If your inbox is anything like mine it will have been deluged over the last few days with requests from all your favourite charities urging you to take part in the ‘Big Give Christmas Challenge’ which will enable them to double the value of your gift.
Since all of them are mega worthy I was not going to add to the noise except to put in a very small shout for the London Handel Festival’s The Isle is Full of Noises workshops giving 360 children and young people from low-income families access to a creative arts workshop in London schools. More details here.
What this post was actually about was Christmas presents you might want to give.
A few weeks ago Arthur Keegan, who many of you will remember from our Thomas Hardy poems concert in the summer, contacted me to say that should anyone be looking for Christmas gifts, maybe they would be interested in giving a support package for the Wessex Songs project. This would include the planned walking and singing tour of Hardy country next July. Check in here to find out more.
And then it occurred to me that a CD of Nathaniel Mander, our lovely spinet player’s Goldberg Variations (which have won rave reviews) would also make an excellent Christmas present. £12.50 direct from Nat’s site here. And to jog your memories, here is our in house ‘sketcher’, Alison Gardiner’s drawing of Nathaniel in full flow at Hampstead Lane.
And on the subject of CDs how about a copy of Madeleine Mitchell’s Violin Conversations – a selection of pieces for violin and piano many of which were written for Madeleine. Tick off Thea Musgrave, Alan Rawsthorne, Errollyn Wallen, Joseph Horovitz and Howard Blake – among others! You can buy the disc for £11.99 from the Naxos site here.
Or….. A CD from the wonderful Voice Trio – Clemmie, Emily and Victoria – who we heard in the chapel back in the summer. You can hear them in full voice here (scroll down) and there is a selection of their CDs on offer on their site here – where you can listen to some clips.
Or….. You could treat a friend to a trip to Fanny: the other Mendelssohn, Sheila Hayman’s wonderful documentary about her great, great, great grandmother – with Isata Kanneh-Mason. Check in here for current listings or go to the Curzon on line platform (free membership).
Or…..
You could just pop along to Hampstead Lane this afternoon or tomorrow for some of Khulood’s lovely artworks which would make stunning Christmas presents. And, if you get your skates on, you could even make it to this afternoon’s 6pm oud concert with Rihab Azar.
£15 for the concert, a glass of wine and a snack – and you can pay on the door – we now have a card machine!
Dear Michelle
Sadly I will not be able to join you this weekend or in January as away on a long walk. I look forward to joining you in 2024 and want to thank you for laying on so many musical and culinary treats in 2023.
All Good Wishes
Catharine
Catharine Wells
Oh bless you, Catharine – and sorry that you will not make Emma Kirkby in January. However, I hope you havea a wonderful long walk (sounds very intriguing) and we will look forward to seeing you later in the year. Michelle