This was an excellent trip, one which consisted of excellent leisure activities and good singing. The only let down were the logistics, for there was an issue with pretty much every venue where we performed. However, we coped admirably and sang with aplomb. Read the rest of this entry »
This concert promised to be an excellent occasion with a wide variety of performances and an almost impossible number of World Premieres!
This Saturday, I will depart to Hungary for my 5th tour with Suffolk Youth Music ensembles, my first two were in the Wind Band, the last two years in the Orchestra. I will blog the tour as-live, but a week later, because I will most probably not have any contact with a computer while away. As build up to this, I’ll reminisce on my previous tours throughout the week, starting with my first – 2004 to Koblenz and the Rhineland, Germany. Read the rest of this entry »
Another week, another concert; this time it was for the South Suffolk Youth Orchestra, who, as is tradition in these parts, perform a full orchestral programme to end the year. Read the rest of this entry »
This won’t be too long, because I was only involved in one item – the Wind Band that opened the concert. I did so with only running one of the pieces through – three others were complete sightreading! Read the rest of this entry »
Yes, it’s that time of year again, when the whole of Ipswich School basks in the midsummer sunlight (or more likely rain) and listens to a variety of musical items. This year there was a change in location, the catalyst being new bag rags blocking off the Fison building from the school field, though I know that certain members of the music staff never liked the old location. So we hired out a marquee and professional sound/light engineers (who are allegedly doing Glastonbury next week), and held the Soiree at the other end of the field, by the pavilion. Read the rest of this entry »
This review looks at the recording I have listened to of the Ipswich School Snape Maltings Concert. Despite some rumours that the school had spent £200 on special recording engineers, this sounds very much like a typical Snape recording. For those who don’t know Snape, the single microphone is positioned above the edge of the stage, roughly above the conductor’s head. As a result, there are balance issues, and the balance on the recording is not anything like the balance on the night. So without further ado, I’ll look at the CD item by item. Read the rest of this entry »
Tuesday 29th April was a busy day for any musician in Ipswich School. Here’s my personal take on things – be prepared for a long read!
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So, on Tuesday 29th April Ipswich School will take over Snape Maltings Concert Hall for the day. It promises to be a musical treat, with the major work this year being Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. Add to that two commissioned works from Ipswich School Music Scholars (including myself), the first movement from Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony and the ever-popular Big Band and you can’t wait. Read the rest of this entry »
After being sceptical when looking at the Sibelius 5 feature list, I was sceptical, as you can see by reading the post below! Now after trying the demo I am anything but…
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