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Music
Sarah-Jane Morris - August 09
We get out what we put in!!
I was listening to an
announcer on BBC2 earlier today and as her voice was raspy I got to thinking
how much we take our speaking voices for granted. We are all affected by
pollution, allergies and what we eat. As singers we are always being asked
"do you have to watch what you eat", some singers do and everyone is
different.
Common allergies include milk
products (milk, cream, cheese) which cause too much mucous to take over the
throat. I myself can’t drink orange juice when I sing but apple juice is
fine. I can’t drink tea when I sing as it dries me out but coffee is fine.
Lots of people complain to me at this time of the year that they find their
speaking voice getting sore after being out, this may be due to allergies to
tree pollen, grass pollen and other allergic reactions. Also, lots of people
don’t really use their breath properly and find that they get tired when
speaking (teachers, bank tellers and other people who speak all day).
So the next time your voice feels sore,
just take a little time to think where you have been and what you have
eaten, you might be surprised to see what affects your voice!
Sarah-Jane Morris of
Melisma Music is a
Gold Member of RH123
contact details
Music
Sarah-Jane Morris - June 09
Park Life
I’ve just started seeing all
the adverts on the television for this Summer’s Festival Season, and
although the credit crunch has cost Reigate it’s outdoor events in the park
Reigate Summer Music’s, 6 lunchtime concerts (organised by Melisma) will
still be going ahead daily at 12.30 in the Methodist Church in High Street,
Reigate from 20th – 26th July. Ranging from Surrey Harmony (not to be
missed), Premiere String Quartet, Roger Hind and his jazz trio and The
International Harp Ensemble to vocal concerts from Andrew and myself (opera
and song classics) and In flagrante. daily. They are FREE so they won’t
affect your wallet! There will be local outdoor events to enjoy too.
Redhill and Reigate Carnival
(12-14 June) will be a weekend of fun, music and entertainment for all.
Talking ‘Al Fresco’, Andrew and I will be performing an opera evening in the
beautiful garden at Cherkley Court in Leatherhead, rarely open in the
evening. We will also be at La Lanterna on June 11th and hopefully will be
performing in the garden, as well as inside the Restaurant. Further afield
we have Polesden Lacey Shakespeare who present A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
Nork Park’s Music Event on 19th July (FREE), or the Crawley Festival with
it’s usual mix of Folk music, youth concerts and much more.
Sarah-Jane Morris of
Melisma Music is a
Gold Member of RH123
contact details
Music
Sarah-Jane Morris - Apr 09
The Listening Lounge Part
II
Well Spring is upon us and the
daffodils and crocus are out. I thought I would continue my listening lounge
series this issue with some lovely Spring music to get you in the mood.
We are also celebrating our
5th anniversary here at RH123, so I thought I’d also include some
celebration music, in case you have any special days of your own
approaching.
Well you can’t start an
article on Spring music without dipping into Vivaldi Four Seasons, Warlock
Capriol Suite, Delius – On hearing the first cuckoo in Spring, even the Rite
of Spring, which created a riot at it’s premiere! Appalachian Spring by
Copland (uses the folk song Simple Gifts as it’s theme, which you will no
doubt recognise.) Easter comes in the Spring so for more spiritually
uplifting music listen to The Easter section of The Messiah. There are also
a number of beautiful songs Spring – Ivor Gurney, Spring Song – Mendelssohn,
Spring Waters – Rachmaninoff to name a few. To celebrate in style how about
Handel’s Water Music and Firework Music, The overture from Carmen (Bizet),
Grand March from Aida (Verdi), Pomp and Circumstance Marches Elgar (includes
Land of Hope and Glory) and The 1812 overture (Tchaikovsky).
I hope this will get you in
the mood for the lovely weather to come, let’s hope it lasts!
Sarah-Jane Morris of
Melisma Music is a
Gold Member of RH123
contact details
Music
Sarah-Jane Morris - Feb 09
The listening lounge
I am forever being asked what
I listen to when I am at home, and want to “switch off”. Well as I write
this I am listening to Mario Lanza, a favourite of my husband Andrew’s (who
is, as many of you may know, a Tenor). I don’t think you ever “switch off”
as a musician but with Valentine’s evening coming up I was asked what to put
on the cd player as you cook your loved one that special meal.
Well for me you can’t go wrong
with Ravel’s Bolero or Tchaikovsky’s Fantasy Overture: Romeo and Juliet,
both beautiful pieces. Chopin’s piano music is also a must and my favourite
piano music must be Rachmaninov’s Theme on Paganini which was used in one of
the most beautiful films I have ever seen “Somewhere in Time” with
Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. The piano music of Brahms is also very
beautiful and that is what I would put on the cd player if I wanted to relax
and drift away from the world, the Brahms Intermezzos, they never fail and
you can’t go wrong with Mozart and Beethoven.
