Ingrid ......fresh air in Chichester....and it doesn't come much fresher by the sea...

Looking through heaps of memorabilia, filtering out much of no consequence, and being very brave, nay, ruthless in discarding a load of dross which has been packed away and forgotten over the years since I retired. O.K. so I'm still rushing about like a dotty, breathing with anyone who's interested - but you know what I mean.....? During my time as Property Manager (stage props., not buildings) for Chichester Festival Theatre Company, mid nineteen seventies, one of the most charming and human of the International artistes I was privileged to have as a colleague, was the legendary Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman. So elegant, she was leading lady in a production of "The Waters of the Moon", what I would describe as a fairly forgettable play, and the reason for having a star studded British cast to support Miss Bergman - Dame Wendy Hiller, Sir John Clements, Dandy Nichols. At the first production meeting with producer, designer, entire cast and production team, all very English, terribly polite and proper of course, the costume designs (by a young and inexperienced lady who had "researched" the period), were laid out on a table, and I will never forget Miss Bergmans' expression when she saw those intended for her - she was aghast, but trying not to show it....Her character in the play was a 1930's film star - and she pointed out, as kindly as possible, that she was a film star at that time - and would never have worn anything so unfashionable - and one could sense her thinking "and uugly"....There was an embarassing silence, everyone seemed to stop breathing until the Artistic Director tactfully changed the subject to the set and prop. designs. Pheeew - great sighs of relief all round... The costumes were eventually designed by Finlay James - and they were gooorgeous - could hardly get Miss B. out of them !! As rehearsals progressed I was obliged to present properties to the respective actors, a process by which one builds up friendships within the company. Miss Bergman had never worked on a thrust stage before and found it quite daunting; to relieve the pressure of intense rehearsals, she invited me to join her - she'd hired a Mini (tiny car which she could just squeeze in to..) to enjoy "a breath of fresh air" at lunch times, and suggested that we explore various picturesque little villages on the shores of Chichester Harbour, it being my home territory. We had such fun, and as colleagues, it didn't really dawn on me at the time just how special those happy hours were. The show was so succeccful that it transferred to The Haymarket Theatre in London. Many people asked if they could be introduced to Ingrid - we were well past formal titles by that time, and she always said it was O.K. if they were friends of mine - she had had awful experiences with over enthusiastic "stalker" fans . Kiri was overawed by meeting her - and a year later Ingrid was overjoyed that she had met Kiri when she sang The Countess, in "Figaro" at The Royal Opera, London - wonderful when gifted artists meet, so modest with each other.... Incidently, Ingrid would only work in the U.K if her favourite dresser, a motherly old cockney lady called Looey was available to protect her from over zealous fans - such terrors..... "glamour" as Anna L says......k..p b.......g...

Lucky clover ....

You may have heard that finding a four leafed clover is the harbinger of good luck ? How about a five leafed clover - just what I picked recently in Munich, on a bank of the River Isar - so I've been waiting for a miracle ......! It's already happened in a minor way - miracles do come in varying degrees, and mine have been with finances. No, not a lottery win - I don't indulge, but in tiny benefits - "every little helps" is the Tesco motto, and my miracles couldn't be much "littler".....Think I have already mentioned the free television licence ? Much to my surprise, having acknowledged that I've attained the ripe old (?) age of seventy five, the powers that be have refunded me the princely sum of eighty pounds, in two cheques - I had contacted two different personnel at the Pensions Dept., ( ooops - don't spend it aaaall at once... ), illegally taken from my bank account as no one had noticed my birth date. Maybe if I keep calling them, the funds will carry on arriving - hope springs eternal..... My state pension was not allocated to me until one year after I qualified at sixty years - I had to tell them I was still alive - and hoooow..! Beaurocracy - uuuugh... Now I have a free bus pass nationally - whatever neeeext.....Oh yes. Having sorted out my teeth successfully, I thought it time to have a sight test, and had allocated two to three hundred pounds for new spectacles, the going rate. Much to my astonishment the optician declared that my eyes are in very good conditon - so I don't need new specs ! Pheeew - so the clover leaf IS wooorking.....an honest optician......
The other discovery in Munich was - the fooood - Boy - do they enjoy the local specialities , and such laaarge portions , not surprisingly, it's all sooo delicious! Anna L mentioned, whilst in Vienna recently, enjoying white asparagus with Hollandaise sauce - now I know the experience -ooooooooh - scrumptious, I indulged several times ...... what with that, the vast potato dumplings, sauerkraut, sweet beers and all the other specialities of Bavaria I'm lucky to be able to fit in to any of my clothes ...... That was another unexpected aspect of Bavarian culture - the regional costumes are worn by so many. Lederhosen, suede waistcoated, half socked, large booted, Tyrolean hatted men whizzing about on bikes with fascinating, individually styled beards and moustachios, elderly matrons on three wheelers, and voluptuous ladies (I didn't see any skinny ones) serving in the beer houses , dirndl clad, masses of blonde hair piled high with frizzy topknots - it felt as though I was in the middle of a "White Horse Inn" musical environment - but it's reeeeal - and I loooved it. Today is a Bank Holiday here, and true to type - it's really cold, dreary, pouring with rain and blowing a gale outside - so I'm taking in another showing of ....."The Sound of Music" ....!! Such pathos and innocence. Aah well, all's right with the world on such a day - if only....... k..p b.......g

"Oliver" casting competition...

