Sea Dogs ahoy in Swansea Museum

It's Monday, it must be time to perform SEA DOGS!

Today, with the Treherbert Brass Band, performing Sea Dogs before a large audience of children. We were in the Maritime Museum in Swansea, a fitting setting for the pirate story, with my words, and the wonderful music of Gareth Wood.

Absolutely everyone was dressed as a pirate. 

Here we are rehearsing in front of a case full of rather lovely model ships.

The Band looked magnificent.

Here's one of my favourite shipmates.

I can't think of a better way to spend a Monday afternoon.

Thanks to the Museum, to the marvellous Band, of course to Charlotte Griffin from Ty Cerdd, who commissioned Sea Dogs, and continues to support it. Thank'ee, matey.

self portrait in a tuba

While the brass ensemble and I were waiting to step onto the stage in the spacious foyer of the Wales Millennium Centre yesterday, I caught sight of myself reflected in the shiny tuba.

I am not a great one for self portraits but this seemed too good an opportunity to miss. 

On the left is a musician wearing a yachting cap, and you can see part of a stripy t shirt and a pirate-hatted musician on the right.

We performed SEA DOGS twice, and had a great time. Our audiences were mostly dressed as pirates, as were the ensemble and me. 

I am thinking of a series of self portraits, reflected in musical instruments.

Yo ho!

Sea Dogs. A jolly nautical musical piece. Ahoy!

Here is a link to Sound Cloud, where you can hear SEA DOGS, a piece for narrator and brass ensemble, words by me, and music by the brilliant Gareth Wood.

It's a jolly pirate tale, of nephews, dogs, a ghost, and wind.

https://soundcloud.com/francescakaypoet/sea-dogs-a-pirate-tale-for

27 minutes of wonderful music and salt encrusted silliness.

The brass ensemble are from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Here's a picture of me and the very high powered and serious conductor and Head of Brass, Kevin Woods.

And here's the Jolly Roger flying over St Asaph Cathedral, on the day of the premier, 2 years ago.

There are two performances in the foyer of Wales Millennium Centre on Monday 24th June, with a student brass ensemble from the University of Wales, conducted by fellow student David Langley, and narrated by me. 10.30 and 1.30. Stand by for  audiences of lots of small children dressed up - oh and the ensemble and me as well.

Argh!