From the comfort of the train speeding through the Spanish countryside, you could be forgiven for thinking that it is summer. The sun is high and the deep blue stretches far into the distance, the only clouds visible on the horizon look like chalk cliffs. But the thermometer...
Regular readers of the blog will not be surprised to know that I am writing this having just watched Wales destroy Namibia in the Rugby World Cup. My Welsh father and a childhood involving many trips to Cwmllynfell to see my granny, cast my musical soul in red many years ago....
Code Nom masculin (latin codex) a) Ensemble de...
The orchestra sat in near silence on the train this morning. The tension rising with the outside temperature as we sped through the mountains. I haven't felt this much pressure on a train since Sue Mallet was on a trip and was looking for volunteers for something or other. She...
I am at the moment sitting in a...
As an encore at the recital the other night, we played a little melancholy Welsh folk song. Simple but effective in its main aim of bringing a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye. A member of the audience asked me at the reception afterwards if all Welsh folk songs were...
After negotiating the ticket system of Europe, we successfully performed in the Chateau and consequently enjoyed a well earned lie in the next morning when the rest of the orchestra was on a very bumpy flight from Gatwick. As we met up with some wet colleagues in the foyer, it...
?The relentless schedule which we undertake in this orchestra is tough. It forces you into a way of life which simply sounds ridiculous when you try and explain it to anyone outside of the orchestral world. The hours are long, hard and antisocial, families often take second...
In this job I see some pretty spectacular things, hear astonishing sounds and, on tour at least eat some incredible food (I had goat last night but passed on the bullfrog). I am surrounded by some fabulous musicians and hear the greatest soloists in the world as they pass...
