Day 7 – Albeniz Tango

6pm, Friday evening. Hoorah! It’s the start of the half-term holiday. Hard to believe that it has been 6 weeks of term and 6 weeks of online teaching. As amazing as technology has been to allow music lessons to continue (or any lessons for that matter) I think a week’s respite from computers, Teams meetings…

Day 6 – Franck Violin Sonata

Let’s stay in Paris! One of my favourite stories about Franck’s Violin Sonata is about its very first performance in 1886. Written as a wedding present for the Belgian violinist Eugene Ysaye, the first real public outing (after the premiere at the wedding reception on a borrowed violin and upright piano) was given by Ysaye…

Day 5 – Saint-Saens Sonata No. 1

Oh how I long for Paris! To stroll down the Boulevard Saint-Germain, sit and dream on the steps of Sacre Couer, sip a cappucino and savour chocolat chaud at Cafe des Flores, browse the book stalls along the banks of the Seine and go for dinner at the Vagenende – a fabulous Art Nouveau restaurant…

Day 4 – Paganini No. 2

8:30pm – after a long day’s teaching I find it satisfying to work on Studies. It’s almost relaxing. Well. Almost. But it is good to be able to free the mind by just dealing with technique. The importance of practising studies, and doing so daily, was drilled into me rigorously at an early age by…

Day 3 – Sibelius Violin Concerto

Monday – 7.15am – peeked out the curtain. It’s snowing! A thin blanket covering the ground, which is exciting indeed, and unusual for the Fens.Icy and bitter cold, and changing grey skies, it seems apt to work a bit more on the Sibelius Violin Concerto. This concerto has been with me since my student days….

Day 2 – Hindemith Solo Sonata

Sunday morning. Waiting for the “Beast from the East 2.0” to arrive. Ominous grey clouds swirling and strong gusts of wind uprooting some plants outside. Cosy indoors though and a mug of hot chocolate ready by the music stand. Thinking about some unaccompanied violin music today. The literature of solo violin music is vast and…