Snail Mail and why I love it!

I have been writing letters intermittently for some years now. I've always enjoyed writing and as a girl, I  write in my diary nearly every day and have many now to treasure and look back on (and cringe and giggle). When I moved to Germany, I kept several and they are a fantastic read even now. So many memories of colourful people I met there and various adventures vividly  preserved on paper. Like diaries, letters capture you in a moment. Throughout Music College and ever since, my friend Emma and I would always write to one another and tell our stories. It was a little piece of home comfort while I was away.

I absolutely love to put aside a quiet moment in the day when I can sit with a cup of tea and get my nice stationary out and just write. It's relaxing and creative and I love to tell stories. What a lovely thing to receive a letter in the post? Here's my effort today. 

I love the idea of having one of those beautiful writing desks that were so popular with the Edwardians...

My Grandfather wrote letters to his sister when he was in the war and they were found recently - beautiful letters written home from where ever he was stationed at the time. Sadly, he died along time before I came along and so it is a really special link to him. I've asked my dad to send a picture over of them so I can share some of them.

Let's face it, emailing is just not the same. There's something about the paper and the handwriting that captures a person in a way that an email never can. Stamps are expensive now but a card or a letter become even more special as a result. 

My youngest niece used to write to me while I was at Music College and her childish scribblings and stickers and spelling mistakes were always such a joy to receive and would live on my fridge in London.

http://www.bow-boutique.co.uk/boutique/stationary/cath-kidston-letter-set/

Here's a link to some Cath Kidson notepaper that I have loved to use over the years.

Noticing the Beautiful Things

This post on appeared on Facebook a few days ago and has inspired me to write this blog today. How many times in life do we not stop and take in what's around us? How many times do we walk on and MISS so many wonderful things? I was AMAZED and felt very sad when I saw this...

http://youtu.be/myq8upzJDJc

Joshua Bell - violinist - wonderful, wonderful player who was busking in Washington DC metro. How many people stopped to listen?? It was rush hour and everyone seemed in such a hurry. Hardly anyone took any notice of him or the fabulous music. One woman recognises him and stops to talk.

How sad.

What else are we missing when we are running around like headless chickens to get to work, when we're in work, when we get home from work?? Sometimes life can feel a bit as if we're constantly chasing our tails.

I'm as guilty as anyone sometimes, and my aim is to make sure that every day I stop and find time to do something lovely, or see something lovely. This will be my mantra for the week...

Go Back to What You Love

http://pinterest.com/singingsnapper/go-back-to-what-you-love/

I'm getting into Pinterest - a site that allows you to collate all your inspirations visually and keep them in a tidy collection. Perfect for when I want to put poetry and photography together etc and for simply gaining ideas from others. My latest board is called Go Back to What You Love. Reconnecting with what I love and what I want from life to hopefully inspire me to get out there and GET IT!

Do what you love and do it often...

Trying to find a satisfying balance between work and play seems to get trickier and trickier...I'm still looking for it!!! But I have put together a collage of my photography to remind me that I do occasionally get the time to live and breathe, and indulge some of my favourite past times...creative stuff, spending time with friends loved ones, a bit of travel now and again....

Worthing beach

Baking

Pretending to play golf

with Lindsey on Brighton beach

Brighton beach 2011

Bilbo Baggins

Where I work

Brick Lane vintage

Concert at Old Church, Chelsea

Worthing at night

Bath - where I were born

Tea parties

with my nephew

lying in a Wiltshire meadow

horse riding

second hand books

In my mum's garden

An Afternoon of Song - 25th October 2011

Here is some audio recorded by my lovely friend, composer and sound engineer whizz, Anthony Hutchings during my lunchtime recital on the 25th October 2011 in Findon, West Sussex. All uploaded onto Soundcloud. Accompanied by Rachel Lambert. 

http://soundcloud.com/sussexsoprano

Please have a listen and pass it on! xxx

New Look Website

My poor website designer, Will has (yet again) overhauled my website for me. I was looking for a cleaner, brighter and sharper look, with easy access to information/audio etc. Do have a look/listen and let me know your thoughts...

http://www.katieeels.co.uk/

and Will Long web design can be found here www.ttlwebdesign.com

I have yet to update concerts etc and I know there is a way I can access this myself, but being terribly girly and allergic to all things technological, I am finding it a little tricky...

Keep your eye out for upcoming concerts in December! xxx

If music be the food of love, play on!

If music be the food of love, play on: give me excess of it...Shakespeare

http://youtu.be/SHf13uK0ZVI               -

Purcell: If music be the food of love / Andreas Scholl   (My favourite counter tenor!)

Now the school summer holidays have finally arrived, I am able to put a bit more time into my own singing work which last week started with recording some repertoire with one of my fantastic work colleagues, accompanist, Gary Prior.

The idea is to put some of my best work onto my website and onto CD that I will be able use to promote myself and hopefully get some new singing projects out of it.

Working full time in a very large and busy music department, I have found this year that I have had little time to indulge in my own solo repertoire. However, this is where I have to be quite savvy over the summer and find ways to incorporate this into my job next term.

I will have to work hard to present myself as a freelancing soloist and work hard to make new musical contacts, find new fellow musos to play with and get out there! After all…

There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox: (November 5, 1850 – October 30, 1919)

Back to the recording:

 After two hours of some exquisite playing from Gary, I was happy with only 10% of what I sang. So soon after the end of a very busy term, I was exhausted and it showed in my voice. Such a pity, but I’ve certainly learnt a lot! I have to be better prepared physically for such an undertaking- I don’t think I was aware of just how much preparation and fine tuning is needed to come away with something you feel is worth having on disk.  Hoping to tackle this again this summer and have some more audio on my website http://www.katieeels.co.uk/.

Watch this space!

J