Trends

As a knitwear producer, I was invited to a course being run throughout Scotland on colours and trends for the Autumn/Winter 2013/2014. It covered fashion and lifestyle, everything from buttons to furnishings, hats to lampshades!

It was great fun and very interesting, much more so than I thought it would be. As someone on the very distant fringe of fashion, it was fascinating to see how trends develop, how some are just left to die the death they perhaps deserve and others are expanded and built upon and become ubiquitous.

In the evening there was another completely different course. As part of the St Magnus Festival we were part of the Conductors Course with Martyn Brabbins and Michael Bawtree. They are both regular visitors to our choir, and always give us a great singing work-out as well as being great fun. It is a terrific experience and honour to sing with such brilliant musicians, especially for a small island choir!

There were eight different conductors on the course, and they each had their own techniques and mannerisms. By the time it got to nearly 10pm we were absolutely sung out! Only a couple more rehearsals to go before the concert on Sunday . . . !