Mon Dieu, The Album and the 7th June!

Me after 11 hours in the Recording Studio!

This weekend has been one of the most exhausting I've ever done. With a show on Saturday night and then a full day of singing in the recording studio on Sunday I've never worked so hard in all my born days. Of course when I say a full day I mean 11 and a half hours in the studio plus a 3 hour car journey there and back. What I was able to achieved this weekend I'm very proud of and I think I can say this will be the best album I've ever done! To be honest and this may sound a bit crazy but I've never much liked my singing voice until now. After 22 years of singing professionally it's suddenly matured and I'm singing better now than I have ever done. All my hard work, training and experience is now starting to pay off and I can't quite believe what I was able to achieve this weekend. The reason I'm so proud is because I also sung in French and I was able to lay down a few French rehearsal tracks too which will help me to perfect my pronunciation before I perform in Normandy for D-Day. I was also able to pick up my WW1 backing tracks which I orded last year and as ever Richard has done me proud with the arrangements. This year is getting very busy and I don't have many dates left but I'm enjoying doing my WW1 Music Hall shows which have really taken off this year!
I've now got to work hard on the CD cover design and Rachel is helping me to do that as I have a very clear idea of what I want. Sadly it has put my mobile sight behind ever-so slightly but it is nearly there and all is in hand so like I keep saying not long now!
I will be launching my D-Day commemorations album in France as part of my tour and I've included Edith Piaf's Mon Dieu along with another French song I enjoy singing very much J'Attendrai. Richard has also produced a new backing track for me of "Requiem for a Soldier" which many of you will know as the theme tune to Band of Brothers. This is my final song on the album and I thought it would be very appropriate for my show in Saint Marie du Mont. I was inspired by the 1812 overture so we have an element of La Marseillaise in the arrangement.
Speaking of Ste Marie du Mont I must clear up the query I will be singing on the 7th June in Ste Marie du Mont at 4pm outside the church and not the 6th which has appeared on a few web-sites. This is a typing error. I will be in Arromanches on the 6th performing for the Veterans in The Veterans Marquee. So if you want to see my show make sure you make it along to Ste Marie du Mont at 4pm on the 7th June and you will be able to see me performing my American Swing GI Jive Show. My Arromanches show on the 6th is a private event and not open to the public.

Bell Ringing at All Saints Church!

I'm pleased to say that after Saturday's show at Whipsnade which went really well and Sunday's recording day I was able to take some time out and enjoy Leighton Buzzard's May Day Fair. Being a special Day All Saints Church opened up the Bell Tower and for anyone who ever wanted to take up bell ringing there is quite a skill to it. Great for toning the back and arms though!
Today I have been out singing and I'm looking forward to having a day in the gym tomorrow with shows booked in the rest of the week.
Time for bed now I think. Thank you for Following and Toodle Pip!

Whipsnade,Going French and a New Album!

I'm sorry I've not been quite as active on social media this last week as normal but to be honest I've been working flat out and I'm pleased to announce I'm booked to record a new D-Day Commemorative album this weekend. For those of you who follow me will know I've been out and about a fair bit the last couple of months and it great to see all my hard work starting to come together. April has been a very busy month having completed 31 shows and May is going to be just as busy with the run up to D-Day.
I'm afraid once again I'm in a bit of a dash when it comes to writing my blog tonight as I want to get back rehearsing my songs in prep for the recording studio. I've been working very hard at my French and the pronunciation. This week I have been going over my French songs with a very good friend and pianist Ross who is a wiz when it comes to French. Being dyslexic I have to work twice as hard. I learn the phonetics and sometimes I do make mistakes reversing the sounds but pratice makes perfect and I'm so close to getting it spot on that I must get back to my rehearing!
I'm pleased to announce Saturday's show at Whipsnade Village Hall is a sell out so I will be taking it away with my "We'll Meet Again" Show before heading off to the recording studio!
Now I really must dash Thank-you for Following and Toodle Pip!

Ghosts at Sandiway, Carlton Towers, See you on the 3rd May!

