Le Puy

Here we are at Le Puy... two concerts done and two more to go at the festival of Chaise Dieu. I've always wanted to sing at this festival, so I'm glad to be here. We (soloists... Kate Bott, Ben Alden and John Mcmunn (spelling?)) went out for a dinner of many lentils last night and I finished reading the wonderful David Mitchell's Jacob de Zoet. What an imagination, and what an eye for detail. Really great novel. I'm now onto Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel which won Mann Booker Prize and by all accounts actually deserved it.

So far today seems beautiful and I am hoping to get out and about a bit for a walk. Mustn't spend any money though, partly because the suitcase is already full!

St Malo

Blimey, I haven't been keeping this up much have I?

Here I am in St Malo with AAM and King's College for Monteverdi Vespers 1610 tour. Yay!

I'm about to walk on the beach and have a spot of lunch, before first rehearsal.

Lovely concert in Lake District on Sunday with Brook Street Band... Acis and Galatea. My best memory is paddling in the lake (Derwent water) just before the show on the most perfect late summer day. Heaven.

Very aware that as I'm pulling right back from singing work, I need to really cherish these moments. I hope I'll still do lots of singing but in a very different way. Since deciding to jump off the train, I'm actually feeling more creative than I have in years, and am dying to do more chamber music. I hope I'll have some more freedom to do what I want to do instead of just panicking about the next period away from the family.