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In other news I’m writing this e-mail from a beautiful French home stay in Pondicherry, I’ve been travelling around the South of India for a couple of weeks on my way home from Australia where I’ve been touring with Stephen Taberner. What to tell you first?
I’ll be home in 2days before going to Spain with work & then all systems go for getting the album printed. Australia was a last minute plan to do a week tour (6 gigs over 8days) from Sydney to the Blue Mountains then along the coast to Melbourne, we managed to sneak in an extra gig in Tasmania as well as excitingly being invited to MC at the Blue Mountains festival in Katoomba. Not only that but I was lucky enough to go to the Album Launch of Lucy Wise’s new EP ‘A Painting of the Universe’ if you haven’t heard of Lucy check her out at www.lucywise.com.au, Lucy will also feature on the new album as we managed to sneak in a quick recording session, the bonus track will be a LIVE recording made in Stephen Taberner’s living room with the 3 of us.
Travelling at the same time as making plans for the album has been a real battle, staying in the beautiful cities and tea plantations vs finding wifi to get things done, I managed to settle on waking up at 6.30am to do 2hours work before Sonja woke up & we started our day. I have to tell you my previous 21 year old self is cringing at the early morning start, Shall I be worried, maybe this is a sign of growing up? nah!!! hehe
I’ll finish telling you about a gorgeous experience I had here in Pondicherry, India then I’ll back track to the incredible tour I had in Aus (Hi to all the new friends on my mailing list from Australia too xx) So, on Saturday 4th I had the absolute pleasure of teaching a 2hour music lesson in a local French school. If I were to have children I’d send them there, their day consisted of:
Music lesson, dance, morning break with soup and biscuits, writing, lunch then painting! They also can speak 4 languages at the age of 4, I was in awe!
The children were very enthusiastic to listen to everything I had to teach, immediately responded to anything I asked of them & sang/danced beautifully! It was such a heart warming experience. It started with them singing me a few songs they already knew then I taught them a couple of english songs I know them finished with a Morris dance lesson for the next hour. They were brilliant! The class officially finished with the teacher playing a classical piece of music while the children danced very poetically and beautifully together. I was lost for words.
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(Above photo – Me & Kate Fagan -Rebecca Bastoli joined Stephen & I at our gig in Sydney)
On to Australia! The tour with Stephen Taberner (The man behind the Spooky Mens Chorale) was breathtaking, such warm welcoming people and well attended concerts, we organised the tour just over a week before I arrived in Australia, I’d booked my tickets only a couple of weeks before I flew and yet people couldn’t do enough for us to make it such a loving, welcoming experience, an average of 50 people at each concert, some with up to 70 people which for my first time ever singing in Australia was quite over whelming. While in Tasmania we stayed with a friend who looked after wild life which basically meant I spent my evenings cuddled up to wallabies, singing and listening to Stephen play the double bass. During my stay in the Blue Mountains I had the honour of finally meeting Kate Fagan, for any of you who have my EP the 3rd track ‘Roll You Sweet Rain’ was written by Kate, she’s also the sister of James Fagan so, in her words ‘Its like seeing the sister I’ve never met before’. Not only that but during the concert Kate joined in with the most ear melting harmonies to her song. WOW!!! Another incredible experience was hearing the heart warming songs of Archie Roach, a singer I’d never heard of before but has really left a mark, especially with his song ‘Took the children away’ What a guy! (Oh I also recorded on my friend Rebecca Bastoli’s new EP, too many things to try and tell you. It’s been incredible) Magical people, stunning scenery & such talented artists, singers, friends, I was lucky to be able to spend 5 weeks in the company of such people. Thanks especially to Stephen for making it happen!
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There is just to much to say so here are a few extra little bullet points:
- In January I helped Val Civico put on a fundraiser concert for Alzheimer’s & Parkinsons, something herself & her husband suffer from, the final total split between the 2 charities was an incredible £5,000! (above photos from the gig by Phil Carter)
- I’ve been gigging with a band called Anytown from Sheffield
- I did a great gig with James Sills at a gem of a festival Bradford on Avon Roots – You must go!
- I had a fun photoshoot with Elly Lucas for the album
- I gave up my job full time to put all of my time in to travelling with my music & to have more time to learn new songs.
- I had my 25th Birthday
- 4days before I came away to Aus/India I had a new baby Niece xx
- I’m busy organising lots of tours, I hope to share them with you soon! UK & more…
- Did I tell you about the album? 😉
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More next time, I hope you’re well & enjoying the beginning of Spring (overdose of Easter Chocolate) India is a colourful place to be this time of year.
Warm sweaty wishes,
Kirsty Bromley
kirsty@kirstybromley.com
www.kirstybromley.com
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