Once again it's been a very full week and I'm back from playing at The Sandiway Golf Club in Cheshire. It was lovely to be booked back again. I played there 10 years ago when I went through a Leyland agent who has since retired. This time they tracked me down through the Internet and it was lovely to be invited back. I had been engaged to perform my "Magic of the Musicals" with my 1940's ATS "We'll Meet Again" show and everything was going swimmingly!
Then just before my last number in the first half the temperature suddenly dropped and my net book crashed in mid song which has never happened to me before. Speaking with the bar staff afterwards they said there have been one or two sightings of ghosts in the club house. Late at night members from days gone by have been seen in the bar smoking in their plus fours and one chap who was working on engraving the cups up stairs turned round only to find he was being watch by a ghost - Spooky!
Of course it could, and most likely a load of nonsense but for those of you who believe in this sort of thing it's not the first time I've felt a ghostly presence when I've been out and about. The last time was when I stayed in the Lord Mark Suite at Carlton Towers in Yorkshire. I was there for a Queens Coronation Show back in 2012 and I remember it being a really hot night so I had one leg outside my douevay. I remember being woken up in the middle of the night by something pulling at my leg. I was the only one staying in the suite so it was all very strange!

Carlton Towers in 2012

As for Sandiway I wondered if the ghost was curious as I was multy tracking at the time and singing "I Know him so Well" from Chess. Up to this point I had been singing from lots of older musicals and it was the first time I had sung in harmony with myself so who knows!
Paul had very kindly offered to do sound for me this weekend and although my net book didn't crash during my second act he did mention it pulsated at one point so it's all very odd!
Today I was out doing a "Putting on the Ritz" show and all seemed to be well. I'm keeping everything crossed as I have some very important shows coming up and I can't afford for my equipment to go down but then I always carry back-up!
Don't forget you can see me this weekend at Whipsnade Village Hall on Saturday 3rd May performing my We'll Meet Again Show. Tickets cost £15 and includes a buffet, Dancing and Raffle. Bring your own drinks. Buffet from 7.30pm and tickets can be obtained by ringing 07761 384970. All profit will be donated to the Whipsnade Church Fund! See you there!
Time for bed now I think. Thank-you for following and Toodle Pip!

Pearly Queen to Sandiway Golf Club!

Once again I'm in a bit of a dash as there never seem to be enough hours in the day to do all the things I have to do. Today I have been out and about performing my Pearly Queen Show with two shows back to back and tomorrow I'm out bright and early. I've set some time aside to go over my French songs with a pianist in prep for France as D-Day is going to be such an important event with it being the 70th and all. Today has been St Georges Day and I now have a run of Pearly Queen shows taking me up to the end of the month - so it's full steam ahead!
On Saturday I'm heading up to Sandiway Golf Club in Cheshire to perform a mixture of Musicals and 1940s music - which reminds me I must choose a dress. My meeting went well with Rachel on Tuesday and it wont be long now before my web-site goes mobile so I'm looking forward to that very much. I've also introduced a new Pintrest board called My favourite things which has lots of photos of vintage fashion and pictures which inspire me so if you get the chance do take a look. You can click through from my web-site by clicking onto my Follow Fiona tab and by clicking the P icon which stands for Pintrest.
Gosh it's late and I need to be away in the morning.
Thank-you for following Toodle Pip!

Back from Wythenshawe, Battling With Bonnets and Meeting Scarlett!

Going Victorian at Wythenshawe Hall!

Hello every-one and what a busy Easter weekend it has been too. I'm just back from performing in Lancashire at Wythenshawe Hall for a Victorian event. It was the first time I wore my new bustle costume on stage and although the costume did everything I hoped it would do I had a few teething problems battling with the bonnet. As you can see by the photograph it made a real mess of my hair. The bonnet is held in place with a ribbon which I tie under the chin. The only snag is if you tie it too tight it makes it hard to sing and the slack means it moves backwards and forwards slightly when I'm working - hence the messy hair!
I shall have to pin it in place next time!
On the positive side the costume worked really well and by wearing a corsette rather than a corset I was still able to sing and not upset the line of the dress! Phew! For those of you who follow me will know I always like to bring a change of gown and for my second set I wore my white dress which as a costume has never let me down yet!

