this dish to a high standard. Yellowknife achieves crazy high results and the location you need to know about is Bullocks' Bistro. This place has personality to burn. It's basically a single room log cabin with open plan kitchen and dining area. The sourdough bread is created right in front of your eyes, kneaded on the table, put in the oven, and (the previous batch) served up with butter and homemade marmalade. I'm getting to the fish. You're invited to choose your type of fish and how you would like it prepared. This is where local knowledge helps. Whitefish is best served deep-fried, Pickerel pan-fried, Arctic Char grilled. You're obviously able to have these cooked any way you'd like but I recommend you try them as suggested...perhaps not all in one sitting...Coffee. A lifeline for so many of us. A chance to liven up any occasion. The necessary ingredient to deal with those meetings. With regards to a bucketlist, please add Tim Wendelboe to it. He's Norwegian, a past winner of the World Barista Championship (WBC) and works out of a very cool, unpretentious, hipster-esque, cafe and roastery in Oslo. A friend of mine, the Australian countertenor, David Hansen, and his wife, took Liz and I to sample his coffee the weekend before this North American tour as we enjoyed a wonderful city break there. Not sure I've ever tasted a better espresso but, interestingly, that's not how Tim – the Heston Blumenthal of coffee – recommends having his legendary brews. You'll have to try it yourself.Staying in Oslo, I ticked another thing off my ever-growing bucketlist: The Norwegian Soloist' Choir. This is truly one of the world's finest ensembles and I hope you have the pleasure of hearing them live one day. Perhaps you buy a CD or hear them online in the interim. I first came across them when their artistic director, Grete Pederson, came to NZ at the invitation of Dr Karen Grylls, who directed the NZ Youth Choir of which I was fortunate to sing in for four years. Grete is one of the most highly respected choral directors in the world and has the most wonderful control of her ensembles. Substitute control for mastery, in case you think of that word with the slightest negative inflection. The concert Liz and I attended was with guest conductor, Peter Dijkstra. The programme was entitled 'A Marriage of Heaven and Hell', the title of Bo Holten's supreme composition. I wasn't familiar with any of the works in it but I sat back and marvelled at the precision, beauty, artistry and delivery of some incredibly complex music. The highlight was the Holten and the 22 singers divided into as many parts as necessary and created one instrument – Liz remarked is sounded like an organ at times – something that resonates with me and the work we do in The King's Singers. Very few choirs in the world achieve this result and to hear it live is spine-tingling.Right, it's time to phone the office and keep planning our Summer Schools next year. See you next week and every week hence!Bye for now!
Well, after a few hours sleep, we were leaving the hotel at 4.45am this morning to catch our 6am flight from Yellowknife to Calgary. We're in Calgary for six hours en route to Pensacola, with an overnight at Dallas Airport this evening. As far as travel days go, this is one of the punchier ones! Just Google Map-ing Yellowknife to Pensacola is rather humorous!Now, let's get one thing out in the open...I'm very sorry for my lack of blogs so far this year. I'm back in the game!We've all got bucket lists. You have one. I have one. It changes regularly. Mostly additions. One thing that has always been there is seeing the Northern Lights. Last September we all got excited about being in Iceland as it was reportedly a fantastic time to see them. Alas, it wasn't to be. Then, out of the blue, Yellowknife came into the diary. After some Google Map-age I got a little bit excited about the prospect of possibly seeing the Northern Lights on this trip. I am happy to say that a lifetime ambition has now been fulfilled. Two nights in a row! Last night was a balmy -30ºC, beautifully clear skies, and the lights were dancing around! Words don't really do justice to the experience. You'll just have to head to Yellowknife yourself.For our next discussion point I have chosen Fish and Chips, known affectionately to self-aware New Zealanders, and hilarious Australians, as Fush 'n' Chups. Landlocked countries might think they can create this dish to a high standard but coastal cities and towns quietly self-assure themselves that they really create this dish to a high standard. Yellowknife achieves crazy high results and the location you need to know about is Bullocks' Bistro. This place has personality to burn. It's basically a single room log cabin with open plan kitchen and dining area. The sourdough bread is created right in front of your eyes, kneaded on the table, put in the oven, and (the previous batch) served up with butter and homemade marmalade. I'm getting to the fish. You're invited to choose your type of fish and how you would like it prepared. This is where local knowledge helps. Whitefish is best served deep-fried, Pickerel pan-fried, Arctic Char grilled. You're obviously able to have these cooked any way you'd like but I recommend you try them as suggested...perhaps not all in one sitting...Coffee. A lifeline for so many of us. A chance to liven up any occasion. The necessary ingredient to deal with those meetings. With regards to a bucketlist, please add Tim Wendelboe to it. He's Norwegian, a past winner of the World Barista Championship (WBC) and works out of a very cool, unpretentious, hipster-esque, cafe and roastery in Oslo. A friend of mine, the Australian countertenor, David Hansen, and his wife, took Liz and I to sample his coffee the weekend before this North American tour as we enjoyed a wonderful city break there. Not sure I've ever tasted a better espresso but, interestingly, that's not how Tim – the Heston Blumenthal of coffee – recommends having his legendary brews. You'll have to try it yourself.Staying in Oslo, I ticked another thing off my ever-growing bucketlist: The Norwegian Soloist' Choir. This is truly one of the world's finest ensembles and I hope you have the pleasure of hearing them live one day. Perhaps you buy a CD or hear them online in the interim. I first came across them when their artistic director, Grete Pederson, came to NZ at the invitation of Dr Karen Grylls, who directed the NZ Youth Choir of which I was fortunate to sing in for four years. Grete is one of the most highly respected choral directors in the world and has the most wonderful control of her ensembles. Substitute control for mastery, in case you think of that word with the slightest negative inflection. The concert Liz and I attended was with guest conductor, Peter Dijkstra. The programme was entitled 'A Marriage of Heaven and Hell', the title of Bo Holten's supreme composition. I wasn't familiar with any of the works in it but I sat back and marvelled at the precision, beauty, artistry and delivery of some incredibly complex music. The highlight was the Holten and the 22 singers divided into as many parts as necessary and created one instrument – Liz remarked is sounded like an organ at times – something that resonates with me and the work we do in The King's Singers. Very few choirs in the world achieve this result and to hear it live is spine-tingling.Right, it's time to phone the office and keep planning our Summer Schools next year. See you next week and every week hence!Bye for now!
