Bombay trip

Wed 16th Dec
Preparing to go to India next week to continue our singing classes, started in Aug this year. It’s a great project starting to gain momentum – we’re attempting to find and develop Indian singing talent. There are classes in Bombay and Goa – six days in the former, three in the latter – for a selected group of singers, many of whom came in August.

There’s potential to find some great voices and give them opportunities to sing in India – something impossible up to now for singers of western style music. Opera is not so different from Bollywood – it’ll be a great opportunity to start off a new phenomenon in India.

Skin-stretching heat, mosquitos both black and white, enough food to sink a tanker and drink to irrigate the Kalahari, autorickshaws bent on reaching heaven early, pollution you can cut with a knife and noise enough to drive beast to water …. India is unforgettable and essential.

Eight students in Goa, ten in Bombay kept us more than busy. The standard was bracingly low at first, but all made the most outstanding progress with incredible speed. The lack of available teachers means that students accept good teaching and drink it down wholesale. And they remember it.  The over-tutored blasé west should take note!