King's Lynn Festival Fringe

I wished, in my last post, that it might be as sunny, for my visit, as it was in that picture of the Quay at King's Lynn - well it was. It was a glorious day and All Saints' church, tucked away inside a rampart of quaint 60s flats a short distance from the historic Quay, was a real gem. The first thing to say is that the acoustic was wonderful and suited the sound of the guitar down to the ground. I played the Carlavero so even I got some impression of this quality. I hope I did it justice. The audience were great and it was a relief to turn up and find that so many had come.

The organisers had done a grand job and there was a feast of homemade cakes and scones for the interval. As well as juice and tea and coffee a very good red wine was served, much to my delight - I saved mine until after I'd finished playing. All the hassle was taken out of the equation regarding the box office because the King's Lynn Festival Box Office came down from the Corn Exchange to run that side of it. So all in all it was a pleasure and well worth it. But why is it always so nerve-wracking to go to perform somewhere you've never performed before? You'd think performing would be evenly nerve-wracking wherever you were but somehow a new place is especially anxiety inducing. The answer, I suppose, is, go again.

Return to Norfolk

I'm giving a concert in King's Lynn on Sunday. It's been a few years now since I toured venues in Norfolk with the Ruskin Ensemble but I have happy memories of those performances. It was part of a Village Hall Touring scheme. Are those still running? I hope so - it was great fun to do and the audiences at the various halls were amazing. I was looking at the map just now and trying to remember our route. I remember Wells-Next-the -Sea. We had a lovely time there. We did the Vivaldi Guitar Concerto in D, with Fandango, which I used to love playing. I wonder if any of the people who came to hear us remember it... come and hear me again, people from Wells-Next-the-Sea, and say hello! Then there was Whissonsett, I remember that and Wisbech, which is in Cambridgeshire I know, but nearby all the same. Did we play at Thurgarton? There is also a Thurgarton in Nottinghamshire so my mind might be playing tricks on me. Maybe it was the one in Notts we played at. I know I stayed at a lovely B&B - which might have been somewhere near Dereham and I remember our horn player accidentally locking the janitor out of the school we had gone to do a workshop in.
And now I am pleased to be returning and very glad of the opportunity provided by the King's Lynn Arts Festival. It would be nice if it was as sunny as in that picture but even if it's pouring with rain music is fun so if you can't go on your long walk, come and listen to classical guitar. My concert is this coming Sunday - July 22nd - in All Saints' Church, King's Lynn and tickets are £5.00, available from the Festival Box Office (at the Corn Exchange, King's Lynn (01553 764864) or on the door. There will be a glass of wine, tea/coffee and juices during the interval and everyone is welcome. The concert will help to raise funds for the Church and I am looking forward very much to playing there.

Birmingham's BE Festival

It was a privilege to be part of this fantastic Festival even in a very minor way. Follow them on Twitter @BEFestival There's still chance to catch another day of amazing performances so if you're within a million miles of Birmingham go and join the fun.

We did two sessions as the duo - look! NO RAIN! - in the courtyard -  and quite a few of the people milling amiably around were dancers and every so often they broke into spontaneous dancing to our music - which was really good fun to be part of.
And then there was the food... in its own spectacular fairy-lit industrial refectory... where the entire audience sits down together and eats delicious food before going back into the theatre space to watch the next performance.

Getting ready for the gig at Birmingham's BE Festival

We're very busy rehearsing a set for Thursday. Here we are, hard at work in a small studio in Brighton (The admirable Brighton Electric). It's a duo gig and that's Dominic. We've got about ten numbers ready and I think we might be doing two sets at different times. The event is a really good one if you enjoy amazing theatre from some of the best companies in Europe. There is the most extraordinary food and it's held in an old warehouse in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter called @ A. E. Harris.
The atmosphere is like being at a really great party. The festival lasts from 2-8 July. We're doing our bit on July 5th as part of the musical entertainment for the crowds as they relax between plays or make their way into the big dining hall for the delicious feasts. As a bonus we get to see some of the incredible performances.