Category — Music

I’ve just learned from my good friend David Henderson that he worked with the (now) late and (always) great Pavarotti during the first Three Tenors Event in Rome in July 1990.

David produced this promotional video at the time, featuring Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma - what else?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovFCFhjrWk]

Watch and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Pavarotti, opera, singer, Three Tenors, Nessun Dorma

One of the great joys of the Baha’i summer school in Bath was the music. I wish, I wish I could have been a competent musician, a singer-songwriter like the members of the Smith family from Cornwall. Sadly I drive good people to distraction with my piano playing, but I utterly lack the natural musicianship of Geoff and Michaela Smith and their daughter Rosie Smith. Their son Jordan is also part of the family band.

The Smiths kept us in music throughout the the recent Baha’i summer school in Bath. I could have wished them to play on and on and never stop. I can highly recommend their albums, particularly Fragile Leaf, Geoff and Michaela’s latest output, which I listened to about five times yesterday.

One morning they sang the prayer Baha’is know as the Long Healing Prayer to a setting of their own devising.

This was one of the most uplifting, spiritual experiences of Baha’i worship that I have ever had: Geoff Smith played a continuo on guitar, Rosie Smith on drum, Jordan Smith on maraccas, Michaela sang the verses - starting with “I call on Thee O Exalted One, O Faithful One, O Glorious One!” and led the chorus. Those of us sitting in the auditorium sang:

Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

It was a kind of musical meditation.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, musicians, Geoff and Michaela Smith, worship

There’s a really nice interview with Tierney Sutton here. She relates her music to her life as a Baha’i:

Well not really! Not personally. Tierney Sutton didn’t come round our house to sing just for Erica and me.

Wednesday of last week Erica and I celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary. I say “celebrated”, but Wednesday was a fairly busy day. An Equality and Diversity Forum meeting all morning, lunch with Brian Pearce, Director of the Inter Faith Network for the UK, and participating in a Royal Commonwealth Society inter-faith dialogue session at the Commonwealth Club kept me pretty busy.

I went straight from the Commonwealth Club to the basement of Pizza on the Park to listen to the Tierney Sutton Band.

Tierney Sutton is a wonderful jazz singer who happens to be a Baha’i. Or is she a Baha’i who happens to be a wonderful jazz singer? Whichever way, her voice and her band are worth some sacrifice to hear live. Rob Weinberg was kind enough to book a table for a number of friends at Pizza on the Park, where they have weekly live jazz.

In addition to Rob, Erica and me, Arman Danesh was there. So were Sean and Tebby Hinton, who are about to move to China with their children, Sarah and Ollie Perceval (Sarah’s the wonderful storyteller and teacher who conducted last weekend’s storytelling course, and Kerry Ann Smith.

The basement was well filled for the gig. We ate our pizzas and waited for the lights to go down and the band to come onto the small performance area.

Sutton sings a mixture of standards from the American song book, some happy, quite a lot are sad. The thrill comes from the arrangements (which the band does consultatively) - I had actually had to listen quite hard sometimes to detect the melodies on which the arrangements were based - Sutton’s voice - spot on pitch and she’s a great exponent of scat singing - and the band’s ensemble (it’s “togetherness”). Tierney told us the band had been together 15 years. They listen; they listen hard to each other; and they are, each of them, great musicians. Somebody in our party referred to them as “tight”. This was not a reference to a state of inebriation - they were drinking bottled water on stage - but to the way they all slotted their jigsaw of parts together to make a glorious whole.

Tierney said nothing about her faith during the gig, but she did say that the band works collectively on the arrangements - an oblique reference to the Baha’i practice of consultation.

I love jazz. I listen to quite a lot of recorded music. But there’s nothing to beat the real thing, live in front of an audience. It’s a great way to celebrate 37 years of marriage - particularly at a time when marriage is increasingly out of fashion or seen as a “lifestyle choice” rather than as a lifetime commitment.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, music, jazz, Tierney Sutton, marriage

Yes, sadly I have to admit it. Before this weekend just gone, I had never been to Geneva before.

Sad, really, to have waited until I am almost 60 to visit such a beautiful city.

To be honest I had no reason to be there other than to accompany Mrs Barnabas and Wendi Momen on a business trip. They were going there for a George Ronald Publisher Ltd editorial/board meeting with May Hofman, with whom we stayed in Le Lignon in the municipality of Vernier.

May and husband Paul Ojermark live in a vast 1960s complex of flats which is almost a kilometre long. It sounds horrendous, but is much more pleasant than one might expect, given the age and size of this complex. May and Paul have a wonderful view across the

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

It seems that African Body Percussion is the thing — rhythmic stomping and hitting oneself as a form of exercise. Well, daughter-in-law Vicky is into this big time and she’s sent this message — yes, more shameless promotion for a member of my family.

As you may know, we have been working hard on a DVD called ‘Tribal Groove‘ for several months! We filmed last summer and now the DVD is finally complete!

As you can imagine, we would like to get as much publicity as possible and spread this as far and wide as we can. The DVD is excellent and not only teaches people how to do some fantastic body percussion moves, it’s also GREAT to use with children and youth of any age as it focuses on implementing communication skills, respect and virtues into everyday life.

We are selling the standard edition off our own site initially (www.africanbodypercussion.com) but will soon be also selling it on Amazon, Play.com and possibly in HMV and Virgin. We would be SO grateful if you could help us out by purchasing a copy - The standard edition is currently being sold at a reduced price at ?10.95 (until 31st August) and is really great value for money with hours of learning and exercise on it!

If you don’t want a copy yourself, then if you know anyone with kids, it makes a superb pressie! It’s also great for anyone who wants to learn an exciting new exercise so don’t feel they have to have children to buy a copy!

We would love it if you could email all your contacts and let them know about Tribal Groove, as that would really help us out in spreading the word.

Thanks very much and if you have any questions about the DVD, do email me! If you also have any ideas about promoting it, then of course, drop me a line.

Visit the website and pass the message on! By the way, Vicky’s email address is victoria[at]littleguru.co.uk

Technorati Tags: African Body Percussion, exercise, Tribal Groove, communication

Synkronyst is Tom Leith’s music site. I guess I’m allowed some parental bias here, but I really like the music and I think the site’s visuals are striking.

I strongly recommend a visit!

Technorati Tags: Synkronyst, music