Posted in Events by James Allington
December 22, 2008
“I feel as though I’m saying goodbye to one of my own family.……”, one of the many complimentary comments from host families in Bingham when we left on Sunday morning. Most of the hosting families on this the final stage were from the Bingham & District Choral Society, with support from the Cantamus Girls Choir.
Thursday 18 December, we arrived at around 6.30 p.m. on a cold and wet evening. Fortunately all the host families were waiting and students were whisked away to warm cosy homes, and home cooked hot meals!
Friday 19th was a very full performance day. Pamela Cook Conductor of the Cantamus Girls Choir had initiated that we rehearse and perform at the Samworth Academy in Mansfield. It was a richly rewarding time, and new friendships were quickly formed ” I’m going to keep in touch with Milly……” one year 7 girl proudly announced just before we left. I had to sign for 4 autographs……….
Pamela gave an inspirational workshop with the senior choir. As conductor of one of the world’s greatest choirs, and a leading authority on voice teaching, it was really helpful at this stage of the tour for Pam to further refine and polish our repertoire. Much food for thought for both conductor and singers as to how we keep moving forward with our choral programme at Barker.
We gave a short recital to Samworth year 7’s before lunch, and this was we suddenly realised the start of the last performances of some of our repertoire. Lunch was provided by Samworth (we sang “Oculi” to the noisy school canteen). Then a chance for a bit of a runaround and much needed let off steam outside ( it is so warm and stuffy indoors) as we got hold of a rugby ball with an impromptu game of touch rugby. An honourable 1-1 draw!
Back at Bingham by 2.30 p.m. we were straight into the dress rehearsal for their Christmas Concert. This was a real “Pommie Christmas” experience, with a packed village church for their annual Christmas concert. This was something I particularly wanted the students to experience, community carols with choirs, (loud!) brass, organ and congregation, warming the souls and spirits in (again) a very warm church!
The successful end of our tour was reliant on the Bingham DS CS and Cantamus hosting us, and I’m delighted to report that they just loved our performances, particularly the Australian repertoire. We even snuck in “Pemulwuy” into Bingham’s Christmas concert!!
Saturday morning was spent in Newark in the town square and surrounds doing last minute shopping. There really isn’t any excuse for folks back home not to get a pressie
Although we weren’t required to be at Southwell Minster until later on Saturday afternoon, I took the opportunity to let the tour party watch Cantamus Girls Choir rehearse. (This is the second time that Cantamus has included us in one of their concerts, the other time being July2004). One can learn so much in music by watching truly great artists rehearse and perform.
The evening was a fitting climax to the 2008 tour. All the Barker musicians, whilst inevitably daunted to be performing alongside such illustrious performers, “held their own” and received long sustained applause for their two short brackets in the programme.
The grand finale was “Christmas Night” and “Hark the Herald” with combined Cantamus/ Barker Choirs and Barker Chamber Orchestra. It was something of a coup to include the strings as Pamela Cook prefers to work with just piano/organ accompaniment. Jonathan Mui’s musical leadership of the chamber orchestra ensured that she had nothing to worry about!
So a suitable end to our performance programme. Thanks again to Bingham and District Choral Society and Cantamus for hosting and including us in one of their most important concerts of the year.
Two more “different ” concert experiences, and the right way to finish this music tour. We have much to be thankful for in this the last days as we reflect that due to the generosity displayed by our UK hosts in both Nottingham and Southend, the 2008 music tour actually became a reality.
Posted in Events by James Allington
December 21, 2008
What a fantastic finale!
two packed audiences in Bingham and Southwell respectively acknowledged the tour musicians with acclaim.
One Friday morning we first went to the Samworth Academy. Their 8 week old 17 strong choir of 16 gilrs and one boy had great fun singing Jingle Bells with us. This was followed by an inspriarional workshop from Pamela Cook. Concert then lunch, more new friends – Kelsey fell in love with Sam………
Then back to Bingham, rehearsal and concert. A very special community event.
Grand Finale on Saturday with cantamus at Southwell was just amazing, they’ve invited us to tour with them…… the boys think it’s a great idea!
