From quiet joy to drums and drama! And yes, I’m just taking you on a tour of my favourite composers now. But if that isn’t something you like, what on earth are you doing here? This piece is a total…
Advent Calendar Day 21: Behold, I bring you glad tidings – Gibbons
Only five days left until Christmas morning, so I think we are about ready for some glad tidings of great joy! And, as you may have gathered, few things bring me more musical joy than a verse anthem by Orlando…
Advent Calendar Day 20: The Lamb – Tavener
From medieval lyrics with a modern melody to a very modern lullaby, and from the 18th century to the 20th. John Tavener apparently wrote this piece as a birthday present for his three year old nephew. My niece is three,…
Advent Calendar Day 19: O Little One Sweet *and* Schlafe, mein Liebster – JS Bach
I knew I wanted some Bach in this bracket, but I couldn’t decide whether to go with O Little One Sweet, which is a standalone carol, or Schlafe, Mein Liebster, the lullaby from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. But then I realised…
Advent Calendar Day 18: Coventry Carol (Anon)
I think the most well-known of all the lullay-themed carols for a modern audience is the Coventry Carol. The melody is, in fact, one of the first things I learned how to play on the recorder when I was at…
Recipe: Passionfruit and Mango Pâté des Fruits
This was my first attempt at modifying Kirsten Tibbals’ recipe for Passionfruit Pâté de Fruit using the Lotus brand of Citrus Pectin. And… first time lucky, apparently, because this really worked. It’s nothing like my old pectin jellies, but it’s…