Thought it was time for a quick check-in. January has been
pretty busy, and all good fun but has whizzed by.
I was fortunate enough to perform at a gig showcasing some
of the music of the rather wonderful Paul Ayres last Saturday. A choir of forty-odd
and a programme with a mix of his arrangements of a wide range of music. Very
enjoyable indeed, and with relatively minimal rehearsal time it was something I
could fit in to the schedule.
Preparations continue for Voxcetera’s concert with the NLSO at
St Martin-in-the-Fields on 28th April which headlines with the
Vivaldi Gloria. Had our first full sing through of that piece last night. As a
bass it is lovely to have something with broadly predictable harmonies, so that
you have a reasonable idea where the piece is going. Unlike the Poulence
Exultate Deo which will be part of the first half, and where the next note at
certain points is still a bit of a mystery. Then ‘Vox go mad in Dublin’ is
scheduled for late May.
I wrote about my desire to try some new stuff this year, and
that the first two would be something around meditation and a MOOC. I have
borrowed a book on mindfulness and am currently required to contemplate a
raisin. Domestic logistics mean I am contemplating a sultana instead, but I
figure that any system of thought which is so prescribed as to specifics of
dried fruit that it won’t work is probably not useful. I was described last
week as being pretty ‘Zen’ over a kerfuffle with a train, so maybe it’s having
an effect already.
MOOC wise I had decided on language learning. For various
business reasons I would like to go back and work on my German (which was
pretty good 25 years ago) but I have struggled to find a course that wasn't for
beginners. So I am going with Spanish. As all the people I work with in Germany
speak perfect English, and I would like to go and see some of Spain this year,
that feels a much more useful option. I've chosen one which I can download as
podcasts so that I can listen anywhere.
I also said I would keep a list of possible new stuff to do
later on in the year. All that has been added to that so far definitively is ‘build
a website’ but that’s one I definitely want to do. Not, you understand, because
I need one for anything, just because I want to know how to do it. I think
there may be something around cooking on it too – something I used to enjoy but
had got out of the habit of doing anything other than that general one-pot
thing that can by magic become a bolognese, chilli, curry or stew. With two
under way though and setting myself six non-impossible things to do before
Christmas* it will be after Easter before any of these need to be firmed up.
Anyway that’s it for now. I have Spanish to learn. Hasta
luego.
* I've gone all Lewis Carroll this week
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