New Beginnings

Since the beginning of December, I have been on a bit of a health kick.  Some of you may be wondering what this has to do with playing the harp, but it has EVERYTHING to do with it!  Over the past 3 years I have had quite a lot of shoulder discomfort that I put down to holding my arms up for harping and driving for long periods of time as well as the pressure involved in performing in often quite highly charged situations.  In early January a flyer for Pilates classes in my village came through my letterbox and I thought this was a serendipitous opportunity to take advantage of the first class at half price to see if I liked it.  I tried Yoga a few years ago and it just wasn't my thing.  I went to my first class with a little fear and anticipation, and I was not very good of course, but something clicked for me, my body seemed to love the feeling of gentle movement and stretching and being taken care of for the first time in quite a while.  I committed to trying it for 6 weeks and I started going to classes in both Meltham and Holmfirth twice a week.  Sometimes I would come out of class feeling infuriated that I couldn't manage one of the exercises, other times I came out on a cloud as both my mind and body were at peace.  I bought a Pilates mat, a chi-ball, dynabands and a block.  Now I do 10 minutes stretching and grounding before I start my harp practice which gets me in touch with my body and clears my mind, and on the days I don't have class I do up to an hour at home.  One of the benefits for me is that I can do it when and wherever I want, and especially in hotel rooms when I'm working away.  The classes are run by the amazing Anne Little and she is assisted by Julie and Karen, who is a physiotherapist, so I really feel I'm in good hands.  I have had one of the best Winters on a personal level after quite a challenging time in 2017, and I put a lot of that down to discovering this incredible form of physical activity.  I feel stronger both physically and mentally and I wish I had discovered Pilates years ago.   I am certain that it has had a positive effect on my harp practice too - I have been reminded that subtleness is crucial.  What I've found is that if I try too hard or not hard enough then I don't feel the benefit.  Funny that!  In my first classes I was tensing up and feeling nothing.  And then there's the breathing.  Translating what I learn in Pilates into my harp work is fascinating and has given my playing a new lease of life.

http://www.talkactive.co.uk/classes/modern-pilates

Great to practice Pilates with my assistant, especially when she climbs on my tummy as I'm doing abdominal work...

Look at that spine mobility - her abs are in pretty good shape for a 14 year old!  And happy non slip socks are a must for me.

Feast or Famine

                      Of Leeks and Dragons - Happy St David's Day!

Well, it's St David's Day so what better reason for a blog post, and what better way to start a blog post than with a photo of leeks and dragons?  It's been a busy few days and on Saturday I was working with Wrexham Symphony Orchestra rehearsing and performing a concert of opera excerpts, including some Puccini (Butterfly, Boheme and Tosca).  There were some exciting performances from the talented students of the North Wales Opera Studio, an exciting venture created by Anne Williams King and David Bartleet and the orchestra was on form.  I have performed with WSO on several occasions and this concert was quite different with the orchestra being on the floor making way for the singers on stage.  Add to that a few props and appropriate outfits, and along with the stand lights and a darkened hall, it made for a memorably theatrical experience!

The unique tile design in the foyer at Wrexham Glyndwr University

During the concert I received a call inviting me to replace a poorly harpist the following day at Huddersfield Town Hall for a midday rehearsal and afternoon concert.  Luckily I knew the piece well (the gorgeous Sea Pictures by Elgar) and I accepted.  I enjoy the occasional challenge - it keeps me on my toes - and all the way home from Wrexham I tried to remember any elements from the piece, how it sounded and how it looked on the page.  I got my part out when I got home and listened to a bit of the first movement and felt reassured that it would be alright, and I got my 4 hour sleep!

Adrenaline is a funny thing and I recently went through a phase when, somewhat frustratingly, it felt like the performance was over in a millisecond, but lately it feels like slow motion which is much more enjoyable.

Huddersfield Town Hall cherubs

The spectacular Town Hall organ

One of the joys of being a freelance musician is, as the name suggests, the freedom that comes with this career, and it can be difficult to balance, especially when the diary looks empty and I feel I need a holiday and a staycation just won't do!  However, as I look back over this blog I realise how lucky I have been recently to enjoy some very special moments filled with amazing music.  Lately my head has been more full of music than it has for quite some time and I am loving that.

