Last weekend in the one of the most surprisingly lovely churches in the city of Brighton a group of women – and a couple of intrepid men – got together to put on a mad adaptation of Scared Hearts: an attempt to abridge the novel for three voices (myself included) and highlight the fabulous music which the convent choir would have would sung four hundred and fifty years ago.  We had some thirty hours to set up, rehearse, stage and make it work.  The west end actresses, Niamh Cusack and Deborah Findlay, had not seen the text until I handed it to them , but between them conjured up a host of characters, as well as holding the narration as if it was the most exciting Edgar Allen Poe story.  The choir, led by Deborah Roberts and Lauire Straus, both brilliant singers and musicologists, managed to conduct this most divine sound, Kate Hawnt moved between Serafina,  the novice and Serafina, a sublime singer and and the choir, hidden by nuns habits and wimples, processed chanting and playing a host of 117th century nuns as if they were to the manor born. And Nick Renton, who has directed more great television dramas than most of us have had the time to watch, staged the whole thing on a wing and a prayer ( and a lot of candle light)

In the end, the only thing worse than the fear that we would get it wrong, was the idea that  no one would come, but as we walked out to face the audience to our astonishment the church was full.  The adrenaline of performance always carries one through, whatever, but there were moments  as the drama heightened and the nuns sang when the church was so silent, that you could hear the proverbial pin drop.  I hope those who came got as much out of it as we did. It was such a mountain to climb in so little time, but the view from the top was at times quite breathtaking….

My deep thanks go to every one of the Celestial Sirens ( the aptly named choir) and to Niamh and Deborah and Kate for  giving up of their time, talent and boundless energy to take a risk on something new.

We are very much hoping that there will be footage on U tube. Indeed here is a quick look……

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOIWipn3Gbo

And photos here on the website. A week on I think we are all more tired than we could have imagined. Or perhaps that is the shock of living in a country where it seems for this weekend at least  there is no government.  A hung parliament. Even in the most run down convent they managed to vote in an abbess, even if half the votes were rigged. Ah well, the pleasures of modern life.

To those I didn’t get to meet this blog is there for your thoughts and comments. I am trying to get the set up of the site changed so we can all see each other comments together more easily and maybe start discussions. I would happily join in. So throw some ideas and questions out.

To all of you have have bought “Sacred hearts” a great thank you and i hope it does not disappoint, I have come to realise that the best publicity in the whole world is word of mouth and so if it enthralled you then please just pass the word. Eventually we will have a huge forum here talking  about women, the past, spirituality, sexuality, music, art, relglion . You name it. I look forward to it.

Sarah

thank you to all who have come to listen and join in the conversation.  When you come to read the book do let me know what you thought. I would love to hear it.  now I have an evening off in SF.  life is not all bad!

On Monday I did a great gig in Ben Mcnally’s books In Toronto, but in a huge itlaian restaurant, where of course people yelled and shouted, as italians love to do.  I had brought a cold stowed away in my luggage from London and I had a voice that sounded deep enough to be the only y magnificent. Musica Secreta recorded all the lovelist bits of music which are in the book and ther do indeed have the voices of angels. A real soundtrack of its own. There are samples of it on podcasts and the web site and you can buy the Cd on a link from my site to theirs.  Music Secreta are  women who have given their lives to delve deep into history and bring alive the sounds of women ’s voices as they were 500 yars ago.  They are also enormous fun to work with.

Me – I croak and swallow throat lozenges and with luck some kind of voice will return.,  Otherwise I’ll give the seagulls a run for their money when I hit the ferry out to Victoria island tomorrow. At Cadboro books for anyone local…..

Thanks to you all for your blogs. It makes a real difference to feel one is not alone, even when the hotel room is  empty.   Sarah