Classic FM have brought out
some wonderful cd’s with lots of Romantic classics and they are a great
place to start your collection. The only problem you will have is choosing
from all the wonderful music out there, so get cooking and get listening.
Sarah-Jane Morris of
Melisma Music is a
Gold Member of RH123
contact details
Music
Sarah-Jane Morris - Dec 08
The Festive Season
At this special time of years
there are lots of opportunities to hear concerts and shows from The Messiah
to the local panto. There are also traditional carol services like The
Surrey Life service in aid of Chase Hospice.
We are lucky in this area to
have lots of choirs who will be performing their Christmas concerts, a
chance to relax and enjoy before the hectic time. Pantos in Redhill, Dorking
and further afield are ideal for the family as a whole but can be expensive,
so look out for offers in the local paper.
After Christmas we can look
forward to celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the birth of Rabbie Burns,
Scotland’s national poet. This is an ideal opportunity for haggis and
dancing. I am organising a very special Burns Night at Brooklands Motor
Museum in aid of The Children’s Trust so look out for details in the next
few weeks.
Whatever you are doing to
celebrate this Festive Season, try to take in a concert, show or carol
service and if you want more details don’t hesitate to get in touch. Enjoy.
Sarah-Jane Morris of
Melisma Music is a
Gold Member of RH123
contact details
Music
by Sarah-Jane Morris
September 2008
Having just spent the morning
organising a Burns Night for The Children’s Trust my mind is very much on
charity events.
Throughout the year I spend a
number of hours working with charities on the music for their events so I
thought it might be worth mentioning it in my article.
Musical events are a great way
to raise money for charity.
You can be as inventive as
your imagination – a Caribbean evening in January, a Barn dance or ceilidh
at any time of the year, a Burns Night (January 25th every year), a harpist
or string quartet playing for a reception before a dinner or a band night
(with local bands who are always keen to play for little expenses to just
get in front of people).
Once you have decided on your
event there are lots of other fundraising ideas within your event.
Getting sponsorship for
everything (flowers from the local florists, wine from the local vineyard,
selling advertising in the programme, raffle, silent auction and games can
all combine to bring in more money than the ticket sales.
Then after the event you can
raffle off the table decorations and any other flowers for people to take
home.
So the next time you have to
raise funds for your chosen charity, think about music and give me a ring.
Sarah-Jane Morris of
Melisma Music is a
Gold Member of RH123
contact details
Music
to Marry to
by Sarah-Jane Morris
July 2008
Weddings, parties and all
other things musical
At this time of year thoughts
turn to love – or more to the point, weddings. There are many different ways
to get married now with lots of venues being licensed for Ceremonies –
Church, Hotel, Castle, on top of a hill, Garden, by a river – the
possibilities are endless, as long as the venue has been licensed. There are
literally thousands of venues out there, all vying for your special day,
whether it be for the ceremony or the reception.
So, once you have your venue
you will need to have music to reflect that venue, that’s where professional
musicians like myself come in. An expert will advise you on the type of
music which will complement the venue and your tastes. Classical, jazz,
traditional – harp, string quartet, jazz, trio, gospel choir, steel band –
again the list is endless. Then once you choose your musicians you will have
to choose the music you want them to play. Now, most brides and grooms
haven’t ever done anything like this before so again that’s where the
experts come in.
Will the music work on that
instrument? Will the instruments be loud enough in the setting? Will the
musicians be able to adapt your favourites? All in a days work for myself.
I could write for hours on the
subject but it’s not only weddings that require music. What about family
parties with a barn dance, corporate launches with a String Quartet, Charity
events with a Steel Band, Birthday dinners with a Harp. Again, we can help
create the atmosphere and ambience that your event requires.
So, the next time you organise
an event , why not think about the music . . . and then give me a ring for a
chat if you need any help!
Sarah-Jane Morris of
Melisma Music is a
Gold Member of RH123
contact details
Classical Music
by Sarah-Jane Morris
May 2008
Summer Music . . .
I am often asked to sing at
open air concerts in the Summer months and it got me thinking of all the
lovely events we have in the RH123 area during the Summer months. Of course
there is always Reigate Summer Music, our own wonderful festival run by
Leslie Olive and his willing helpers (of which I am one).
We have an interesting
programme of events, both in Priory Park and at St Mary’s Church, Reigate
Grammar School and my own lunchtime series of free lunchtime concerts in the
Methodist Church in the High Street.