Wythenshawe Hall

 This was my first visit to Wythenshawe Hall thanks to Ingrid who found me on line and who very kindly invited me to stay Saturday night at her lovely home. Thank you Ingrid for your wonderful hospitality I really enjoyed our girly chats and meeting Tom the cat.
I confess I had rather hoped that I might have met a ghost or two while I was at the Hall but rather disappointingly I didn't. I'm so lucky I get to travel and perform at so many wonderful locations. I'm keeping my fingers crossed fate will see that I return there again soon. Just to fill you in about some of the history Wythenshawe Hall was built around 1540 by Robert Tatton of Chester. Some years ago I performed at Tatton Park so I know the name well and the Hall has a lovely presence to it which you can feel as soon as you walk through the door. Wythenshawe is now owned by Manchester City Council and they have their own resident soprano called Scarlett

Between shows with Soprano Scarlett

Scarlett is only 16 and has a glittering carer a head of her. In fact she reminds me so much of myself and it was a pleasure to hear her sing. Some of the ariars and languages I heard her sing on Saturday I didn't even start to tackle until my very late teens early twenties so it's no wonder Scarlett has a growing fan base. Do check out her web site and be amazed by her stunning voice, talent and exquisite beauty www.scarlettsoprano.com I was thrilled to meet her and mix her sound. I know just how hard it can be being a soprano and having the right sound can make or break you. So many engineers don't know how to mix it and I think Scarlett enjoyed going through my EV speakers and using an SM Beater microphone rather than an SM 58. The beater is design for a soprano voice and gives greater clarity on top notes and more resonance to bottom notes. During my career I 've used so many different types of speakers and microphones but these two make for a wonderful combination and really suit classical and soprano voices.

Scarlett and I at Wythenshawe Hall!

I have a feeling Scarlett's father might be making a few enquires when he next visits his local music shop. I really enjoyed meeting Scarlett and talking to her family or be it rather briefly as one is always in such a dash to get back on stage. In fact I came away feeling very inspired and thinking about cuirtin arias I had not sung or thought about in years. The down side about being a professional singer is I spend so much of my time dashing about singing songs for money I forget sometimes what it is to be creative and Scarlett has rather opened my eyes again.
This month I have 30 shows to do and tomorrow I have my last Easter Bonnet show before I start on a run of Pearly Queen shows with it being St George's Day on Wednesday. I shall be meeting up with Rachel my web-designer tomorrow and we should be switching my web-site over and going mobile by the end of this week.
That's about all my news for now apart from I will be back up in Cheshire next Saturday when I shall be playing at The Sandiway Golf Club with my "We'll Meet Again" show and "Magic of the Musicals"
Thank-you for Following, Keep Watching and Toodle Pip!

Happy Easter & Fiona's Forth Coming Events!

These last few weeks have been all go and I'm all set for a very busy Easter as I pack up my bustle and bird cadge and head up to Manchester for a Victorian Easter at Wythenshawe Hall on Sunday 20th April. I shall be singing songs from the golden age of Music Hall at 1pm and 3pm and it promises to be a great event. There will be free Easter craft sessions for all the family + a Punch and Judy show. Period photography will also be available by appointment for a small charge of £12. Please email friends@wythenshawehall to arrange a photo shoot but the best bit is it's Free Admission so I look forward to seeing you all there!
For all you 1940s fans you will be able to see me on Saturday 3rd May performing at Whipsnade Village Hall, Whipsnade, Dunstable, Beds my "We'll Meet Again" Show at 7.30pm -11.30pm. Tickets are £15 each and it includes a Cold Buffet, Dancing and Raffle but as the hall doesn't have a licence please bring your own drinks. The dress code is period costume or smart casual and admission is by ticket only. At the moment there are only 18 tickets left and if you would like some please ring 07761 384970. All the profits from this event will be going to the Whipsnade Church Fund.
In the mean time Rachel hopes to make my web-site mobile by the end of April so it wont be long now. I've lots of plans for my web-site and once we get the technology in place it will make adding new pages so much simpler. I've lots of new photos I want to add and for those of you who have been following me on face book will know I've been doing lots of photo shoots so it's great to see everything coming together! Last weekend I was working with photographer Amy Elsibeth Phillips up at Swanwick Station at the Midland Railway and I've been enjoying watching her photos come through onto Facebook.
Don't forget you will be able to see me in Normandy over the D-Day period this June. I shall be singing the British and French anthems at the parade in Arromanches at 5.30/6pm on the 6th June and on the 7th you will be able to see my American Swing Show in Ste Marie Du Mont at 4pm. I shall be performing outside the church so lots to look forward to.
All that's left for me to do is to wish you all a Very Happy Easter and Toodle Pip and thank you for following!

