I've decided to use this as my primary blog rather than the blogging platform I've been testing out on my weebly website (http://www.charlotteheslop.co.uk). Hopefully if I do everything right it should redirect here once I'm done fixing it! Since I'll be deleting that one I am copying the old posts from there in to this post to save them for future reference.
----
Durham Singers 18/01/13
I recently answered a few questions for the Durham Singers with whom I'll be singing in Noye's Fludde, playing the role of Mrs Noye, on the 2nd March at Durham Cathedral. It was great singing the Mozart Requiem with them last November so I'm really excited about being able to join them again. I adore Britten so I've loved learning it and can't wait to get together with the other musicians.
Click here to read the interview!
----
Samling Academy 2013 (and other events) 07/10/13
I will once again be taking part in Samling Academy this year. Our masterclasses start this Friday and you can come and see the end product of our work at the Samling Academy Concert on the 20th October in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall at The Sage Gateshead. (You can buy tickets here!) I'm excited to once again work with Patricia MacMahon, Caroline Dowdle, Mandy Demetriou, as well as my fabulous teacher Miranda Wright, and will be working with Jonathan Gunthorpe for the first time this year. This academy provides valuable intensive masterclasses which last year taught me a huge amount and I'm hoping to learn just as much and more this time around.
In the meantime The Durham Singers will be hosting a St Matthew Passion workshop on the 12th October to explore the work ahead of their performance of it on the 23rd of November in which I will be singing as one of twelve soloists. Having sang with The Durham Singers on several occasions I am really looking forward to joining them again. They are a fantastic chamber choir who work at a high standard and are all so passionate about their music. I love their commitment to community music and their support of young musicians, from providing solo opportunities, performing compositions of young composers, working with younger choirs, I think it is a truly wonderful thing they are doing for Durham and the North East.
I am also excited to say that I will be a guest soloist with the Cleveland Philharmonic Choir for the first time on the 16th November for their "100 voices" concert. I will have more information about that a bit closer to the time.
----
Newcastle and Samling 16/10/13
The Newcastle Cathedral lunchtime recital series for this term has been cancelled so I will no longer be singing on the 29th November. I have been invited to sing next term instead so keep an eye out for a new date.
This years first Samling Academy weekend was a lot of fun with a lot gained. In particular working with actor Alex Hassell seemed to really take everyone to new levels. I certainly haven't been able to stop rehearsing things in my mind with these new ideas even when I have to stop physically practising. I imagine it'll take a month or two to really absorb everything talked about and to be able to utilise it fully but even trying these things for the first time has helped so much. After hearing for several years people talking about "new thoughts" in singing I feel like things have finally clicked and I have ways to make it happen now.
If you want to hear the results of our work don't forget to come along to the Samling Academy Concert: http://www.sagegateshead.com/event/samling-concert28285/