The British weather is
uppermost in our minds when organising picnic events – will it be rained off
or will we have a beautiful day (like today). We can never tell, I even sang
The sun whose rays are all ablaze to a crowd enjoying the Gilbert and
Sullivan evening at Chartwell as they all huddled under their brollies in a
heavy downpour I still marvelled at the fact that they still sat there
enjoying every minute of the experience!
So whatever the weather, get
out there and enjoy the music this summer, whether it’s in Priory Park,
Gatton Park (Donizetti Don Pasquale in aid of The Children’s Trust), The
Horley Prom, and further afield the Crawley Prom – it’s a lovely way to
spend a Summer evening.
Sarah-Jane Morris of
Melisma Music is a
Gold Member of RH123
contact details
Classical Music
by Sarah-Jane Morris
March 2008
As budget cuts
bite - what is the 'State of the Arts' locally . . ? Many of you may have heard
about the Arts Council and their dramatic cuts in funding recently but just
what does it mean for venues and performers in our area. The Harlequin
Theatre in Redhill has the axe hanging over it but Reigate and Banstead
Council have promised that it is safe – for now.
The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in
Guildford suffered from the hatchet, as did the London Mozart Players. Many
other local organisations rely heavily on funding from the Arts Council and
will possibly have to cease performances.
This got me thinking, what
does this mean for the community as a whole? How much does the average
citizen spend on entertainment in a year and what type of entertainment . .
? As a performer I obviously feel that live music and entertainment is very
important to the culture of a country. If you don’t have a cultural base
then what do you have ? This could inspire a whole article on it’s own and I
am very keen to hear what you think too (music@rh123.com).
We are very lucky in this area
to have wonderful theatres at The Harlequin and The Dorking Halls, each
giving different types of entertainment. Dorking tends to have a lot more
Classical music and this week they are even having an ice rink built to
accommodate a performance on ice. Harlequin has comedy, pop tributes and the
occasional classical or jazz concert. Both venues support local artists and
have band nights for local bands. I run the lunchtime concert series at the
Dorking Halls and we regularly have over 100 in the audience for our
concerts so there is a market out there for “culture”. Our next concert
features a Guitar duo and then we have a Big Band, variety is the spice of
life as they say.
What is the future for the
Arts? Perhaps it's a case of use it or lose it . . ?
Sarah-Jane Morris of
Melisma Music is a
Gold Member of RH123
contact details
Classical Music
by Sarah-Jane Morris
January 2008
January – a time for fresh starts - As the New Year dawns and we all
take stock, why not think about taking up that new hobby . . .
There are lots of lovely
Choirs, Orchestras and Music Teachers, just waiting for your call. Singing
has been proven to release endorphins (happy hormones) in the same way as
when you exercise.
We are very lucky in this area
to have a number of excellent choirs and orchestras who always welcome new
members. The English Arts Chorale (rehearse Monday evenings at Wray Common
School), Redhill and Reigate Choral Society (see
www.rrcs.org.uk or telephone 01737
772811), Buckland Choral Society (Tel : Barbara Leech on 01737 763795),
Redhill Sinfonia (Monday eves at Holy Trinity Church, Redhill –
minimum Grade 8 standard
required).
Towards Dorking there is
Dorking Choral Society (Sue Scarott – 01306 – 877256), Betchworth Choral
Society and also a number of clubs who attend musical events – Dorking
Concertgoers, Reigate Philharmonic Society and Holmbury Music Society all
with wonderful concerts to go and hear in the New Year.
So . . . if you want to take
part or want to just watch other people performing there is a wealth of
talent out there for us all in 2008. . . pick up the phone or click on to
rh123's event section for more details of the local music scene. Take the
plunge and bring out those endorphins.
Sarah-Jane Morris of
Melisma Music is a
Gold Member of RH123
contact details
Classical Music
by Sarah-Jane Morris
November 2007
Losing the elitist image -
Why do so many
people think of Opera and Classical music as being elitist?
That is a question I ask
myself all the time when I look at my audience at a concert. I am constantly
performing to the over 60’s and wondering what will happen when they become
too infirm to come out to concerts anymore.
Is it the price (probably the
same as going to a football match) or is it that they feel shut out by the
music world because we, as performers, seem to know more about it.
In my career I am constantly
working to take music out into the community to young and old alike. When we
go into schools to give workshops the kids love it, so why is it when they
leave school the majority will never be seen in a classical music concert
again (until the are retired). Is it something that comes with age or are
they just too busy?
There is so much going on in
our area over the next few months – check out The Event for details.
So why not go and see what we
are all up to . . . or even better, take part - even more fun.
Sarah-Jane Morris of
Melisma Music is a
Gold Member of RH123
contact details
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