Category Archives: Music

An anniversary anthem – the gift of love

At the end of August 2024 I set a hare running which has just reached its destination. A brand new piece of music now exists, because I commissioned it. I have written before about the big part that singing in … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in family, Music | Leave a comment

2024 Top Ten

2025 already! That’s a good opportunity to post my favourite 10 photos from 2024. Some car racing, some equestrian pursuits, and a whole lot of concerts. Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in acrobat, autosport, car racing, concert photography, country and western, equestrian, fair, fall fair, festival, Hobbies, horse show, motorsport, Music, music festival, musicians, Photography, pop, pop-punk, racing, rock, rock and roll, rodeo, show jumping, sports photography, Western, winter fair | Comments Off on 2024 Top Ten

The 2023-2024 alt-Eras tour

Well, it’s been about a week since the end of Taylor Swift’s monumental Eras Tour. Millions attended, and I’d presume that millions more, like me, never even got half a sniff at a ticket. I confess I didn’t exactly engage … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in concert photography, Hobbies, Music, Photography, whining | Comments Off on The 2023-2024 alt-Eras tour

My favourite Christmas carol

Waiting for Christmas Today is the first day of Advent. In Christian tradition this is a time of preparation and waiting for the arrival of the infant Jesus on Christmas Day. These days Advent is often treated as the start … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Christmas, History, Music, singing, Wexford carol | Comments Off on My favourite Christmas carol

The Man In The White Suit

I had to write something down on my blog or I’d explode. It’s all about built-in obsolescence; the rate of technology increase; and how technology manufacturers use their customers as free beta-testers rather than taking time to release products that … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Apple, GarageBand, Music, obsolescence, PMT, Scarlett 2i2, technology, The Man In The White Suit | Comments Off on The Man In The White Suit

My first music library conference – April 2024

Last month I attended the IAML UK & Ireland Annual Study Weekend (ASW).  IAML is the International Association of Music Libraries, and this is an event run each year by the UK & Ireland branch. This was the first time … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Libraries and librarians, Music | Comments Off on My first music library conference – April 2024

Sourcing music – a Making Music webinar

I recently attended a webinar about sourcing sheet music, organised by Making Music. There were more than 100 attendees, mostly from amateur orchestras and choirs, all eager to learn about the best and most cost-effective ways to procure musical scores … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Libraries and librarians, Music | Comments Off on Sourcing music – a Making Music webinar

Switching to a new library world

Between leaving school and going to university I spent a year working as a library assistant in a public library service; not a branch library but the headquarters of the service. The Library HQ had a large reserve stock, supplementing … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Libraries and librarians, Music | Comments Off on Switching to a new library world

What I Read In February

Barbra Streisand: My Name Is Barbra I first came across Barbra Streisand with a fluffy comic song in my parents’ record collection. It was ‘Second-Hand Rose’, which I now know was written in 1921 and originally performed by the music-hall … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Music, Writing & Reading | Comments Off on What I Read In February

2023 – Top Ten, plus one

In a surprising twist, here are my top 10 photographs from 2023… only a couple of months into 2024! As usual, they also live in a Flickr set that you can explore here. Craig McRae, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (November) … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in concert photography, Hobbies, Music, nature, Photography, racing | Comments Off on 2023 – Top Ten, plus one