2020

So, what’s in store for me?

Violinist Rakhi Singh has asked me to write her a piece. What a joy - I’m working on it right now so I won’t say too much. It will be premiered by her at Alex Groves' SOLO concert series in the CLF Art Café, Bussey Building in Peckham, London on the 26th March. 

I’ve just finished writing a song for the BBC Singers which is another massive privilege. Once again I've set a poem by Marina Tsvetaeva. Her poems are just amazing. The one I set was actually written when she was exactly my age and is all about the urgency and vitality of creativity. It will be broadcast on International Women’s Day on BBC Radio 3. 

I’m writing a new set of songs with Toby Litt expressly for SATB protesting (!) which I realise is a bit niche but I want to build up a collection of songs which aren’t so much protest songs but songs which add gravitas and even optimism to what can often be tense environments or even annoyingly mundane environments dominated by car horns and street sounds. It's lovely working with Toby again. His latest novel “Patience” is excellent by the way.

At the end of September “Rest" gets its SATB complete premier in a beautiful woodland clearing as part of Hidden Notes ii (which is looking like another year of exciting artists)

My band Mandel (like an almond) are playing at the Union Chapel really soon - on the 8th of February. It's a bit different but also massively linked to my normal music making ways - and crucially - rather than sitting nervously in the audience - I will be standing nervously on the stage playing - violin, piano, metallaphone and singing. We're on track to record our first EP at the end of February.

To add to this release, Hermes Experiment will be releasing a CD on Delphian Records which will include the two songs I wrote for them and also this year Jodie Landau and I are co-releasing the songs I wrote for him on Bedroom Community.