Yup…that really helped. Singing really helps A wonderful  ‘singers weekend’ at the Guildhall School of Music with singers from all sorts of places, including a bunch of kids from Norway and their lovely teacher. We did the concert tonight at the end of two days of workshops, with a  blindin’ quartet. It was lovely…. bit of African, bit of Gospel, bit of Folk a bit of Soul and Pop. There was me, Scatt and Lucky  leading songs. Funny though as next door and part of the same building  about 5 paces away, in the Barbican, one of the biggest complex of concert halls in London, they were having a festival of  ‘Extraordinary Voices’. I popped in at Lunchtime and noticed that the London Gay Men’s Chorus, the London Bulgarian Choir, The London Georgian Choir, The Feral Choir, Orlando Gough and numerous other local choirs were performing, but we were completely unlinked to this event even though we were literally metres away.

It is often like that in London, the left hand has no idea what the right is doing. Community is very small. I often try to build bridges between neighbourhood creative organisations, but it can be really  difficult. But we had a lovely time….

I am teaching for another 5 days on the Rock and Pop summer school…one of the highlights of my year as I get to hang with a load of amazingly delicious musicians, (with a couple of old  chauvinistic ‘pop is crap’ jazzers just to keep it interesting) so you will not be getting much sense out of me this week, as I will be having way too much fun!

SONG OF THE DAY 

Detroit Mass Choir – The Storm Is Passing Over

Gospel is just one of the most wonderful song forms. Love the fact the audience participate, encouraging, clapping etc. Thats what music should be.We should all be involved in it.