Start of the long journey home, final lunch then off to Manchester airport.
Bigger report soon, but need to sign off and head for bus
Posted in Events, Travel by James Allington
December 19, 2008
it has been a whilrwind few days, lucky with the weather. Trip acrosss from France was cold but calm in the channel
Southend very welcoming, many students catching up with those they met in Sydney.
Concerts on tuesday, first at Brentwood with a superb acoustic helped by the fact there were only about 30 people in the audience. Students helped the local economy before we returned to Southend for evening performance with the boys and girls choir. Simon’s 18th was a great hit too!
Orchestra workshops and separate perfomances have been a huge success. First of all at the Ursuline college in Brentwood then on Wednesday at the Kingsdale school. String quartet are playing superbly. We all performed at Dulwich College’s Christmas concert, the combined chamber orchestras playing Corelli Christmas concerto. Pemulwuy was a great hit.
Sights of London enjoyed by choir.
Busy day yesterday concert in Cambridge plus a chance to see the colleges.
We’re all getting tired, but happy and hanging in there for the final performances today and tomorrow.
Weather quite mild and mostly dry.
Students making lots of new friends contacts here in England.
Off to Samworth academy in Mansfield, a school that has had to be reinvented after ‘failing’ it’s government inspection.
Posted in Events by James Allington
December 15, 2008
Saturday started cold but dry, in time for us to get up the Eiffel Tower. By lunchtime it was raining and in the afternoon the group split up, some shopped (till they dropped!) some went to Notre Dame Cathedral, but we eventually all caught up for the evening concert at La Chappelle de Sainte Therese, the chapel at Foundation d’Auteuil. This was very useful for us to get a feel for our own performance on Sunday. They even waited for us (stuck in Paris traffic) before starting. This concert was a French lessons and carols, along with Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and many of the anthems were sung in English.
Sunday dawned cold and wet, drizzle. We learned the sung responses on the coach on the way to La Fondation. Soloists for the Mass were Amy Kitto and Chris Rooleht. Great solos, well done guys! Milly Scott true soprano voice performed the first verse of Veni Emmanuel, and at the end of the service the full congregation of around 250 people had all turned round to look at the Barker musicians in the gallery as they sung their final pieces. They kept wanting us to sing more!
Lunch was provided by the Fondation and we met some of the boys who train at the “Fondation d’Auteuil” and some of the members of their gospel choir. Impromptu performances “Happy Day” and “Fields of Gold” as we waited for lunch. Afterwards there were rehearsals for each ensemble, a chance to buy gifts in the Christmas Market in the chapel grounds, also view the Christmas cribs, a football game “France vs. Australia” helped pass the afternoon.
The chapel was packed, with audience standing at the back for the 5.30 p.m. concert. Special mention to the year 11s who introduced the concert items in French: Jonathan Mui, Claire Ferguson, Ben Ho, Eleanor Handel. (Tom Nicholls would have done, but had lost his voice!). We had the first quiet time of the tour….. Dr. Carol’s relaxation exercises really helped recharge the batteries for the evening concert.
The performers were magnificent, Ravel from the string quartet to the French – magnifique, Hindson Australian string piece “Balkan Connection” enjoyed by the locals in particular. Also Orlovich’s “Lo there is light” featuring Chris Ogg got its first airing on tour. The combined items also now a real hit with the audiences, and beautifully balanced and blended strings and voices. We finished with “Magnificat” as our Encore. Standing Ovation…. “best concert in the three years of the Fondation Festival” They didn’t want us to go home………. the invitation to return is there, we’re going to have to come back! Some wonderful gifts for the school including a special medallion of the founder of the “orphanage” .
So we’re off to Southend tomorrow. A new driver Barry as we farewelled Stefan and Michael at dinner tonight.
As big week coming up….. and it is so good that the musicians keep wanting to build on and improve their performance each time we work together.
Posted in Events by James Allington
December 12, 2008
AFTER WEDNESDAY’S FANTASTIC EFFORT IT WAS GOOD FOR US ALL TO LET OFF STEAM.
At the top of Mt. Pilatus in minus 7 degrees we had the BIG snowball fight. Nobody, and I mean nobody was spared.
