Out in Göttingen, Germany recording Kerst Sikkema, originally from the Netherlands. We met during his visits to the Northumbria Community – and he sang on the Alone and Together recordings. Since then he has continued to write songs, a collection of Daily prayers (called Breeze) and Peace prayers for a community of foreign students, workers and refugees living in Germany. Oh, and the Bratwurst was wunderbar
Just returned from another fantastic recording session in Sweden, working with Viola Grafström and some wonderful singers and acoustic players. Viola’s small studio is in a beautiful location next to a river – and if you are fortunate, in the early evening, you might catch a site of the local beavers passing by.
“Stöld” är en vild och vacker berättelse om en ung urfolksflicka vars familj är samiska renskötare. Hon blir vittne till hur hennes kalv brutalt dödas, och som så ofta händer utreder inte polisen brottet.
“Stolen” is a wild and beautiful story about a young indigenous girl whose family are Sámi reindeer herders. She witnesses her calf being brutally killed, and as so often happens, the police do not investigate the crime.
This wonderfully written book is now a Netflix film although I would urge you to read the book first.
We will be travelling to France to take part in Fête de la Musique. Excited to lead a creative songwriting workshop. Fête de la Musique is an annual celebration of music on the 21st June. On this wonderful day, music is promoted throughout the country. Everybody is urged to play music outside, in their neighbourhoods or in public spaces and parks. Many free concerts are organized and musicians play for fun and not for payment.
It was wonderful to meet Andreas Keller who told me about a Swiss tradition of blessing the land using a milk churn funnel.
Read MoreThis year will be quite a year for the Czech people – 100 years as an independent nation, 50 years since the Prague Spring and 25 years since the Czech Republic was founded. Music played a part in this story with Marta Kunišová’s song ‘A Prayer for Marta’ becoming an anthem of the resistance in 1968. Will be thinking of our friends as they remember these significant times during this year of 2018.
Romana Kročilová grew up wanting to sing, dance and act but as a young girl she was told she wasn’t slim enough to dance and not able to pitch high notes. She decided to go to the doctor for help and he told her that she had a vocal chord disease and shouldn’t shout, whisper or sing! Her faith and her perseverance kept her childhood dreams alive and she eventually got a place in a music conservatory and she now sings in many bands and has sung in the Opera Carmen. Listen to her performing 2 Czech folk songs. Read More
You won’t find it on a map and its not recognised by the UN! Yet this slither of land between the Dniester river and the Ukraine is home to 500,000, has a government, army and passport (that is not recognised outside of the territory). Transnistria proclaimed independence from Moldova in 1990 to remain part of the Soviet Union (who also don’t recognise the country). Sadly this has given rise to it being “a major haven for smuggling weapons and women” (Wall Street Journal). The good news – the only place I have come across that doesn’t have a McDonalds!
Sometimes an unexpected moment happens that says much about a people. Whilst in Moldova last year we took a boat trip up the river – a fun time where pop music blared out from the Captains playlist. Now and again youngsters would dance to the DJ type music but as soon as this piece of music was played; dance exploded amongst the old and young – it seemed to be deep within their souls. Always interesting when a ‘sound from the land’ moves people to express themselves. I have heard that Moldovan weddings are a spectacle of dance and people singing very loudly.
One of the poorest countries in Europe with an average wage of $250- but most on around $1- a day! Read More
We were back in the mountains of Moniatis with the Gateways community for another year of sharing with the 2nd years on culture. This year we had also been invited to a wedding of one of our previous students. Read More
I am back after a Swedish tour with musician friend Mark Riley from Hawai’i. During a couple of days off, I got to capture some video of this beautiful country. I also met up with Annelie Westerlund from Alingsås, who talked about the resurgence of folk music. She also told me some great stories of how music had impacted her life and how she was able to use music to encourage others.
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