Re Ribayaz and Amazon.

Here's a useful general tip: Amazon US (but not Amazon UK) put online samples of most of the albums available for sale.

For instance, you can hear parts of 20 of the 23 tracks on Spanish Dances by Ribayaz: Spanish Dances by Ribayaz

Thank you so much, Bud. That's so useful. I have to say I had no problem clicking on that link, but sometimes those blue babies don't work at all, and I have no idea why.

It sounds wonderful - boy oh boy, you do get around. I love English music. Not necessarily more than other stuff, but it does have a particular colour and atmosphere about it.

We have a lot to thank the collectors of folk songs for. What an inspiration. I am particularly fond of those that travelled across the Pond into places like the Appalachians, collected by Percy Grainger and others. And, of course, how they inspired composers, both here and over there. Paul Robeson's friend (think his name was Laurence Brown) was an African American who collected songs from that community and brought hundreds of spirituals to the notice of the rest of us.

I haven't! Lucky you.

Did you see the First Night of the Proms? I was quite interested in some of the pieces, particularly the Tchaikovsky piano concerto, which was completely unknown to me.

Well, not being able to sleep, I eventually got round to looking up you lot and saw someone had not been on the site for a month. I can beat that, 6 May was my last posting. Have been very busy - heard that before? At the last posting, The English Arts Chorale were about to perform at Chichester Cathedral. Well, that went off well - we actually made a profit and, considering the prices the Cathedral charge for anything they can think of, that was some feat.

Since that, we've been very active. We went to Barcelona with the Sussex Festival Chorus at the end of May and gave three concerts, all enthusiastically received - it seems they don't get much decent live music in that city. Horsham Chamber Choir gave the four Handel Coronation Anthems in June and we just stood in for the Cathedral Choir for the weekend at Worcester - very enjoyable if very hard work (previously we've done Hereford and Bristol - Lincoln lined up for 2011).

The English Arts Chorale is on show this Saturday at St Mary's Reigate if you're at a loose end:- Lauridsen Lux Aeterna, Rutter Gloria and Gabrielli In Ecclesiis complete with yards of brass including Crispin Steele-Perkins also some music for brass ensemble. Sunday, in Arundel Cathedral, if you're free, Sussex Fesitval Chorus are doing Puccini's Messa di Gloria and Rossini's Stabat Mater. If you like opera, just come along.

Talking of opera, we've joined up as Friends of English National Opera. We went to the dress rehearsal of L'Amour de loin. If you're thinking of going, don't. This must be the first time I have ever not enthused about anything on this chat site. The critic in the Indy said it suffered from 'a fatal lack of drama' though I can put it much more succintly - Boring. Three hours of low energy meandering. Far more interesting was the background of Cirque du Soleil personnel acting out the other two-thirds of the characters (each character, three in number, was represented by three presences, one vocal and two 'Cirque'. The next night we saw Cosi and it was really an extremely good production.

We also sang with the Dorchester Festival Chorus in the Abbey last month (Mozart Requiem) and, even if the performers outnumbered the audience (45 to 20), we had a good evening with a really outstanding performance of the Bach Double Violin Concerto from the Sinfonia di Chiesa. Shame about the failure of the marketing campaign.

Again, looking ahead, EAC are doing the Rachmaninov Vespers (again) in All Saints, Hove on Saturday 21 November. This is along with ten professional singers from Russia so it will be authentic with some meaty bottom B flats, better than we can produce. Look into www.englisharts.org now and again to see what's on.

Sleep well

Derek

Our annual Meet up in Buxton went off very well last Saturday despite the poor weather and again many thanks to those of you who were able to join us for the occasion. My short visit to Buxton was also arranged to coincide with the Festival and I had tickets for two operas taking place. On the Saturday evening following our Meet up, I saw 'Lucrezia Borgia' by Donizetti and on the Monday evening, Mozart's 'Mitridate, re di Ponto', his first opera which is rarely performed.

The music and singing for both operas were superb, period instruments being used for 'Mitridate' but for me this opera was completely spoilt by the set which should have been designed to be in keeping with the era of the story and not some modern equivalent. The whole opera took place in the 'War Room' and the props comprised two huge wooden desks containing several laptop computers, three large wide screen television monitors suspended from the ceiling with two more on the stage which constantly showed scenes taking place on the stage and/or the text translated and towards the end of the opera a number of extremely brightly lit fluorescent tubes were hung down from the ceiling representing the destruction being caused by the enemy at the city walls. Laptops, television monitors and bright fluorescent lights seemed totally out of place against Mozart's beautiful music coming from the orchestra pit and I felt I wanted to shut my eyes. I noticed several people in the row in front of me in the stalls did cover their eyes against this garish light and the people next to me were also not very impressed with the whole set. One lady immediately in front walked out in the interval and didn't return, so I feel representations should be made as it ruined what could have been a superb performance.

I know there is a tendency nowadays to try to 'modernize' opera in the hope, I suppose of making it more popular but in my opinion it is simply 'defacing' it and lowering the standard. After all, when we go to an art gallery we expect to see the original works, not 'modern' versions of the original, so what is the difference? There are plenty of composers around who are capable of writing modern operas with modern settings without tampering with the great opera masterpieces and, in my opinion, setting these great operas against the correct background is extremely important as it makes or breaks the whole performance. In future I will try to avoid any traditional operas staged by Simon Corder, the Designer who is apparently known for his art work and fluorescent pieces!

I'll reply to some of your postings another time but can't stop now as I have other matters to attend to.

T - I must have mentioned previously the Otello I saw where they were all dressed up in camouflage fatigues and with that black stuff on their faces. It took us ages to figure our which one was Otello.

Yes, T, it must be relatively easy to simplify sets and staging without doing daft things. I must say I did enjoy the 1920s setting of The Mikado, which is an exception to my heart-sinking moments.

The Guardian was very enthusiastic about The Ring today. Have a wonderful time.