Happy Spring!

The Austerity Playbook at Hoxton Hall

Spring is finally here!  I tend to go into hibernation mode during the winter and am so glad that we've officially crossed the threshold and summer isn't too far away.  :)

So, things have been pretty quiet.  Being part of the satirical jazz musical, The Austerity Playbook, with was a blast!  It was an absolute whirlwind of learning, rehearsals and finally the performance but I had so much fun working with the other singers and it all came together in the end.   There were no diva dresses or fascinators for me this time.  Felt strange to be on stage in drab clothes but it was part of my persona as a librarian.  Note the glasses for added authenticity!

Last month I made a return to Ipswich Jazz Club with my Nina Simone show.  It was almost exactly 3 years since my previous visit.  How time flies!  The audience loved the show and it was fun to perform those beautiful songs again.

This week I'm back on the rural road with Bond to Bowie in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. 

Fri 5 April - Toynton Village Hall, Spilsby
Sat 6 April - North Thoresby Village Hall, Grimsby
Sun 7 April - Winthorpe Community Centre, Newark

And I've started writing again!  It's been a while but hoping to have some new songs ready very soon. 

Happy New You!

Jazz Carols at Methodist Central Hall Westminster

I've never been a huge fan of New Year's resolutions and I'm not going to start now.  I believe in New Day's resolutions.  :D  Every morning we can set the reset button and plan to make the changes we want in our lives.  As well as planning the changes, we also need to actually carry them out (that's normally where I get stuck!) but I'm working on it...

I had my first ever experience of working with a choir for the Hull Jazz Festival in November.  The Hull Junior Choir sang beautifully and it was wonderful to hear them sing backing vocals to my original song Little Things from Spellbound Stories.  A really highlight of the year!

Hull Jazz Festival 2018 poster 

Albemarle Music Centre - venue for the concert with Hull Junior Choir

And then I had another chance to share the stage with some great gospel singers for the Jazz Carols concert at Westminster Central Hall with the Dan Forshaw Quartet.  I love singing in a group and our harmonies we sang for Silent Night (arranged by German saxophonist Birgitta Flick) really was magical - sent chills up my spine!  And I also got to meet Songs of Praise and ex-Blue Peter Presenter Diane Louise Jordan who presented the concert.  A lovely woman!

Jazz Carols poster

After the concert with the lovely Diane Louise Jordan

And it's not stopping there because I'll be singing with 3 other wonderful singers for the new jazz recital performance of The Austerity Playbook making its London debut on 18 January at Hoxton Hall.  Some great music written by Andrea Vicari to lyrics about the austerity measures in the UK through the decades.  Maybe I'll see some of you there.

Happy New Year, Happy New You!