I chanced in to the penultimate t.v. programme showing Lord Andrew Lloyd - Webber, Cameron MacIntosh - Barry Humphries - ('Dame Edna Everidge '- a shrewd judge of talent behind the Aussie dizzy dame act! ) and a host of distinguished Thespians, selecting the cast of "Oliver". There was mass hysteria whipped up amongst the live audience, and with viewers able to vote - thereby ensuring capacity audiences when the show takes to the stage in a few months time - clever marketing....... The girls auditioning for Nancy, the final four selected, were all very good; in this competition the participants are virtually unknown in London professional music theatre circles, that's the point of the operation. The boys aspiring to the role of Oliver were just breathtaking - really. They had been whittled down to the final seven and quite "spookily", I chose the final three selected. 'spose that's not really surprising as I'm credited with being able to "suss" talent and potential..... What I found most interesting was the widely varying comments of the judges - it would be good for all auditionees to look up the series and discover some of the vaguaries of opinion. It might give them some idea as to why they are not successful in their own endeavours ...... maybe ? At one audition I remember the best performer being turned down because she wouldn't fit the costumes of her predecessor ..... tut, tut..! That's what can happen when the costumes are astronomically expensive.....a sad reality....Had a nice chat with my Dear Kiwi friend Kiri (te K) yesterday, to request permission to write about her in my long awaited booook - she's very happy to agree, but you'll have to wait a bit longer for the finished product..... (We met as students at The London Opera Centre in 1967, and I lived at her place when I retired in the 1990's - but left to pursue my international breathing "crusade" (!!), just in case you wonder what the connection is...) and we are, like Anna (Larsson), passionate about passing on our knowledge of the profession, especially phonation and air support, to young singers, and integrating them in to the European scene. Kiri has set up a Foundation, rather Like Birgit Nilssons', and funds students from New Zealand and the Pacific region - she always puts on a fantaaaastic meal at her lovely house on our "breathing" days - she's a great cook ! Next Friday I'm going down to Glyndebourne to research my contribution for their productions since 1968 - so it could need more than one trip. Trouble with me is that I quite forget much of my artistic output and am pleasantly surprised when some of it turns up -"Did I really make that ?" often pops in to my ancient brain....."Yeeees - I did ..!!" Well, there's a thing......k..p b.......g

A Baroque weekend in Munchen......with opera ..!

Back in England I'm beginning to regain my equilibrium, and breathing easily again... Why "easily"? Because for the past few days I have been "rubber-necking", and gasping in amazement at the proliferation of Baroque statuary, and mind blowing decor of the archictectural creations in and around the city - ooooh.... Why should it have made such an impact on me ? Simple ! I have spent years faking just about every kind of figure - human and animal, cartouche's, paintings, furniture, and miiiiles of acanthus "swags", not to mention monsters, etc., etc., in this extremely ornate style. To experience the originals, completely O.T.T., smothered in gold and silver leaf - such satisfying metals to work with .(That was in my days as a Fine Arts Restorer, hence my employment to re-create the same, for theatre designers, mainly at Glyndebourne, Chichester Festival Theatre - and training undergraduates in these arts at the University of Birmingham - what a thorough and useful education !!) Apart from all that excitement, I was spoiled rotten by attending the Bayerische Opera - four performances in four days, courtesy of Richard (Whilds) - my greatest artistic passions were thoroughly sated by all this generosity - yes, I WAS born lucky, if rather battered at that time. Life does have its compensations somewhere along the way....more about the Bavarian experience another day - so many lovely memories - haven't mentioned the food yet......aawwh.....or the kind and friendly residents of Munich - just like being in the south western English counties ...the happy hunting ground of my youth..... k..p b.......g...

