http://www.simondunbavand.com en-gb simondunbavand.com 2011-10-26T00:00:00Z simondunbavand.com http://www.simondunbavand.com/page2.htm#105484 The last piece of the jigsaw is now in place Living in Mevagissey is the most stimulating thing in the world and the views from the Music Room of Wheal Kendall continue to inspire my creativity Jon and I have replaced our annual threemonth globetrotting trips for a few years with something very exciting The University of Sheffield. Here we are being stretched in our respective disciplines by great tutors who are bringing out things we didnt even realise lay withinSheffield is also home to St. Marks church our new spiritual home. Here the staff regulars and even drifters offer friendship fellowship and a place to belong. Its a very special place indeed in our trips round the world we have explored countless religious sites and buildings and St. Marks depth of purpose and holiness is equal to the best of them all Each service is inspiring unexpected and stimulating And the standard of musicmaking means that we are going to stretch eachother along the way and as Hazel writes in my profile... 2011-10-26 21:38:02 http://www.simondunbavand.com/page2.htm#102739 Exciting times This week is Intro Week at the University of Sheffield and term starts next Monday. Im registering as a graduate student for a midlife tune up. Ill be working on a dissertation which explores the theological significance of Messiaens coloured harmonies whilst developing interpretative insights on a range of organ pieces. The composer as his own interpreter can yield some astonishing sounds and engaging with the scores alongside the piano and orchestral repertoire reveals a dense network of selfquotations. There are going to be further musical and spiritual experiences in store for me in Sheffield and it would be an understatement to say that Im really looking forward to joining a community which engages in thoughtful purposeful worship and meaningful social action. Were hoping to get involved in the soup run and if you add to this the blustery fresh air of the Peak District we dont need to be in Patagonia to feel truly alive 2011-9-18 17:33:07 http://www.simondunbavand.com/page2.htm#95598 The first four months of the year were spent on the biggest expedition weve ever undertaken this time to the whole of South America well minus Suriname and Guyana although to be fair Jon even made it for a brief moment into Guyana and we managed to include Easter Island and Cuba. The most significant moment must surely have been climbing Monte Roraima but this is closely followed by the wonders of Iguassu Machu Picchu and the landscapes mountains and glaciers of Patagonia. Looking back Brazil stands out as the most engaging country and culture closely followed by Colombia. But enough of all this information if you havent already seen the blog the link is at the top of the Welcome page as are the links to our expedition of 2010 to Asia and 2009 to India and Bangladesh. Theres three books here just waiting to be published and were justifiably proud of both the text and the illustrationsSince returning it has been a very busy time with concerts recitals services and compositions. Soon the... 2011-6-6 14:36:52 http://www.simondunbavand.com/page2.htm#82731 Well the number of visitors to the site has reached the 15000 mark Thank you for visiting and thank you for your continuing support at concerts in lectures and on cruises and for buying cds and compositions. Dont forget to add me on twitter and there is also a facebook fan page you can sign up to. And if weve met personally dont forget to add me as a facebook friend 2010-12-14 15:44:29 http://www.simondunbavand.com/page2.htm#82432 Looking forward to 2011 there are going to be some amazing musical experiencesFirstly Ill be experiencing at firsthand the music of South America again. Im hoping to get on the trail of Forro in Pernambuco Brazil Tango Nuevo in La Boca in Buenos Aires all manner of sites in Bolivia and Peru where composers such as Juan Araujo worked Salsa and Cumbia in Colombia and of course Son and Reggaeton in Havana. And dont worry Ill be bringing back as many materials as I canSecondly there are some really great concerts already in the diary for when I come back to the UK.And thirdly a major new development I will be undertaking some more indepth research which will be allied to a new performance project. Exciting timesAnd what of undertakings outside the world of music Well dont forget to follow the 2011 blog because this really IS going to be the trip of a lifetime. For starters this third expedition is going to be much longer than the first two. Its also going to be much much more physical with... 2010-12-9 17:15:09 http://www.simondunbavand.com/page2.htm#77027 Well the site has had a little springclean even though its almost autumn this coming Sunday will be our Harvest Festival. The newlook menu seems to be going down well and its integrating well with the banner at the top of every page. Those candles have also appeared on the cd and in some slides in powerpoint presentations. As we entered the astonishing cathedral at Bamberg there they were and snap it was almost a throwaway shot I gave no further thought to until we made it back home I looked and looked again far more closely realising the power of the photo. Its not just the candles which are captivating its the colours the light the interplay of the flames the varying levels and of course the side altar in the background. Needless to say since then Ive always had my eyes open for candle shots wherever we go. Im quite pleased with a few from Stockholm and very pleased with some taken in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It would be nice to include a few pages on the site a... 2010-10-4 13:50:21 http://www.simondunbavand.com/page2.htm#76915 This month Ive been working on some ideas for new recitals for 2011 and 2012. This doesnt mean that the wonderful Baroque Visions of Eternity programmes wont be heard again but instead there are going to be more varied programmes to choose from. The first idea takes up two pieces by Durufl233 and creates an entire programme which builds up to these works. Ive always been fascinated by the fact that the Sicilienne and Toccata from the Suite Op. 5 are very similar to the Sicilienne and Toccata which Vierne composed about six years previously. So lets put these works together in concert to compare them The Durufl233 Toccata is a work Ive lived with for many years and I was lucky enough to record it at Chester Cathedral when I was 18. Every few years I return to this piece to make sure I can still play it... and rework my interpretation of it. Durufl233 himself refused to perform it but often his wife would include it in her recitals saying that she enjoyed the sauce.This set me thinki... 2010-10-2 22:35:54 http://www.simondunbavand.com/page2.htm#76186 This year has been exceptionally busy for compositions. We started off by launching Sing out in Southeast Asia and right now another compilation is underway for use in January 2011 this time with a Latin American theme. This new venture contains numerous songs from Brazil Bolivia and Mexico as well as a seashanty three songs from South Africa and two wellloved hits all arranged for the SATB choir Discovery Singers. The last concert we performed in August was probably the best yet with many items unaccompanied and staying in tune Our five soloists were also on top form.Since returning from Asia in March Ive completed a range of pieces all of which are looking for performances. There are three religious worksThe Missa Brevis Sancti Petri is a short mass setting for organ cantor and unison voices which makes use of the Gregorian chant Exultet as part of the Sanctus.Illuminations is a complete setting of Evening Prayer and Night Prayer from Common Worship scored for priest cantor unison vo... 2010-9-23 17:34:07