The Coverwood Concerts were a huge success in 2007 with one highlight after the other over the three day festival.
The Friday evening was a triumph with sixteen string players from the London Chamber Orchestra on the platform, led by Rosemary Furniss and conducted by her charismatic husband, Christopher Warren-Green.
The young 'Scottish' tenor, Nicky Spence joined me as soloist and our programme ranged from Monteverdi and Handel to Bernstein and Bizet.
The orchestra played superbly and the Tchaikovsky 'Serenade for Strings' was pure magic. The Coverwood Concerts have leapt to a new and exciting level and I'm delighted to say the LCO will be back again this summer. This could be a match made in heaven!
2007 also marked a change of auditorium; the concerts were moved from the hay barn, in which they'd taken place for sixteen years, to the cowbarn which is slightly raked and provides better visibility for members of the audience.
The change was deemed a success by both performers and audiences and our plan is to use the cowbarn again next year.
Saturday was a typical Coverwood Concert featuring the incomparable Linda Ormiston, James Nicol and Donald Maxwell with our star accompanist Angela Livingstone at the keyboard. For those who don't know, the piano used for the Coverwood Concerts is my very own Bluthner; year after year, it picks up it's pedals and courtesy of Rick Hubberstead, makes the journey round Pitch Hill to the farm where it is installed for the festival.
Because it is an elderly piano, Ann Metson looks after it for me with loving care and each night it is put to bed covered in a duvet and several blankets to keep out the damp!
We were joined on the Saturday by the brilliant young harpist, Victoria Davies. It has been a number of years since Victoria performed at Coverwood. In the interim she has gained a degree in music from Oxford University and spent over a year teaching harp in Bankok. Keep an eye open for this young lady – she is seriously talented and headed for stardom.
On both Friday and Saturday we had the Coverwood Wind Quintet playing in the arbour beside top lake as members of the audience picnicked. The quintet, led by Sheila Hurton, has become a great favourite and their mellow tones drift delightfully across the evening air before the main event.
On the Sunday this year, however, we broke with tradition and invited the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble to play beside the lake as well as in the Barn. It proved a great success and they have agreed to follow the same format this year.
Yes, Angela Whelan and her husband Si will be returning with the ensemble this June; their performance was such an enormous hit that we asked them back immediately and to our great delight they agreed.
And a week or so later, Angela gave birth to a healthy baby boy whom they have named Ben – so congratulations to them all and we'll look forward to introducing the young man to the Coverwood audience this summer.
In addition to our brilliant brass players, Jim, Linda and Angela were their usual magnificent selves, though poor Linda had to do battle with an unexpected attack of hayfever. Her professionalism won the day and as ever, the show went on!
All in all we had a marvellous festival in 2007 and the weather was pretty kind to us when you consider what a ghastly summer we had.
And the music was spectacular. The orchestra, conductor, instrumentalists and singers were all in terrific shape and had a great time performing before the wonderful Coverwood audiences.
Our dates in 2008 are June 13th, 14th and 15th 2008 and artists appearing are as follows;
Friday June 13th; London Chamber Orchestra, conductor Christopher Warren-Green with me as soprano soloist. Rosemary Furniss, who leads the orchestra, will also be our instrumental soloist for the evening.
Saturday June 14th; Linda Ormiston, me, James Nicol, Angela Livingstone and the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble.
Sunday June 15th; Linda Ormiston, me, Donald Maxwell, Angela Livingstone, the Tomala Trio with Heather Tomala, virtuoso recorder, Tom Fleming, guitar and James O'Toole, violin and star coloratura soprano, Victoria Joyce.
The concerts will take place in the cowbarn once again and details on how to order tickets for the concert or concerts of your choice are on the new Coverwood Concert Website which is
I do hope we'll see you at one, two or indeed all of our concerts -and we're sure that there'll be something for everyone in each of our exciting programmes.
I'm planning an exciting series of operatic weekends in the stunningly beautiful Surrey Hills. This area of designated outstanding natural beauty is wonderful for walking, horse riding, mountain biking and simply relaxing.
The courses will begin on Saturday morning at 9.30 am with an introduction to the weekend, and a chance to meet fellow singers. The weekend will finish at 9.30 pm on Sunday evening with a concert featuring those singers on the programme who wish to take part.
Participants will be able to enjoy individual and group training in vocal technique: drama; singing in English, French, Italian, German and Czech; they will have the opportunity to learn about stage craft and stage make-up; and above all they will experience coaching from some of the world's greatest musicians.
Cranleigh is the largest village in the UK. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, this friendly community boasts a great variety of shops, restaurants and amenities.
Bed and breakfast in the village can be arranged and if you would prefer to stay in a more rural setting, this too is possible should you have your own transport.
Guildford is only fifteen minutes from Cranleigh by car and you can enjoy a leisurely bus ride into Surrey's famous and historic county town from the centre of the village.
The Course
Each singer will be offered an hour of individual vocal technique, and an hour's individual coaching on both days.
There will be master classes so that singers can benefit from performing to an audience whilst receiving constructive and encouraging advice from an international professional singer.
Individual and group sessions can be arranged to improve singing in Italian, French, German and Czech.
Professional opera singers, directors and repetiteurs will offer advice on how to improve performance on the operatic stage and concert platform.
The aim of SHOWS is to help singers of all standards to improve in a friendly and inspiring environment. All instruction will be carried out in a constructive manner which will bring the best out of every student.
I believe that the superb, high-level tuition will improve not only students' skill in singing but also build confidence in performing. Enjoyment is the key word for students and teachers alike.
If you are interested in SHOWS, do please let me know and I shall put you on the mailing list. A leaflet containing information about dates, location and artists taking part in this exciting new venture will be available in the autumn.
Internationally renowned soprano Kathryn Harries, popular broadcaster Margaret Howard and virtuoso young pianist Sarah Beth Briggs have recently joined their considerable talents to create a series of programmes.
Margaret Howard became a household name through BBC Radio 4's Pick of the Week.
Also well known as a founder presenter of Classic FM, Margaret's awards have included:-
The Sony Radio Personality of the Year 1984 The Voice of the Listener Award for Individual Excellence in Broadcasting 1991 Television and Radio Industry Personality of the Year 1996
Acclaimed world-wide as a "great singing actor", Kathryn Harries' performances in 2004 and 2005 included dates in Antwerp, Ghent, Hamburg, Amsterdam and Chicago. She stunned audiences and critics alike as the Kostelnička in Janacek's Jenufa at the 2004 Glyndebourne Festival.
"Kathryn Harries was terrific in the central role of the Kostelnička. Her singing was superb; the part has a huge range and Harries gave it everything in terms of colour, expression and piercing, focused pianissimo." (The Sunday Telegraph)
Kathryn, Margaret and Sarah have created a number of fascinating programmes with themes as varied as 'Women and Love', 'In Praise of England' and 'The Elements', designed to attract and enrapture audiences wherever they are performed.
An inspiring combination of music selected from the best of opera, concert arias and lieder, together with gems from the solo piano repertoire, is complemented by Margaret Howard's carefully chosen readings – some thought-provoking, some light-hearted.
Highlights from the first of these evenings, 'Women and Love', include extracts from Schumann's 'Frauen Liebe und Leben', operatic arias from Mozart, Puccini and Verdi and solo piano music by Beethoven, Chopin and Brahms.
Inventively-themed poetry and prose complete this rather special trio's performance in a collaboration sure to delight concert-goers everywhere.
The Sony Radio Personality of the Year 1984
