David Ward collaboration

Having provisionally finished his latest opera, The Garden of the Sun, David requested that we night meet to discuss our works to date on our mutual collaboration.  So early Saturday morning saw me driving up to Banchory in the drizzly weather to the home of our hosts, Mark and Fiona Hope. Not that the weather spoilt the views! Being more confident that I could navigate my way northwards I meandered up the Slug Road and drank deeply from the landscape. By mid morning I arrived at my destination and was welcomed with kisses, coffee, a roaring fire and a view of the snow covered Cairngorms.

For the next hour and a half we talked and shared our progress to date. Without any disagreement we blended and cooked our ideas together concocting our fusion of sound and visuals. Accompanying and advising us was our host Mark Hope who informed us that a date would be set soon for the performance at Woodend Barn somewhere between the last week in October and the first week in November 2017. The performers are to be cellist Rohan de Saram with his son Suren on percussion and pianist Kausikan Rajeshkumar.

We parted company after lunch, the long drive homewards giving me time to think over all that we had discussed.