Purple Wins !
The snow arrived today, and seems set to last through tomorrow. Not heavy, more like thick hail stones, but whatever the density the outcome is the same, a white road and a chilly zero temperature.
I had a tiny little thing for her first lesson today, a talented, eager and delightful small girl of 7 years from the next large village. Sometimes one can see a totally natural aptitude, a little rosebud mouth which does exactly what one wants it to do, and an ear that can up the scales by a semitone without giving it a thought. Well this small babe can do all of that, and I found myself smiling with glee at each new scale, as her lips made the utterly unflawed OO shape or AW shape, never wavering, and thus producing a true and pingy tone, absolutely in tune and centred.
The most important thing is however that she does not have any idea that it is a little unusual in one of her age, and so she just enjoyed herself and had a ball in her lesson! Potential indeed for the future. Infact her 20 minutes went in a flash.
I am away 'nunning' from next wednesday for 10 days, so I gave her two songs to learn, and so I will see how quickly she learns and memorises. Probably she will whizz through them and be bored by Sunday!
I know I have mentioned the wonderful Sing Together book before - but it is fantastic, and should be a compulsory textbook in all primary schools. Truly 'World Music' with little folksongs from all over, with piano accompaniments which are not out of the way for an average pianist, or even a less than average tinkler! My copy is wonderfully dog eared, has a broken back, pages float out when used and lots of pencillings jotted down for little people of years ago !
Try 'My Father's Garden', or 'Anna Marie', or maybe the jolly 'Smuggler's Song' for bouncy boys........I could go on and on.
Give it a try, use it in the classroom or musicroom for all your under 11's and I promise that they will enjoy it hugely.
Incidentally I have no shares in Oxford University Press; unfortunately!
PS I forgot, my wonderful Mezzo M came once again for a lesson today and is back in the saddle I think - new aria, excited about being in a concert once again and singing with such magnificent control, such huge ringing tone, and such joy - for both of us.
Guess what the new aria is?
That's right, 'Dido's Lament' Purcell. Scrumptious!
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