The singing day was run by Jane Harris and in her introduction she described the day as being 'A feast for the senses - we have the garden to ourselves and will sing for our own enjoyment, exploring the different acoustics and beauty of each part of the garden including the intimate Italianate Cloister with its exceptional acoustics and atmosphere. Uplifting harmonies, joyous singing and moments of glorious tranquility all in a magical setting'.
And it has been a truly magical day. Perfect weather, beautiful surroundings, like minded people (55 of us) and amazing music.
Here's my photographic record of the day.
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| Iford Manor, photographed from the bridge over the River Frome |
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| Steps leading up to the casita where we sang Jubilate Deo |
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| leaving the casita, moving to a lower terrace to sing our next song |
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| View out over the gardens from the lower terrace |
From here we moved to the cloister. We were asked to walk in silence and on the way, open ourselves up to sights and sounds around us. Not captured on camera were the sound of birdsong, the weir by the bridge, bees buzzing around and ...
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| the vibrant colours of the fish |
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| and the scent of wisteria, absolutely everywhere (or so I was told!) |
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| then moving into the cloister, still in silence |
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| We spread out around the cloister, closed our eyes and just hummed. It may sound strange but it was a very moving experience |
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| Suzy taking time out and looking out over the valley |
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| the rest of the day was spend in the cloister - fantastic acoustics |
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| singing a version of Pachelbel's Canon, my favourite part of the day |
This was a very special way to experience all that Iford Manor has to offer and the Songways Singing Day will definitely be repeated in the future.
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