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Hallo lovely people I hope all is ok in your world at this crazy time and you are all taking care of yourselves. So now we are in 2020 lockdown there might be time for you to get a spot of hobby out ( knitting , basket weaving , sandblasting-too noisy) ) and have a listen to this interview I did for the wondrous Welsh Connections with writing partner Andy ( the second interview he get a word in edgeways !)…I listened and did not do much toes curling ..there are some great bits of music too…. let me know …

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Hallooo

So finally there is a couple of weeks for me to tidy my desk and have a bit of time to reflect on the then, the now, and the later on…

I am quite good at embracing the concept of rest and recovery, but its a bit like 100pmh to 0mph..which seems to suggest I always leave it a bit late and the recovery happens when I am in crash mode…nope..actuall feeling pretty darned good and ready to take on another term of lovely singing starting 23rd April.

It has been a glorious term and even though my term off did not go according to plan ( there was a plan? ) I feel I had a chance to appreciate how much my choirs mean to me and what an important part of my life singing with other people is.

Here is a wonderful  version of Single Sky that I wrote and recorded with Andrew McCrorie-Shand as part of my 3 Bucket Jones life. Arranging it for my singing tribe, and the Bishopsgate Singers embracing it  and singing it so beautifully feels likely creative  dots are being joined, if the makes any sense. We also sung another Bucket Song in the Tubthumpers Chorus but yet to record it..Thanks to Bob Karper for filming it. I feel a string quartet moment coming on….

 

 

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The little triangle  on the photo of the train, when pressed, plays a song….Well we are not snowed in in London. And right now the sun is in my eyes. I am having a great term – after having a term off to tidy my bedroom ( oops forgot) I am back running my choirs. There has been a bit of belt tightening going on (the freelancer’s dilemma) which means our last two SINGLE OF THE MONTHs  have been recorded and mixed in the Tiny Studio in Holloway where I also sleep….aka ‘the bedroom’. Here is a photo of me in same room in 1996 with a chunky 8 track reel to reel.Yes there is music in the walls. I have sung every choir song and written literally hundreds of songs in this spot. Its a very special 8ft by 7ft.

It’s always great that people listen to the music – It didn’t happen at all in the days of cassette demos when we spend months making an album just to be thwarted by the first A&M man who said they didn’t like it. Buying music these days has become an enigma for most people, the young at heart can always find  a way to download it  for free and laugh at the idea of paying for music, and the more mature can’t see the point, if its not something you can hold in your hand. Some do and I thank you. You have a very special place my heart and you know who you are.

Anyway all feedback, apart from nasty stuff, gratefully received.

Careful with the snow.

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I have been working hard this week, setting up all the songs for the gorgeous choirs. In between we managed a song, recorded wrote it in 2 days at home…and its a cracker! Just press play …..Bandcamp is a great place to buy music and its worth a go, as you can pay what you want ,or just listen to it..and the artists gets a good  percentage .