Music

We are a musical family, it seems! Michael is getting on well with the French horn, Peter is playing the cello, I sing, and Felicity accompanies us all on the piano, organ, viola or recorder as necessary. She even gets a few minutes to play the piano for pleasure occasionally!

Singing lessons have made a huge difference to the range and quality of my voice. Proper breathing and relaxation have allowed me to sing longer, higher and more accurately than I'd have believed possible. Things like the recitative and aria for behold, darkness shall cover the earth and the people that dwelled in darkness from the Messiah are now no problem at all, and I have even sung the part of Don Giovanni in a duet of La ci darem la mano at a concert arranged by my singing teacher (I also did Flanders & Swann's Ill Wind to considerable acclaim from my friends in the audience).

I'm now singing with the Reading Festival Chorus, working on the Mozard Requiem in a completion by Levin (not the usual Süssmayr) and Jenkins' The Armed Man. All good fun, and challenging to sing. At the same time I'm working on some songs by Purcell and others, including Pastime with god company by (allegedly) Henry VIII. And Papagenou's aria (die vogelfänger) from the Magic Flute. Good old Mozart, writer of singable songs for indifferent baritones :-)