#charlotte hoather

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Midnight Nightingale

One enchanted evening I was inspired to make a performance Art Gown for the spellbinding Soprano, Charlotte Hoather. She embraces the concept that Art Gowns are hand sewn from off cuts, repurposed clothes, curtains, table cloths, etc. and NOS (new old stock). Charlotte lives in the U.K., and I wouldn’t be able to fit her. […]Midnight Nightingale

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A Year in Books

Thanks to Laura at Circle of Pine Trees for creating the challenge, The Year in Books.

I was surprised I managed to finish the same about of books this quarter, as I did last year, all of 13 books. It will be the period between July to September that will be the real challenge. Where I prefer to be outside enjoying nature to being stuck within the pages of a book.

As April began I rushed to finish The Famished Road – Ben Okri.

This book began promising, but soon lost my interest. There is only so many times a spirit child can go wondering off and then witness psychedelic strangeness before one gets bored. There is a second novel which follows Azaro on his adventures but I won’t be picking this one up. Have you read The Famished Road? Did you read its sequel?

The Famished Road – Okri

Wodwo Ted Hughes

Seven Wonders of the Industrial World

Wodwo by Ted Hughes

I was inspired to turn to this collection after reading Mark Haddon’s anthology The Pier Falls. One of Haddon’s more memorable short stories was entitled Wodwo about the beginnings of a wild man but with a twist! I enjoyed Hughes’ short stories in this collection more than his poetry. I particularly liked the play, The Wound, set in the trenches of WW1, the narrative I found was very visual.

Seven Wonders of the Industrial World – Deborah Cadbury

I reviewed this inspiring book in my Sunday Sevens #49.

Playing with Fire – Tess Gerritsen

This one was suggested by my mum. Playing with Fire is a psychological thriller. Julia is a musician who desires to find out why her daughter attacks her whilst a particular piece of music is playing. The trail leads her to Venice and the sad tale of Lorenzo, an Italian Jew living during the turbulent 1930’s. The novel is a quick read, with a twist and one I would recommend. Have you read this book? What were your thoughts?

Playing with Fire

Dan Brown’s Origin

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Origin – Dan Brown

It seems that Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon novels all seem to have the same plot. They are just set in a different country! If you cut out the tourism jargon, I think this book has to be the weakest of the series. Langdon, who is the main character, didn’t seem to have much influence moving the story forward. I liked the premise of Winston but think the whole plot was far fetched. If you’ve read this book, what were your impressions?

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner – Samuel Taylor Coleridge

I would love to see a re-imagining of this poem. I felt that the narrative was very modern, of zombie sailors, reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean. At a wedding party, a mariner tells his tale of a disastrous journey where he kills an albatross and of his subsequent guilt. The narrator describes the doldrums, seen as a punishment, where the crew of the ship die, but the narrator doesn’t. The crew then frighteningly become zombies. The narrator is eventually rescued but has to retell his tale to educate others of not to kill an albatross! I particularly enjoyed Orson Wells recital on YouTube.

Have you read this poem? What were your thoughts?

The Women of Heachley Hall �� Rachel Walkley

This book is written in the vein of A Parliament of Rooks by Karen Perkins. It could have been so much better if there was less description of every nook and cranny. I like description but too much of it clogs the narrative. I felt this was the case with The Women of Heachley Hall. The narrative was trying too hard to be Gothic and the ghost story was fantastical! It was more a love story than a ghost story. The book did keep me interested, I just wasn’t too enamored on the style of writing.

The Women of Heachley Hall

Stressed, Unstressed

Open Water Woman

Stressed, Unstressed – Edited by Bate, Byrne, Ratcliffe and Schuman

After taking the enjoyable Future Learn course, Literature and Mental Health a few years ago. I made a note to purchase this book, which is an accompaniment to the course. An anthology comprising of poems to aid in healing, grief and mindfulness. The book is very accessible and could be picked up if and when required. I don’t know whether it was because I read the book mostly at night, when I was tired, but I did find a lot of the poetry quite depressing. Possibly a book to keep going back to.

Open Water Woman Swims Windermere – Jacqui Hargrave

I didn’t particularly enjoy this book. I discovered whilst reading, that the chapters were really just blog posts stitched together for publication. Being from a blog, the chapters were succinct but lacked detail. There was so many grammatical errors, I wish the author had had the manuscript proof read before publication. I’d keep a wide berth from this book if I was you.

Crow – Ted Hughes

I don’t know if it’s me, or that my education is lacking but I find Ted Hughes’ poetry hard to fathom. I can pick out an undercurrent of threat and violence, a lot of hubris and humour but his poems on crow have been rather lost on me.

Do you like poetry? If so who is your favourite poet?

Crow

Birds

The Turn of the Screw

Birds – Edited by Mavis Pilbeam

It was Sharon from the delightful blog Sunshine and Celandines that suggested this book. I thought I would read it for The Wildlife Trusts‘ 30 Days Wild. I enjoyed many of the poems inspired by paintings in the British Museum. Poems by John Clare and Edward Thomas were among the highlights for me.

