London A Cappella Festival Preview

That's Spain. On a quieter note, try this:

The window looked out onto a pattern never-ending,
A flower and trees and little pathways far descending
To the garden far below us, the pavilions in the sunlight
Where the Peacocks proudly grace the scene.


Norma Winstone first recorded these evocative lyrics to Jimmy Rowles' tune "The Peacocks" for the first time on the album "Well-Kept Secret" in LA in 1993, with Jimmy Rowles himself at the piano. The song, called "A Timeless Place" is becoming less and less of a secret...almost a standard.

It will form part of the Swingle Singers' closing concert of the London A Cappella Festival on Saturday January 15th, with Winstone herself as guest soloist.

I spoke to Clare Wheeler, who is one of the Swingle singers, who are curating the second festival, after a very busy and successful debut festival in 2010. Last year's festival consisted of British groups, this year there are groups from Belgium (Witloof Bay) and Sweden (The Real Group), and the festival will also have educational and community events. The Real Group, I read, do a great version of Bill Evans' Waltz For Debby.

Incidentally, she also told me about the power of Morningditty, which is a Facebook group and a Twitter topic. The invitation for the Swingles to perform at the Royal Command Performance (think Regent Street and tuition fees demonstrations....) came because of it.

MORE DETAILS OF THE LONDON A CAPPELLA FESTIVAL SITE