Home again home again

Been home for a few days - and it's been sunny! Fantastic! This is what I've been looking forward to for absolutely ages - a couple of days off, at home, in the sun. Brilliant!
I needed a bit of a rest after the Proms thing. It went well by the way...my piece worked, and although we didn't play it as fast as I'd hoped it still seemed to provide a rousing finale, with a great response from the audience (thanks, if any of you were there!)
I know my mum was out there, cheering - it was her first visit to the Proms, and although she loved it she was a little indignant because she got told off for tapping her handbag in time to the music. (Mothers! Can't take 'em anywhere!!)
And Folkestra were totally fab. I think they got the most applause out of anything in the 2 Folk day Proms - the audience loved them.
I wish they hadn't been at the beginning of the 2nd half though - as I'm sure that most of the newspaper critics must have been still in the bar at that point - well that's the only conclusion I can come to as to why Folkestra didn't even get a mention in a couple of the national press reviews I read. I really couldn't believe it - they played and peformed so well, and got such a rapturous reception.
There'll be a new Folkestra lineup come Sepember though, as some of the older members grow up and join the big bad world. We've got a few new young'uns coming in though, so it's all still looking positive.
Anyway - I'm off back outside to enjoy the last rays of evening sun.
Thanks for reading,
k

Prom looming

Well, I'm down in London with Folkestra and we're just about to start our first rehearsal for my Proms piece. I'm really excited, but also a bit nervous - although I wrote it, today will be the first time I actually get to hear any of it!!
Wish me luck!
k

Proms 20th July

Phew! I've done it!
Today was the deadline for me to hand over the score for my Proms piece, which will be premiered at the afternoon Prom at the Royal Albert Hall on July 20th.
I was absolutely delighted to get the commission to write a piece for the occasion, but it's been quite a challenge...
The piece is written for London Sinfonietta, Folkestra, Hungarian group Muszikas and myself - quite a combination!
The title of the music is 'Confluence' and it is about the imaginary junction where the river Rede (Northumberland) meets the Thames and the Danube.

That particular Prom is a free one - so get yourself some tickets and come and have a listen.
Cheers!
k

The Guardian - oops!

Hmmm...it looks like this blog has been read and quoted in the Guardian newspaper.
My last post was about the SPNM concerts I've been doing (one still to go in Cheltenham in a couple of weeks)
Anyway - the other day someone said to me that telling Guardian journalists that people shouldn't come to my concerts was not the best possible career move...I was totally baffled, and remained so until I saw the article in question and worked out that the quote could only have been taken from this blog.
I really appreciate the fact that am lucky enough to have some very supportive audiences, who are willing to take a chance and come and hear some of my stranger projects without being too put off. BUT - I do think that in return it's only fair that I try to explain in advance what it is that I'm doing, so people can decide whether it sounds like their kind of thing or not, and decide whether or not they want to give it a go.
SO - I'd put a bit of an explanatory note on this blog about the SPNM project (which I've been really enjoying) and the Guardian decided to include only the line "Basically, if you like very traditional music then this may not be the concert for you." ("said Kathryn Tickell") And, yes, it's true...but if I had only one sentence with which to publicise that concert that wouldn't have been the one I would choose!
I don't suppose the SPNM (or Cheltenham Festival) were very impressed with me about that particular bit of publicity...!
Anyway - for future reference, for any journalists reading this...all the forthcoming concerts you can see on the gig list will all, without exception, be absolutely wonderful, and of course EVERYONE is going to love ALL the music and I thoroughly recommend that as many people as possible come to see us, all the time.
(!!)
k x

SPNM 'Folk from Here'

Just thought I'd better tell you a bit about two rather different concerts that you'll see listed in the gig list, one in London next week and one in Cheltenham in July. They are listed as being part of the SPNM 'Folk from Here' series and they are being produced by the Society for the Promotion of New Music. The SPNM has in the past concerned itself mostly with contemporary classical music, but with this series it is changing the focus a little (under the direction of it's current Artistic Director - my pal Kuljit Bhamra, tabla maestro!)
So - these concerts will feature me & Kuljit, Marie Fielding on fiddle, Jonathan Meyer on sitar and Julian Sutton on melodeon playing some (very) new music written especially for us by 4 composers chosen from the SPNM shortlist. It's all been a bit scary (for the composers as well as us I think...it's not the easiest combination of instruments to write for...!) and we end up half hidden behind banks of music stands, trying to read all the notes the composers have written for us. Eek!
It's been a really interesting and challenging project to be involved in, and I've really enjoyed the unusual sound combinations of the instruments (particularly the pipes and sitar - I want to do that again!)
Kuljit, Marie and I have also written new pieces for the project, and there are a couple of fiddle reels (just to give us a break from music-reading!)
Basically - if you're into very traditional music then this may not be the concert for you, but if you're feeling daring and want to hear something very, very different then we'd be delighted to see you.
Cheers!
k

oops - yes it's been a while!

Okay - I accept the gentle reminder, and here I am!
It's been an absolutely ridiculously busy few weeks, with various different projects, some touring, some composing, some University stuff (rather stressful for all concerned, as it's assessment time... marking deadlines...responsibility...eek!) It's all good, it's all interesting, but the challenge is in trying to get through it all, keep calm and enjoy it!
Anyway - just another few days before I actually get some time at home. Can't wait! I'm hoping that the weather will be fantastic and that I can go down by the river (only a hundred yards or so from the house) light a fire, drink some wine and cook some sausages and generally relax, enjoy the weather, the scenery and the break (although possibly not the crazy dog who will no doubt be galloping round the field at top speed, occasionally running into the river, shaking himself all over me then careering off again, stopping only to bark furiously at anyone passing by on the other side of the river!)
Off to France tomorrow morning, then back the next evening. More Uni marking on Monday, then down to London on Tuesday, home again Thursday.
Phew!
k

New stuff!

Hello! We've been away for a little jaunt down to Worcester & Oxford. We'd had a few extra rehearsals beforehand to try and work out some new material...and we succeeded...and we played it...and we were very happy!
It's great having new tunes to play - a little nerve-racking to start off with, but exciting.

On another note - thanks to those of you who have been in contact to say you enjoyed 'The Durham Concerto'. For those of you who don't know about it, it's a new piece, nearly one hour long, written by Jon Lord (ex keyboard player from Deep Purple, and a real gentleman) for cello, violin, Northumbrian pipes, Hammond organ and orchestra (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.) It's been performed twice - in Durham cathedral (fantastic place to play) and Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, and seemed to go down very well both times.
Following a conductor has never been my strong point, but I think I played more or less in the right place at the right time!!

The Folk & Trad music degree course at Newcastle Uni has resumed after the Easter break, so I'm heading off there in a few minutes to do some work with the 3rd year Ensemble groups. Quite looking forward to seeing/hearing them again - I must have missed them!