Twentieth Century Music

Next week I will be rehearsing and performing Webern's Symphony.  It's a piece I didn't know but the first time I listened to it, it really resonated quite deeply with me.  I always enjoy working on "modern" (define modern...) music.  It was composed in 1928, ninety years ago, so not that modern.  It puts me in touch with a part of my brain that isn't particularly dominant - logic!!  It's very mathematical, another of my weaker points, and through working on this kind of music, there is an expression, intimacy and freedom to be found that is quite different from the musical genres I usually interpret.

About four years ago I performed ST10-1 by Xenakis, an amazing chamber piece for 10 players, and I absolutely loved every minute of it.  I remember when I first saw the score wondering how on earth I was going to manage it, to crack the code, but after initially freaking out, I broke it down into small chunks and found the very challenging sections and the slightly easier sections where I could just sit back and relax (a bit!)  Luckily I had the score a couple of months before the concert so I was able to chip away at it over quite a long period of time, and I listened to as many recordings as I could as often as I could.  There were days where I wanted to throw it, the harp and myself out of the window!  

Webern was similarly economical in his instrumentation - the Symphony is scored for 9 players and is an intriguing work.  I have realised that over the years I have gained quite a substantial orchestral repertoire and I enjoy going to new levels with pieces I know quite well, so this piece is a refreshing and interesting challenge.  I have been reminded to trust and enjoy the process - ten days ago it sounded like nothing; today, as I took a step back and listened, I felt I might get there....

Puccini

My passion for opera was ignited when I was 17 and I saw my first opera, The Love for Three Oranges by Prokofiev.  I was blown away!  When I was in my third year as an undergraduate at the RNCM I was fortunate enough to be invited to perform Madama Butterfly.  I just loved being in the pit, and being part of the excitement of all the musical and theatrical elements around me.  This was over 25 years ago and I don't think I truly got it.  

My first professional job was with the Cape Town Philharmonic, an orchestra that performed symphonic, ballet and operatic repertoire (more about that in a future post).  Imagine my delight when Madama Butterfly came up!  And with an Italian conductor!  Again, I don't think I got it - I was going through a phase where I was quite rigid musically, and Puccini demands so much flexibility, a real feel for every note and the space between the notes, and very specific sound qualities.

I had another stroke of luck in 2012 when I was invited to perform Butterfly again, this time with Opera North, and I like to think this time I got it!  Everything seemed to fall into place and I really felt I knew where each note belonged and its significance.  Puccini always writes the most amazing harp parts and I have enjoyed each of his operas that I have learnt.  My all time favourites are Butterfly of course, and La Boheme, and I often shed a tear in the pit!  They're not easy but they just work and fall into the fingers, and are a joy to relearn - there's always a new detail to discover and a different way to interpret a phrase or a new fingering to try.

I will be performing Butterfly again with Opera North on the 28th January.  If you haven't seen a Puccini opera, go along and experience it for yourselves - and remember to take your tissues!

In the pit before the dress rehearsal.  "America Forever" (it's one of Pinkerton's lines in Act 1)  Photograph by Michael Ardron

Welcome to my Blog - a glimpse into my life as a freelance harpist.

Offstage Harp

Earlier this month I was invited to perform with the Hallé in Manchester.  The piece was Wagner's Venusberg Music from his opera Tannhauser.  Now, I have a soft spot for opera and for Wagner, and I performed seven entire Ring cycles with Opera North last year.  At over 15 hours per cycle, that felt like an epic project and I was ready for a holiday at the end!  This piece was somewhat shorter at 20 minutes or so and with a very different intensity.  The section of music I was playing is about 2 minutes long accompanying the wonderful ladies of the Hallé Choir along with a small offstage band.  Picture this - we were about 30 metres away from the orchestra and conductor, tucked away in a reception area.  There was a monitor so we could see the conductor and we also had our very own conductor.  Flexibility is crucial in this sort of situation as there are all sorts of variables, and in the last rehearsal I was asked to tune my harp slightly sharper as the distance was making it sound a bit flat, and to move my harp to a different position as it wasn't prominent enough.  This meant I had to turn my head to the left to see our conductor - ouch!  The concert was being broadcast live on the radio so there was a little pressure!  I really enjoyed the experience and you can still listen to the concert on iplayer.

That unmistakeable accent

Mental preparation