Cherry blossom

Beautiful picture!

So pretty :o)

Absolutely, I want to go there!

great picture what a beautiful tree

Hello Ann, welcome to GoY!

Thank you . . . I'm in seventh heaven with all this blossom around!

What a stunning cloister.

It is, Grandma, and I feel so lucky to live within striking distance of Cambridge, and can visit the beautiful colleges (and occasionally their gardens). OH and I went to a concert on Friday evening in the chapel of St John's College, and I made the most of walking through the grounds!!

What a treat Sheila, what was the concert?

isnt it gorgeous ~ its like a wedding dress!!

It was a treat . . . The Sixteen (unaccompanied small ensemble who sing early music) - their voices were just amazing, soaring up to the roof of the chapel!

What a lovely picture Sheila ! it's gorgeous ... we spent a day in Cambridge last year walking down ' The Backs ' i'm afraid the garden wasn't open then :o(

I don't think it was yesterday, Amy . . . I just put a foot inside the gate and snapped! And I thought I could hear a rehearsal of Verdi's Requiem in King's - what a bonus. :))

If I remember rightly, Clare College is one of the few that used to have girl choristers. I don't know how much that has changed in the 30 years since I was a chorister, but I'm pretty sure it was Clare. Kings was all boys of course. How wonderful to hear the Verdi being rehearsed....just like watching Ispector Morse!...I know ,he was Oxford, but you know what I mean!

I do, Karen! How lovely to have been a chorister . . . where was that? have you ever sung Verdi's Requiem? I think I'd like the Agnes Dei at my funeral - but hopefully not quite yet!!

Gosh! That's stunning! You're sooo lucky to live near such beautiful buildings...it's all very civilised!

Shelia, I have 'choristered' all over the country, including in St Alban's Cathedral, but I had the privilege to be a paid chorister at Greys Inn Chapel in London (one of the Inns of Court) and also at St Pancras church. Ah, those were the days. We used to rehearse brand new pieces once before going in to the service and it always had to be perfect! Stress.....yup, I know all about that! The job at Greys Inn was better fun because there were four paid professionals and four young barristers as well. We had more laughs and we used to get to perform at huge banquets with all the Judges and all that....wonderful experiences. The dining hall was something else there....all gilt and portraits and great long tables, just like an Oxbridge college dining hall, but much much posher (if you can imagine that!). Yes, I have sung Verdi's Requiem, once, when I was a student at RNCM in Manchester. I hope they don't play it at my funeral though, too scary! I don't miss my performing days at all, but when I look back on the memories, I was so lucky to have those experiences, both the fun ones and the scary ones! One of the worst memories I have of those times was of performing the 40 part motet by Thomas Tallis and getting completely lost in the middle! Gosh, I never want to ever, ever do that again! lol ...

Beautiful photos Sheila

Karen - I don't think "Wow!!" is quite enough . . . what AMAZING experiences. I've often thought how lovely it must be to be part of a choir - like a second family almost. Are you a soprano? (I shall imagine you singing in your garden from now on.) I once took part in "Opera pieces" at the Barbican (I assure you, ANYONE could apply) . . rehearsed in pm, "performed" to friends and family in the evening. "200 of us sat in the auditorium with the BBC Chorus on the stage, and some of them had the chance of a solo, which was great, and Terry-someone was the brilliant Choirmaster who gave us all an enjoyable day. I had a few singing lessons at the time, and to apply for the music had to say if I was a soprano or mezzo - I asked my wicked teacher what I was, and he said "Awful!"

lol Sheila! Yes, they were amazing experiences. However, by the time I met my OH I was really in a mess. I was never cut out for the amount of personal and professional rejections I met with in that environment, and the manner and behaviour of the strong egos that pervade that world. I'm glad to be a Scottish Housewife and Gardener Sheila! The people who make a decent living in the Classical Music business, and can stand to be surrounded by professional 'artists' all of their lives have my admiration, they are made of tougher stuff than me!! :))

Sheila and Karen I have just sung with our choir the Verdi, Requiem, awesome, and next it will be Stainers, Cruxifiction, really beautiful music.

Oooh, how fantastic Gran . . . where do you sing . . . what choir do you belong to?? I'll have to Google Stainers, don't know it.

Stainer's Cruxifiction always made me cry, particularly 'God so loved the World'. Enjoy that GG!! :)) I'm welling up just thinking about that!

Likewise Karen, I find it hard to sing sometimes because I have a lump in my throat, music really moves me. Sheila I sing with Eltham Choral Soc. and at Easter we all sing, friends of friends on Good Friday eve. a short concert which has been going now for over sixty years, my brother in law is the conductor and this year it is Stainers. So beautiful and a very moving piece. Its worth getting the CD. if you like church music.

Yes, especially if you like Victorian church music!

The best ever requiem to my mind is John Rutters, wow its wonderful.

Sorry, Mozart and Brahms.

Those as well, Karen, its hard to choose!! Have you ever sung Karl Jenkins Requiem intermingled with Japanese and including Faure & Durufle??? Its magic.

LOL! No actually! :))