Shooting at the Midland, Vintage Vehicles and off to Wythenshawe Hall!

Between Sets on Sunday!

Hello every-one and what a fantastic weekend it's been not only weather wise but busy wise too. Once again I've been on my travels. This Saturday I was up at The Midland Railway doing a photo shoot with photographer Amy Elsibeth Phillips for her photographic project "Keep Variety Alive". Amy wanted to photograph me as her 1940s Vera Lynn so I had the idea of using a 1947 bus as a backdrop. I drove up from Bedfordshire and Amy came down from Lancashire and we met half way at Swanwick Juction Station in Derby. I'm so lucky in my line of work I get to go to so many interesting places and I'm always meeting people with fantastic collections. I first became a where of this wonderful 1947 bus when I played at The Midland Railway last year for their 1960s weekend and I knew I would like to use her for a shoot at some stage. So a big thank-you to Swanwick Station, John Peck and his son for making this possible. We all had a super time and I know Amy was pleased with her photos

All Aboard at Swanwick Station!

In fact Amy has already posted up a few from Saturday's photo shoot onto my Face book page so do take a look http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiona-Harrison-A-Voice-in-a-Million/143965822288531 As with any shoot I always like to bring a few different costumes with me and on this occasion I brought my Evette the Spivette outfit. We also did a few on the Station platform and as luck would have it the train was just pulling in. So weren't we

Behind the scenes on Amy's photo shoot!

jammy!
Sunday was another busy day as I was booked to sing for a private party in one of the local villages. What was lovely was most of the guests came in a vintage car and the host had his own private collection of vintage Austins out on display, many dating back to the 1920s. The weather was just fabulous and I was booked to do 2 x 45 min sets. In the end I did 3 x 60 min sets and I was asked to stay longer so I finished my final show with some good old fashioned Rock and Roll. It was great to see every-one up dancing and having such a good time. Mind you I confess by the time I got home I was ready for bed!
Today I have been out performing my Easter Bonnet show and I've Easter shows to do all this week so busy busy! Don't forget this Sunday I will be up at Wythenshawe Hall, Northenden, Manchester, M23 OAB for the Hall's Victorian Easter. I've been booked to do 2 x 45 min Victorian Music Hall shows daily so I hope you can all make it along. I will be setting up on Saturday Night and I'm told the Hall can be a bit spooky as it's over 600 years old. So I hope I don't bump into any ghosts. Do check out their web-site. www.wythenshawehall.com
Well that's about all my news for now. Thank-you for following and Toodle Pip!

Mixing Victorian with Going Mobile!

Today I have been meeting up with my web-designer Rachel to check on the progress of my web-site as we move into the modern world of going mobile. It's all very exciting looking at all the different formats and watching my site contract and expand depending on the devise it's being viewed on. In fact I predict that the most popular devise in the next few years will be the Samson Galaxy as the Iphone is starting to get left behind. Talking with people who use one alot are saying the Internet connection on the Iphone is very slow and the Galaxy is much better so we will just have to see. Tablets are quite the thing and I do use my Ipad alot at home. It's great for checking on my e-mails quickly and for facebook when I want to add a quick comment. I myself still uses an Orange brick when it comes to a phone but then I've always liked old things. However I have to be aware of technology and understand it's importance when it comes to running a business which is why I'm so lucky to have Rachel as my web-designer. She keeps me up to date with the technological advances even if I don't always understand them. So not long now - as going mobile here I come!
This month is promising to be really busy with Easter and St Georges day. My next public engagement will be on Easter Sunday 20th April when I head up to Wythenshawe Hall, Northenden, Manchester and perform for their Victorian Day. I shall be performing at 1pm and 3pm and I hope you can all make it along. www.wythenshawehall.com  On 3rd May I'm performing at Whpsnade Village Hall. Tickets are £15 and include a cold buffet and the profects go towards The Whipsnade Church Fund. If you would like tickets please ring 07761 384970 Tel 01582 872552.
Time for bed I think. Thank you for following.
Toodle Pip for Now!