Sing a Song of Summer
writes:
Having largely taken a break from my own gigs over the summer in anticipation of the 'Keepsakes' album launch tour this September, I've had a chance to get my fingers into some other musical pies.
In May put me in touch with , a director and lecturer at .
Following a recommendation from Jon, Ben asked me to come in an act as Musical
Director for a production of Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing',
the final performance by students on the MA course in Classical Acting.
The play was to be set in Sicilian-style rural Italy circa 1920, so I got to do lots of research into Sicilian folk music and particularly enjoyed listening to the field recordings that made in the
area.
Armed with a mandolin, a cajon, and both classical and steel-string guitars, I composed and performed live the dances and themes, arranged and sang a couple of Shakespeare-penned lyrics and even had a couple of lines as the minstrel character Balthazar.
I've also had the pleasure of playing with the , a musical collective with an ever-changing line-up led by Stephen Cracknell.
Instead of playing the Memory Band's original material we played the soundtrack to the 70s horror film '', wailing our lewd Pagan incantations at Glastonbury, , and . Thanks to those of you who remained clothed during the shows.
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