I'm in Munich !!! The beer here ...mmmmmmmmmmm

Yes, here in Bavaria where even I drink the sweet beer and it doesn't make me tipsy - well, I guess half a glass is not going to make many people very excited ! Staying with my Goddaughter, Celeste - the mellifluous voiced lyric soprano, and her gifted partner Richard - composer, arranger and pianist with inspired fingers - (as well as brain!)- I'm having a great time - guess what ? Going to the Opera... one a day ...for me ...bliss... It's fascinating "catching up" on what's going on down here in the land of Black Forest cherry cake.....ooohh..mmmm Richard is a senior, and highly respected member of the music staff at Bayerische Oper - oh, what a beautiful house, and excellent performance standard. Until recently the Intendant was an ex-pupil of mine at the Royal College of Music in London, in the 1960´s, and has just retired. In my various career occupations I have, inadvertantly, steered many young people at different educational establishments, in to the magical, and crazy, world of opera. Such has been my life long passion after being taken to a performance of Bizets´ "Carmen" at the age of fifteen - once hooked, never retrievable ....'spose one could say I've been obsessed ever since...now it's the breathing that has joined in....? Which brings me back to my main fixation - "breathing anyone ?". Attending performances of vocal works is always of interest to me, and if a piece is really well sung, with air supported phonation, I usually leave "up on a cloud" - (very appropriate for a breathing pedagogue), but usually there is at least one person with their head down, closing the windpipe, or singing out of frequency, "in the nose" - my throat always comes out in sympathy... happy to say that here I can swallow comfortably and enjoy some very fine performances - many thanks Richard and Celeste...What have I been treated to? "The Bassirids" - Hans Werner Henze, who was present at the general rehearsal - haven't seen him since "Elegy for Young Lovers" at Glyndebourne yonks agooo..., "Werther" - excellent cast, and last night a bizarre production of "Fliegende Hollander ", mercifully, well sung.... Apart from indulging in my favourite pastime, we`ve also found time for some "rubber necking" - and I'm not joking. We took the tram(I just love tram rides - they're my era..!!) to the Nymphenberg palace - aaaah ...ooooh.-- how does one describe such wonderful works of art and inspired imaginative creativity ? My head almost fell off I was gawping at the ceilings in amazement at the baroque embellishment - the real thing, which I have spent many a happy hour "faking" for theatre designers... so, 'bye for now ...back to the U.K. tomorrow...k..p b.......g........

Singing - sad - no advance in 90 years it seems....?

Going through some old papers for a clear out, I found an article I copied, by hand - ( about fifty years ago, before photo copiers were in general use, wooow ...)from a book entitled "Practical Singing", by Clifford Cooke, published in 1918. The opening phrase reads " Singing is an art which can only be acquired with the aid of an experienced teacher who can SING, as well as teach - a combination of accomplishments by no means common. 1. Long and arduous study in voice training and elocution is necessary to become a singer - a fact which, obvious enough, and readily accepted in most other walks of life, is notoriously disregarded by would - be singers. 2. CORRECT RESPIRATION is of VITAL importance - an importance which too many people, students and teachers alike, fail to recognise or accept". ( Many guffaw with laughter when I explain that I am a "Breathing Tutor"...."Andnings Pedagogue" in Scandinavia...tut..tut...Luckily those who have the wit to perservere with it and develop breath control, have the advantage over those who don't ! The listener can hear AND see the difference - no "squirming" to try and connect voice with air....) How many times have you had a sore, uncomfortable throat after a performance when "unconnected" singers have struggled to get through the piece...? Ooouuuch...., it brings a lump to my throat just thinking about it.... The article goes on :- 3. "The third, and not least important principle, is that due attention should be given to pronunciation, articulation and enunciation, in which singers, generally, have always been singularly deficient. J.W. Davidson, of The Times, stated boldly, years ago (and this was written in 1918, remember..?) that when people attempted to sing they found out that they had not yet learnt how to speak! Conditions, in this respect, have not altered very much." The remark I make most often to my breathers, using my kindest voice, is "Please 'talk' to me with natural mouth movement, and stop shouting at me - it's not that pleasant to watch or listen to",... Over articulation is encouraged lustily by many choir leaders - this usually prompts me to close my eyes - one International singer who "gets away with murder" in her gigantic facial movements is Jessie Norman - and I'm sure she wouldn't disagree with this, it's obvious for all to see - and it doesn't stop her being a brilliant performer. Oh Jessie, dear Jessie - if one of my breathers opens their mouth to such an exaggerated degree, I grin and tease them by threatening to park my car in it ...naughty me...?! This remark always leads to peals of laughter - yes, we do have FUN, and there is no animosity - I only do this when I know a person well enough for them to understand that I'm not mocking them.... the laughter releases many unnecessary tensions - otherwise it would be too cruel and disheartening. Singers have enough hills to climb without being ridiculed when they're endeavouring to progress and develop their phonation technique. Some will say, during a session "I feel so stupid!" when an exercise eludes them. "That's natural - but remember, far better to work on it here and perfect it, than to go on stage and feel stupid !". I'll relate more of Clifton Cookes' notes on singing another day, it goes on for pages. Does anyone have any comments on HIS comments....? Here are a few more "howlers" ...Solomon had 300 wives and 700 cucumbers.../ To germinate is to become a naturalised German.../ The end of the world will make a turning point in everyone's life.... This next one's a tad naughty, so close your eyes and let someone less sensitive read it for you...The Jews were a proud people, but always had trouble with unsympathetic Genitals (Gentiles)...! (Could that be an oblique subliminal reference to circimcision - whooooops ..?!) With that I'll leave you as graciously as possible, chuckling the while, and with apologies to my Hebrew colleagues...k..p b.......g...happy days....