LSO Wind Academy 2011
The eagle eyed readers will have noticed that whilst a large proportion of the LSO is in Aix, almost all of those left behind performed...
The eagle eyed readers will have noticed that whilst a large proportion of the LSO is in Aix, almost all of those left behind performed...
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...
Mahler's Third Symphony is always an event, partly due to the size of forces needed and the space required. The famous opening with the horns in full flight is truly astonishing writing and the power unleashed by Gergiev's hands in the ample acoustic of the Lincoln Centre is...
Another year, another blog. Yes, I know its February but this is the first time I have managed to put virtual pen to...er...virtual paper. I was looking through some of the old blogs the other day which date back to 2007. The reason for this is that we are off to New York soon...
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...
After a relaxing break for a couple of weeks in the summer it would be nice to gradually ease myself back into work with something low pressure and easy. Of course in the music business this simply doesn't happen and so this week we were thrown straight back into the whirlwind...
