Spirit of Play

That's right. It's coming together – and it's called "Spirit of Play take shelter". Because that's what we do . . . .

Some guitar parts were recorded on the fine instrument Lucy's holding in the picture above. The whole thing has been masterminded by The Sound of the Ladies (master! we hear you and obey). And it should be out soon-ish. More as we have it.

But in the meantime, here's a taste of things to come – a little song that we like to call "solipsistic" (and if you want, you're welcome to call it that too). Enjoy!

You know the cause, and you know the solution, too: we're doing our bit for Comic Relief by playing a set next Friday at Hillbrook School in South London, who apparently raised over £3,000 last time round for what I like to call (with apologies to Miranda-sceptics everywhere) a good cause.

They're asking us, an opera singer and other ne'er-do-wells to put on a show for adults not students on the evening of March 8. It's £5 a ticket, and sell mainly to parents (but let me know, via spiritofplay1 at gmail.com, if you'd like to come, and I'll see what I can do). Thanks to a heady combination of irrresistible acts and London generosity of spirit, it ought to sell out. Any SOP fan who cares to donate via this page, though, is most welcome to do so!

PS The absence of blogging this past month is due to an unexpected onset of indolence. Apologies. But they'll be more to say soon, I reckon. Oh yes . . . .

Here's a piano I used to know.

Happy new year, O SOP followers and friends; I hope you've made a musical resolution or two (learn to play the drums? listen to the complete recordings of Showaddywaddy?). Ours is to continue twisting and turning in pursuit of the sunlight (see illustration). How? Well, gigging, recording and blogging might come into it. It's business as usual. . . .

In the meantime, our older recordings (juvenilia . . .) are still free to download, principally via bandcamp, the most recent addition being this prime number from 2011.

Google was paying homage to Ada Lovelace's 197th birthday yesterday, no doubt taking its cue from one of last year's SOP songs for the (mainly virtual) geekpop festival. . . .

Ouch:

Criminy!

Highly recommended if you have a few moments of idleness in which to listen to some very fine music out of Princeton – the Black Box EP by Wayside Shrines, with lyrics by Paul Muldoon, you know (oh! those poets, they do get around):