Categories: uncategorized
Date: 03 May 2006 21:24:08
A busy weekend but a very musical one. Although the 'Tavistock Sings!' festival began on Thursday evening with a schools' gala concert, I didn't become involved until the Saturday, listening to a thoroughly enjoyable flute and song recital (with an exceedingly humorous introduction to each piece) at lunchtime, followed by the Ten Tors Orchestra Mozart concert in the evening. Sunday saw our usual Eucharist ('God be in my head', Rutter) and Festival Evensong (Responses: Sweeney; Canticles: Noble in B minor; 'Praise to God in the Highest', Campbell) amongst other events (including a delicious bring and share ploughman's lunch). Our sopranos soared to their top A as they have never done before - well never as confidently as in any of the rehearsals, anyway. Obviously they rose to the excitement of the occasion, or perhaps it was the effect of all those pickled onions?
Many of the choir turned out again for a choral workshop the next day (Handel's 'Zadok the Priest', 'The King shall Rejoice', 'Hallelujah Chorus'; Mozart's 'Ave verum corpus') conducted by the festival organiser, Simon Ible. I decided my voice needed a rest and instead ambled in to the church in time for the lunchtime organ recital by Jonathan Watts. Music by Karl Elert, Howells, Bach, Buxtehude and Boellman as I recall, although I must admit I let my mind wander and my head nod as I relaxed. A windy walk on the moors was called for to wake me up - with of course the compulsory stop at one of my favourite tea shops.