Dr. K. thought he might have avoided some snow dusting but the intoductory words of ” Only sinners are allowed” led to an avalanche in his corner.
Fodue for lunch, and then down to Luzenre for a quick sight see and shop.
Gonight’s performance to our Schupfheim hosts promises to be very special. Have to be back by 4.30 p.m. for tea turnaround and change. ……and the Swiss are always on time.
Long trip to Paris tomorrow, it will be sad to farewell these wunderbar people, their generosity and warmth of welcome has been simply amazing.
Posted in Events by James Allington
December 12, 2008
BIG PERFORMANCE DAY!
Our excited party arrived through the snow with little hitch.
The first performance was to the 200 pupils from Schupfheim School. The church was heated and the very obliging Sacristan moved Christmas-Advent decorations to fully utilize the performance space. After lunch in the school cafeteria we then proceeded to Schloss Castle in Luzerne.
Schloss Castle.
The power of music therapy was in evidence for the 60 or so patients who attended our concert. It was very moving to see how much our music did for these people, some of whom were not so old as to make the students perhaps more aware of their own vulnerability. There were patients who helped conduct and sing along to the music. Jingle Bells was a great hit at the end.
Hofkirche
It was a very quick turnaround, and the pressure and pace was really starting to build up with 2 musch longer performances. This Gothic Cathedral has a quite simply best acoustic, resonance to support the sound, but (after the somewhat bathroom sound of Salzburg) providing all performers with an opportunity to listen to the musical whole. The musicians responded in the very best possible way.
At 6.30 p.m. the Schubert Mass was sung from the gallery. Choir and orchestra unseen behind organ pipes but their sumptuous sound filled the wonderful space. Alison Morris and Tom Elstermann will never forget this solo opportunity and wow did they take this chance of a lifetime.
7.30 p.m. a concert with the Luzern Vocal Ensemble. Amy Kitto got the nod for Veni Emmanuel and the performers never lloked back from the opening notes. Backing up a performance of the Schubert with a full concert programme was an excellent test for these young musicians. They passed with flying colours, this is what music tours are all about, taking the opportunity to lift the performances and move audiences with a freshness and vitality that only youth can bring to music. Simply stunning, and the standing ovation at the end ((led by a nun!) led to 3 encores. During Pemulwuy Mr. A’s baton went flying……but we all kept going.
It was a tired but very happy group of people who returned to Schupfheim by 10.30 p.m.
Over 1000 people were part of the two audiences at the first two concerts!
First at St. Nicholas Church over 500 locals crammed into the historic chapel for our recital. It was a stunning setting to commence the first of our 14 concerts. Whilst still feeling the effects of a 30 hour trip the musicians were received with acclaim by the discerning audience. A particular highlight for the Czechs was the peformance by the string quartet of the 1st movement of Dvorak’s “American” string quartet. The concert lasted for 1 hour, the students then taking the opportunity to visit the Xmas markets and sample some of the local cuisine.
We then travelled out into the country to the Church of the Holy Family at the hospice of Charles Bormomejsky. There were around 80 in the beautifully decorated chapel, but the concert was broadcast live to over 600 patients within the establishment. The acoustics were quite amazing amplifying our music and giving the performers amazing feedback.
Congrats to soloists today Milly Scott (who started us all off with Veni Emmanuel) and Lucy Terrell and Chris Rooleht in the Schubert Mass, Elicia Piry with the Veni Emmanuel in the afternoon concert, and the consummate artistry of Jonathan Mui with the Solo Bach Allemande. I sat next to the Mother Superior during his performance, and she closed her eyes in contemplation and prayer as the music soared throughout the chapel.
Welcome sight seeing rest day today.
Ten Pin Bolwing champs are the Koalas Maura Allington team Adelle, Chris Ogg, Mui x 2, Tommy Nicholls.
This year, Barker was fortunate to compete in Channel 7’s “Battle of the Choirs”. We were one of 16 choirs in the show. Many hours were spent rehearsing, choreographing and coordinating our repertoire. We were knocked out in the quarter final stage.
