A Song for Everything

I know we try to deny it but Christmas is only 3 months away!! Isn't that crazy? It's always funny to start learning Christmas music in September but as a singer you have to start early :) which to me is fabulous because I love singing Christmas music, listening to Christmas music and shopping to Christmas music.  I know I might be a little Christmas crazy but apart from the amazing story of Christ's birth there is also the magic of that time of year. So some of my favourite Christmas carols/songs are: O Holy Night Angels we Have Heard on High Silent Night Gloria in Excelsius Deo White Christmas Ill be home for Christmas Chestnuts roasting What are yours?? I tend to like the songs that are about white christmas's which I have never experineced but am sure I will some day. Although there is something special about an aussie Christmas, hot weather, carols by candlelight, seafood, cricket..... Well this post is not meant to freak you out if you havent st...

What a day was had on Saturday just gone (18th August for those playing at home!)! I had an absolute ball and just love when you are doing something that you love because you don't get tired but fully energised. Soul Factor put on their "Pure Imagination: Disney, Dreams & Destiny" Concerts to almost full houses and can I say how much fun it was to play Disney Princesses and characters all day. The music is such a pleasure and a delight to sing and I know that everyone there adult and child alike were wanting to join in. We sang songs from Aladdin, Willy Wonka, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pocahontas, Little Mermaid, Cinderella, and other songs from Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Wiz, The Prince of Egypt and I don't think that covers all of them! I personally played a version of Esmarelda (from Hunchback) I was the narrator but looked like Esmarelda, Little Mermaid and also The Lady of the Lake from Spamalot.  It reminded me how much I love singing and performing for...

Well its been a little while, I have been singing here, singing there and rehearsing, lots of rehearsing!! I've been contemplating of late how privilidged I feel to be a singer and to share with others through music. The words we sing, the melodies, the way we share the story in our faces is a special way to connect emotionally. I have to say emotion is one of those things I have not been without this year as Im sure you are aware of and even in the last couple of weeks a new wave has been upon me. Not just sadness or pain but joy, happiness and assurance and its interesting how now when I sing certain songs I mean every word or suddenly I realise I have lived through that. It touches me afresh and although it can be painful singing what you know to be true in a way it heals, as talking about problems or issues brings healing.  Music connects with people on a deep level, add to that meaningful words and we as the singer are sharing a story of ours or others lives and thats a resp...

My goodness I can not believe that it has been over a month since I posted anything, I do apologise but my life got just a little more crazy there for a while and so I was only doing what I had too! But I have had a fabulous month singing, travelling, meeting new people, making new decisions so it has been great. Highlights: On the 30th June - 1st July I was in Canberra with the staff Band which was great, well it was freezing actually but still the time we had was lovely. We were there to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the sinking of the Montevideo Maru. A World War II Japanese ship carrying Australian Prisoners of War that was sunk by the Americans on July 1, 1942. 1000 Australians were killed including many Salvo Bandsmen and Conductor/Composer Arthur Gullidge. We did a concert on the Saturday night which was a great night of music and then on the Sunday was privileged to play at the unveiling of the Rabaul and Montevideo Maru Monument at the Australian War Memorial. Over 10...

Well we are already in June crazy! And that for me means a lot of travel singing in different places and for different reasons.  The weekend just past saw my sisters and I singing at the Melbourne Bands Together for Africa Concert. After an afternoon of recitals from four Victorian Salvation Army bands there was a finale concert which also included the Melbourne Staff Band and the Raymond Sisters. We were the non brass part of the evening doing two brackets and hopefully entertaining the crowd. The concert was well received as was our input and it was also lovely to catch up with some friends and relatives that evening. I travel to Sydney on Friday to be the Guest artist at the Sydney version of the concert. These concerts are raising money to build a primary school in Sierra Leone. The Sydney concert is just a concert containing a band made up of players from both NSW and QLD. Both the Melbourne and Sydney Concerts have been conducted by Special Guest Conductor Dr. Stephen Cobb f...

Wow! What a fantastic night we had at the "You Can't Stop the Beat" Alex Raymond Tribute Concert on Saturday night with nearly 600 people. It was such a joyful concert celebrating Alex and he would have loved it! Soul Factor sang and danced their hearts out, they were fantastic! The school Hot House band both recent and old scholars were fabulous and it was so great to have them a part of the concert. It was also nice to sing with my sisters, a bracket of faves for our brother. But the night was truly his with 5 clips of him performing that were sensational. That is a memory I will have forever, you Al will be cherished forever and even now you are still inspiring and making us smile! Love you x

Well I haven't written for a while, sorry about that! I have been so busy with trying to do assignments, work, rehearse, sing, teach its been crazy!!! anyway so Mother's Day is this weekend. The day when we celebrate the wonderful women in our lives who do so much for us and loves us tremendously. So what are you doing for your Mum this year? Flowers? Chocolates? Promises you don't intend to keep? (line from Beauty & the Beast hehe!!) Spa Treatment? Lunch cooked by you? Movies? I'd love to hear some of your ideas. This year, as it will be a tough one, the first without Alex, we are all flying to Tassie to be with my sister and her husband away from home. It should be a lovely time and the first time Mum & Dad have seen my sisters house. (For Liv and I, its the 3rd time there in less than 6 months!) Of course, as we are there we, The Raymond Sisters, have been booked to sing at the Red Shield Festival Saturday at the Bellerive Boardwalk. We are doing a 30m...