haunted by the traveller

monday evening, driving back late from a meeting in Derby, was my first opportunity to hear a recording of BBC Radio 3's 6 March broadcast of The Traveller. The thrill of the performance came flooding back and an hour flashed by as I sang along in an attempt to relive the experience. There was also so much more happening than I had been aware of on the day. Since monday, I've again been haunted by Alec Roth's music and Vikram Seth's turns of phrase, and I've grabbed as many opportunities to listen to it again since. A friend visiting, who overheard the recording, said 'I know this' despite never before hearing it, and I think that sums up Alec's extraordinary ability to write music that you feel you've always known. While we should be planning to get Ex Cathedra's performance of Shared Ground recorded, the idea of a proper recording of The Traveller, possibly combining all three original choirs, would be a fabulous thing to get off the ground.

So, I am very much looking forward to this year's Festival Chorus event. With the original plans unfortunately cancelled, Black Voices have stepped in and are quietly planning a very exciting event for 14 July. Initial discussions have been based around performing music by Peter Daley and Sara Colman (who performed as part of The Passion last year) alongside the huge amount and variety of music that Black Voices would normally bring. I may even sing again this year.