Atlantic Odyssey Exhibition

Pictures from our exhibition. Top shows Michael Librettist, me, The Mayor, Suzanne and Robin composer.
The two hangings are Sedna and Yemeya sea goddesses and the bottom photo is a general view of the Exhibition. It was officially opened by the Mayor of Swindon on Wednesday and the Exhibition runs until 4th October at the Link Centre Library in Swindon.

Atlantic Odyssey update plus mums death and weddings!!!!

Three pictures today. The first shows the selection of bags that I shall be giving to the Indian ladies at our sons'wedding next week when he marries Deepti. The pink bag is for the bride and the emerald green one is for her mum. Not sure who will be getting the others. they have taken a few weeks to make . The design was taken from a stone carving at the Red Fort in Agra. They are made from layered polyester organza fabrics, free motion machine embroidery with some layers cut back, then hand embellished with beads and sequins.
We had a brilliant launch for the Atlantic Odyssey on 19th July. Graham Appleton from the BTO gave us a really interesting and inspiring talk about the Arctic Tern and how they are learning more about it all the time and it's migration habbits. The third photo is of the poster and you can order tickets for the event from our website at www.swindonchoral.org.uk .We got home after the evening and just after midnight the phone rang and it was the news that my mother had passed away 20 minutes before. She had been failing for some time and we had seen her just a couple of weeks before so I wasn't upset that I hadn't been there. She was surrounded by people who loved her and she went peacefully. She was a celebrity where she lived on Canvey Island having got the MBE in 1993 for her work in the Community. There is a lovely piece about her on the website
www.canveyisland.org
The photo shows her at her 90th birthday dinner surrounded by her grandchildren and Fraser her adored great grandson. 
Her funeral is next week and it is going to be quite a send off. The vicar has made sure of that.

Here is our wonderful logo for Atlantic Odyssey designed by one of the members of sSwindon Choral Society. It shows an Arctic tern in flight having scooped up a fish. We got the score for the piece last week and sung through the first section. As usual Robin Nelson has excelled himself with his composition. I have started work on the fourth wall hanging and hope to have six done by the Concert. There will be an exhibition about the work throughout the whole of September in the Link Centre Library. West Swindon when they will  be on show along with photographs and details of the project.
Geoff and I have just spent a few days in York. we heard on the news about the gathering of the Mallard and the remaining trains of it's class and just had to go there to see them. I booked an hotel on the internet which when we got to it we found a complimentary box of Thorntons Chocolates on the four poster bed and also a complimentary mini bar that was re stocked every day. As well as seeing the trains I went to the National Quilt Museum and also an exhibition by the Diverse Threads group a real bonus.

Atlantic Odyssey Project

Here are the first of the wall hangings that I am working on to go with a Choral Work entitled Atlantic Odyssey, a journey through music which Swindon Choral Society will be performing on 20th October at St Peters Church , West Swindon. The music is composed by our musical director Robin Nelson with words by Michael Polack and is inspired by the migration of the Arctic terns who do the longest migration  of any bird. They fly round the Atlantic Ocean from pole to pole, a truely epic journey.
The sunset hanging has a background of hand dyed silk which I have quilted. The birds are cut from pelmet vylene and I hope that they will be suspended in front as a mobile with a filmy piece of fabric over the top, the idea being that their shadow will fall on the background and they move in a slight breeze.
The same goes for the attacking terns.
to find out more about the project go to the Choral Society website at
www.swindonchoral.org.uk

latest news!

I Just can not believe that it has been four months since I have blogged. That's facebook for you. So much has happened. Mum is nicely settled into her new home and we are now thinking about clearing her old home and getting it on the market. The photo is of a piece of felt I have just made and turned into a book wrap. I am giving up felt making as it is getting to hurtful on my neck. My most exciting piece of news is that I shall be teaching again in Australia next year and am busy working out a schedual and workshops. I shall be starting off in the Blue Mountains teaching for TAFTA the travelling round.
  This year I have plenty of talks and workshops booked starting off in Cambridge in March and also have to look forward to our son's wedding in August. After years of performing with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society I have dropped out this year.