12th July 2017
by harryfiddler
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I’m about to head off to Europe for a few weeks. Come with me! I’ll be blogging from Musique Cordiale in Seillans and from Dartington International Summer School. Of course, I’ll also be missing fabulous stuff in Sydney, but will … Continue reading
18th March 2017
by harryfiddler
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Digging through an archive is a bit like piecing together a puzzle. Most of the bits are there, but they need putting together, and once you have put them together you realise that something is missing. It’s like the yarning, … Continue reading
21st October 2016
by harryfiddler
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Busy studying this week so no reviews until Sunday, when I’m seeing this. Instead, I’m posting a piece I wrote back in 2011 to celebrate this month’s guest visit from Sydney Symphony’s former chief conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, along with a … Continue reading
29th September 2016
by harryfiddler
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Are you ready? https://unbound.com/books/sanctuary I’m thrilled and not a little bit nervous to announce my new book, Sanctuary, a history of Dartington International Summer School in words and pictures. You may have gathered from that something was in the pipeline. … Continue reading
19th August 2016
by harryfiddler
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First concert for the Dartington Festival Orchestra last night, with this year’s crop of student conductors. It was an all-Beethoven program, with Joanna MacGregor clocking up her third concert in as many days in the Triple Concerto, with (equally frantic) … Continue reading
18th August 2016
by harryfiddler
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I’m reading Nicholas Cook’s excellent Music: a very short introduction. It’s a great counterpoint to the mad whirl of music-making, -talking, -listening to and -not listening to that is Dartington International Summer School. In it he talks about music and … Continue reading
15th August 2016
by harryfiddler
2 Comments
Yesterday started with one of my favourite sounds in the whole wide world. At approximately 9.17am around fifty voices sang five note rising and descending scales, in unison. The sound of the Big Choir warming up, their rusty morningness filtered … Continue reading
14th August 2016
by harryfiddler
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It begins at the turn-off to Buckfastleigh. I’m driving my father’s car. He’s next to me. We’ve done this journey so many times — together, alone. We know all the twists and bends and signs. I refrain from saying … Continue reading
1st September 2012
by harryfiddler
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A guest post from Jeremy Wilson, archivist to Dartington International Summer School Being a Trog gives particular insights into the character and personality of artists, never more so than in the green room. Before going on stage some are quiet … Continue reading
29th August 2012
by harryfiddler
5 Comments
It all started about a year ago. My brother, organised and thoughtful as ever, emailed me looking for suggestions for our father’s 80th birthday. After listening politely to my hopeless ideas, he said, “Shouldn’t we get someone to write a … Continue reading