Harvest and Festivals
My first September not returning to Stonar School and jetting off to Greece for a late summer holiday felt quite weird, but I was able to keep singing and teaching throughout the school summer holidays, in an almost complete reversal of the way I used to organise my life.
I sang in Dorset, in July, for a 2 night “Opera in the Garden” event at the award winning White Lion Inn, Bourton. Always popular, even if we did clash with the football semi-final! The weather also cleared for these two nights which is always a relief! The audience were seated, and fed a fantastic 3 course meal, in a marquee in front of the pretty garden stage, so it is a lovely thing to do and has quite a following!
Later in August, I was invited back to Goodson Lodge Care Centre, in Trowbridge, to sing on my own, with my trusty backing tracks, to perform for the residents. Tagged as ‘A Night At The Opera’ I chose a few Opera Pops – Carmen’s ‘Habanera’ and Puccini’s ‘O, Mio Babbino Caro’ etc, followed by a quick trip through Rodgers and Hammerstein and finishing with some Andrew Lloyd – Webber. (Phantom of the Opera being the obvious choice!) The residents were joined by family members who all enjoyed a glass, or two, of wine! I’m hoping to be invited back there in the Autumn.
I had another ‘first’ in August, as my daughter and I visited Glyndebourne Opera Festival for the first time to see Handel’s Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar). It was a totally stunning experience from the site of the auditorium and the quality of the performance. I have to admit to being a huge Handel and Mozart fan, so I count myself very lucky to have seen this performance as part of Glyndebourne’s 90th anniversary year.
I continue to have a small, but growing clientele of private pupils. Some younger students who wanted to see me over the summer had auditions for the title role in ‘Annie’ and ‘Elsa’ in Frozen, both were successful, and a former colleague who recently auditioned for a production of Oklahoma at the Theatre Royal in Bath – Aunt Ella she is! Then a GP from Bath who wants to take her ARSM singing diploma, so a very different repertoire of Menotti, Mozart, Elgar and Barber and a physics teacher who having recently passed Grade 3 piano is now venturing into Jazz.
This all works for me perfectly and I can fit these lessons into my new schedule of Pilates, aquafit, gym sessions and my new interest, Ceroc dancing! I really enjoy getting to know my private pupils and it is a lovely way to schedule my time. It’s great to be able to teach in my own music room and have all my music to hand.
I am performing a further three times in October.
Tomorrow I am heading to Tetbury, to sing at the Tetbury Goods Shed, to perform a programme of duets and solos with my good friend and Mezzo – Soprano, Anne Braley, with our talented accompanist, Nick Goodall, on the piano. We’ve chosen a quite unusual repertoire, with a lot of music from the early 1900’s – Poulenc, Satie, Vaughan Williams and even Eric Coates. I decided to include some songs that my mother used to sing – The Second Minuet by Maurice Besly, Fairings by Easthope Martin and Such Lovely Things by Michael North. It all seems to fit together well and good to sing something very different and wonderfully melodic. We then have a repeat performance of this, in Sherston, on the 15th of October. (Both afternoon concerts with tea and cake! Always a bonus). Yesterday I received a call to ‘jump in’ and sing the solo soprano in Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Calne Choral Society, as part of the Calne Festival. I’ve sung this a few times before but it is really nice to be singing in my home area, especially as this is the 50th anniversary of this very popular and well organised Music and Art Festival.
I am busy harvesting our crop of beans, tomatoes, courgettes, raspberries, blackberries, potatoes, onions, rhubarb, carrots and grapes! I’m making tomato chutney this afternoon, (another first), whilst listening to Vivaldi Gloria!
Wonder what I can do with the grapes?
Cheers for now.
Helping to raise funds for Alzheimer’s UK through music
I was recently asked to help my friends and colleagues, Rachel and James Allard, to film a pop video. They wanted to use my music room and garden. They planned to film some of the final scenes for the release of their song “Angel.” This was to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK. I met Rachel and James whilst teaching singing at St Mary’s School, Calne and over the last 12 years, we have become good friends. Rachel has performed with me in Opera Sulis concerts on numerous occasions.
“Angel” was inspired by James’ personal experience of losing his mother to Alzheimer’s Disease. The song offers a poignant perspective from his mother’s point of view and tells her touching story. The music video for “Angel,” which can be viewed on YouTube here, includes a link and QR Code for donations.
Proceeds from downloads and donations will go directly to Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity dedicated to finding a cure. As the science and research is developed, so are new treatments. With their continued efforts, one day we will be able to stop Alzheimer’s. Appropriate funding will help stop other forms of dementia in their tracks.
Reminiscent X (Rachel and James’ group) aims to raise a minimum of £1,000. This will support the charity’s mission to revolutionise the way dementia is treated. They also aim to impact how it is diagnosed and prevented.
A Personal Connection
I watched my father-in-law suffer, and sadly pass away, with this awful disease. I know how difficult it is to witness the decline. This cause is close to my heart. Holding onto our personal experiences of spending time with a loved one as their dementia develops, reminds us how important it is to honour their memory. We should give what we can to help free future generations from this burden.
James told me that his mum made him have music lessons every week as a child. It’s fitting that he used what he learned to write and record Angel. He worked along with his wife, and my singing mate, Rachel on vocals. The hope is that the song connects with listeners. It aims to reaffirm that you are not alone in whatever situation dementia throws at you. The loved one struggles to remember who you are. Yet, they know how much you love and care for them. They are aware of this even more than they can express.”
How to support the cause
James Warren, Regional Fundraising Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, expressed his gratitude. “We’re grateful to Reminiscent X for their support for Alzheimer’s Research UK. If nothing changes, half of us will be directly affected by dementia. This could be by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or experiencing both. Fantastic fundraising efforts like this will help us get closer to a cure for people with dementia and their loved ones. We wish Reminiscent X the best of luck with Angel. Please stand with the charity by giving it a listen and download!”
I was certainly happy to help out and it was quite strange to see my music room on YouTube. Even the garden shed got a look in ! Who knows, if they make it to Glastonbury with this song, and one of their many others available on Spotify, you might see me on backing vocals!
Click on the links below to see the video. There is a Just Giving Page link on the video page. It would be lovely if we could raise the £1000 they hope to.
For more information about “Angel” and Reminiscent X, contact James Allard at 07817 743952 or james.reminiscentx@gmail.com.
To download, purchase, or donate, visit http://www.reminiscentx.com/angel.
• Spotify: Listen on Spotify
• YouTube: Watch the music video
• Download: Download from Reminiscent X’s website
For further information about Alzheimer’s Research UK, or to learn more about fundraising for the charity, call 0300 111 5555 or visit http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org.
Susan Coates 