Sunday entertainment

Posted on July 2, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Bethesda Chapel, Eventbrite, Hanley, Music, Poems, Poetry, Songs, Stoke-on trent, Sunday, WordsLeave a comment

Animal Apocalypse, a musical look at the plight of our planet. It should be very moving and thought provoking.

Bethesda Chapel, Albion Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. A methodist Chapel that is being restored to its former glory.

Today at 3pm. 3.7.2022 Tickets through Eventbrite or by donation at the door.

Featuring words, music and poems. With Sean O’Callaghan and the Clay Chorus. Devised by Robert of Etruria and Gred Stephens. Choir leader Kate Barfield.

We have been rehearsing for this for several weeks now. It’s come together really well, with the choir learning harmonies to some new and old songs, and the readings touching on the statistics of environmental issues together with classic poems and words. Should be a good event.

A long day…

Posted on June 7, 2022June 7, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blank verse, Choir, Exercise, Gardening, Music, Planting, Poem, Poetry, Singing, Stretch, Tired, YogaLeave a comment

Gardening, Yoga, Choir practice

All in one day!

Poppies to pot

Marigolds and lobelia

Plants bought needed tending.

Then oh!

Blissful Yoga

But with stretches

The Cobra and Sphinx

That have made my legs ache.

Finally, singing

Bunting still hanging

Samoan and Maori

English, fragrent and flowery.

So much in a few hours.

A good rest?

That will be best

Been out singing!

Posted on June 5, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Choirs, jubilee, Life, Music, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Penkhull, Queen Elizabeth second, Singing, Sketching, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

The two choirs I’m in were both out for performances today. First Loud Mouth Women (seen here in a sketch from 2019), and then Clay Chorus, a mixed choir for Soprano, Tenor, Alto and Bass.

Louds sang by the Guildhall in Newcastle under Lyme. We were outside singing at the artesan market.. We sang a mixture of languages to represent the Commonwealth. These included Maori and English. Including Wahine MA and Frejaro Ma Revee.

From Newcastle I went to Penkhull. We were due to sing outside the village church but it was too wet so we sang inside the village hall. Clay chorus sang six songs spanning the reign of Queen Elizabeth the Second. The room was packed with people holding an indoor picnic. We sang and other groups entertained with Rap music and dancing and drama. I’m thoroughly tired out now!

Hand cranked music

Posted on June 5, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Etruria Industrial museum, Music, Birds, Fun, song, Etruria canal festival, Box, Musical, Organ, tune, whistles2 Comments

Using a handle, the owner of this small but pretty organ was playing at the Etruria Canal festival today. The birds on to of the organ sang and whistled too. They could work independently of the organ and it was good to hear their beautiful sound.

I think the mechanism must drive bellows that sends air down the different pipes of the organ. I didn’t look at the mechanism but it probably runs on cardboard/wood slats with holes and slots cut into them to hold the organ stops open for different lengths of time in order to play music. Presumably the music changes speed depending on how fast the handle is spun round.

Portraits

Posted on May 28, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Choir, choral singing, Drawing, Fun, Music, Portraits, Singing, sketched portraits, Sketching2 Comments

Sketch of the choir I’m in from 2019, when we could meet up in person and sing. We have got back together after a period of trying to learn songs over Zoom. Not easy, you can only copy the choir leader, not sing together. If you try everything is out of sequence. Now we are back together and learning choral pieces. Proper three and four part harmonies. We even have new members joining us. Just have to remember to do a lateral flow test before we meet.

Europe

Posted on May 17, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Drawing, Europe, eurovision song contest, felt pen drawing, Music, runner up, Sam Ryder, Sketching, UK entryLeave a comment

Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was Europe so I decided to draw Sam Ryder who came second in the Eurovision Song contest that happened this Saturday. What a fantastic night! Felt pen drawing.

Twelve points to the UK

Posted on May 14, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Competition, eurovision, Fun, Happy, Life, Madness, Music, Singing, song, WowLeave a comment

🇬🇧

What? I don’t believe it! ❤️ OMG this isn’t happening?

We’ve only had a few countries voting and we are already on 100 points! That’s mad! What is going on? I’m surprised and I won’t be sad if we don’t get any more. It’s just great not to be last! Wow!

Eurovision is on!

Posted on May 14, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Europe, eurovision, eurovision song contest, Life, Music, Singing, UK, Ukraine, VotingLeave a comment

Eurovision is on tonight. A four or five hour song contest with European and a few non European countries challenging for the win. There are forty countries that compete in semifinals then twenty five in the final. Half the votes in the final come from the voting panels of each country and the rest come from a phone vote open to the public. The results take almost longer than the singing part. The singers can get up to twelve points from each judging panel and voters, so the total can rise well over a hundred or more. I’d like the UK to win but we got NO points last year. As we can’t vote for our own country I will be voting for Ukraine. They have a very good song called ‘Stephania’ I think, by the Kalush Orchestra.

Old songs

Posted on May 7, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Adverts, Martin, Music, old music, Sinatra, Songs, Television, Time, WritersLeave a comment

I keep hearing old songs on modern adverts on TV. I guess because some old songs are going out of copyright. Imagine an electric car being sold with Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra singing in the background. Or is it because musicians are selling off their play lists so advertisers can use them. I’m sure I’ve heard a few David Bowie songs on ads recently? It’s a funny old world, and songs that were written and recorded before most people were born are out there now….

Music makers

Posted on April 18, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bishton Hall, Boat Band, Day out, folk songs, Fun, Music, musicians, Rugeley, StaffordshireLeave a comment

The Boat band playing at Bishton Hall today. It was great to hear live music. Fiddle, trombone, guitar and squeezebox (accordion?). The fun of hearing reels and jigs, creole and folk songs. Hearing the sloop John B played with enthusiasm. So entertaining. So much fun. They are always worth listening to. Enjoyed it.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Music