There’s a lot on in March with concerts and workshops, but still, my intention during this month is to create a set of songs for choir only from my DMus portfolio setting of Tam O’Shanter, and to embark on a composition inspired by Lanercost Priory. Keep up with the progress most days right here!
It was going to be a new song a day, but already at the end of day 1, my laptop issues are preventing this. However, there will be a song a day. and many will be new!
I am resolved (and this is indeed the time of year for such things) to make my music better known. I think it’s brilliant, as feel that others should too!
My annual Musical Advent Calendar has been going for a few years now, and seems to be popular with friends, family and a few people I don’t know too. here’s the latest version: festive music by me or at least in which I’ve had a hand and snippets of news as well!
November is my favourite month. It starts with an important remembrance and performance and ends with a big rush to get ready for Advent and in between there are important birthdays to celebrate. Hopefully there’ll be composing along the way.
These activities for use in schools have served me well over the last 25 years of working in classrooms as a composer and teacher. The first set here all use a war-related song as their starting point.
With no workshops booked in for this month and all the remembrance and Christmas music sorted for choir, it’s the perfect opportunity to continue my process of sorting through the filing cabinet of teaching goodies and sharing some on here!
September starts with lots of cleaning, visits, birthdays, music still to finish, concerts to prepare for, hospital visits. One of the songs I am in the process of composing is called “Not The Kind Of Song You’d Sing In The Shower”. Follow its progress here in what is already a busy month.
August marks the end of the old choir year and the beginning of the new, and I’m intending that it also marks in my mind a new start with the composing which I’ve struggled with in recent weeks. I have new songs to write for specific purposes so the foundations stones are there.
July will be dominated by the installation of a new kitchen and bathroom. It had already started in June and will continue through the entire month. Music has to be composed too. It simply has to be!