The Turn of the Screw – Henry James

I re-read this book due to being inspired by soprano Charlotte Hoather’s post on her participation in the opera of the same name, at the Royal College of Music. Charlotte sang the role of Governess who is employed by an enigmatic uncle of two young orphans. Everything goes well until Miles, the eldest is expelled from school and returns home with a question mark over his character. Henry James is not a favourite author of mine. I find his style of writing rather long winded. In The Turn of the Screw, James’ writing is even more ambiguous as the Governess narrates her tale of a haunting by two debauched ghosts, trying to steal away her two charges, or is she narrating a tale of her own spiral into madness? It is never certain as to which scenario it is. Have you read this book? Did you think it was a ghost story?

A Cold Death in Amsterdam – Anja de Jager

This is the first book in the Lotte Meerman series. Lotte is quite a complex detective with a lot of background story which comes out slowly within the novel. The stories themselves are also quite complex with many different threads running parallel. I did find it a bit hard going to start off with, knowing which plot-line was which but it all comes together quite well.

Have you read any of these novels?

A Cold Death in Amsterdam

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

I ended the quarter by starting Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman, which I am really enjoying at the moment.

Have you read any good books lately, any recommendations?

Thanks for dropping by,

Christine x

A Year in Books 2018 – April to June Thanks to Laura at Circle of Pine Trees for creating the challenge, The Year in Books.

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An English Garden Party — Charlotte Hoather

An English Garden Party — Charlotte Hoather

Concert number Nine! Wow – How the time has flown and yet it seems that this new normal will continue into double digits. We enjoyed performing our Italian themed program last week, so we decided to select songs that had a common connection. We drew…

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Women In Music – Alma Mahler « Charlotte Hoather

Through my research for my 'Women In Music Module', I was intrigued to read that the wife of Gustav Mahler, Alma Mahler, had also composed before their marriage.  Having recently performed some of Gustav Mahler’s songs I decided to search out her compositions to see if I could add them to my repertoire. As I…

This content was originally published here.

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Should Music Be Taught In Schools? — Charlotte Hoather I read an article in The Guardian about music disappearing from the English school curriculum as research has shown the number of schools offering the subject at A-level (Advanced Level) is in sharp decline, and fewer students are taking Music at thirteen to sixteen years of age which I believe is down to the new […] via Should Music Be Taught In Schools? — Charlotte Hoather

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An Interview with Charlotte Hoather, My Favorite Classical Soprano

An Interview with Charlotte Hoather, My Favorite Classical Soprano

A lovely interview with Noelle Granger and British Soprano Charlotte Hoather who I first was introduced to via Google + . A wonderful insight to the career of this wonderful soprano and I am sure you will enjoy as much as I did…please head over..

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An Interview with Charlotte Hoather, My Favorite Classical Soprano

An Interview with Charlotte Hoather, My Favorite Classical Soprano

A lovely interview with Noelle Granger and British Soprano Charlotte Hoather who I first was introduced to via Google + . A wonderful insight to the career of this wonderful soprano and I am sure you will enjoy as much as I did…please head over..

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How Soprano Charlotte Hoather Took Her Singing -- and Blogging -- to New Heights

How Soprano Charlotte Hoather Took Her Singing — and Blogging — to New Heights

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Scottish Opera off to New York later this month with BambinO

Scottish Opera off to New York later this month with BambinO

Scottish Opera are off to New York to play at the Metropolitan Opera.   Charlotte Hoather as Uccellina in BambinO. Scottish Opera, MIF and Improbable 2017. Photo James Glossop. Hot on the heels of their sell out runs in Edinburgh, Glasgow and a tour to Paris in the next couple of weeks, they will take their five star opera for babies, BambinO, to The Metropolitan Opera.  Scottish Opera will…

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A Christmas Recital

Friday, 15th December I treated my mum and I to a Christmas Recital at the parish church, St Bridget’s. Tickets were £5 per person. The performance was by local soprano Gussie Knopov, accompanied by pianist Per Nielsen. I think the appeal of the evening was due to following Wirral soprano Charlotte Hoather’s blog and also wanting to support local events.

The performance was at 7.30pm. We wrapped…

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Women In Music – Alma Mahler « Charlotte Hoather https://charlottehoatherblog.com/2018/02/18/women-in-music-alma-mahler/

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(via https://soundcloud.com/charlotte-hoather/rusalkas-song-to-the-moon?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=tumblr)

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Women In Music – Alma Mahler « Charlotte Hoather https://charlottehoatherblog.com/2018/02/18/women-in-music-alma-mahler/

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Women In Music « Charlotte Hoather https://charlottehoatherblog.com/2018/01/29/women-in-music/

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Women In Music « Charlotte Hoather https://charlottehoatherblog.com/2018/01/29/women-in-music/

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Women In Music « Charlotte Hoather

To add to existing knowledge of women’s work in music in history I decided back in September 2017 to take a programme in my Master’s studies called ‘Women in Music’.  Women are stepping forward more into the spotlight and news, just now I read that the American Conductor Marin Alsop has been appointed the first…

This content was originally published here.