First Rehearsal

Here's a video from our first rehearsal on 2.13.15 in my home. We're about a half hour into working on "Unquiet Thoughts" the first song in Dowland's The Firste Booke of Songes. I'm very pleased with how we sound together and the rehearsal was filled with ideas, improvisation and inspiration.

- Beau Bledsoe

Bucket List

David Adams here- the 'other half' of this great project. As Beau has mentioned in other posts, we have been talking of this for quite a while. Sometimes I look over at the scores on my piano and get a little giddy. Making music has been my passion for as long as I can remember- my family was a musical one, although none pursued it as a profession. A majority of my career has been in classical genres, mainly opera and oratorio. I won't go on about this- suffice it to say that once I was bitten by the singing bug, I never stopped. If you want to know more about me, you can check my website at www.davidadamstenor.com.

Dowland's music is a particular love of mine. I love the simple, clear lines and texts that ooze with emotion. Known as the 'King of Melancholy', it is easy to see these pieces as such. Read deeper, listen more, and you might find a timeless sense of beauty created by a man of extraordinary insight. Even the most seemingly sad text drips with a heart aching beauty and simplicity that is often overlooked by the modern sensibility. In a world that demands (and too often feels that it is something owed to them without due diligence) instant satisfaction, respect, and success, Dowland's music expresses a life of the pursuit of happiness- wins, losses, loves, fancies, joys, and sorrows. I would say that his was, indeed, a life well lived. Beau and I have the fortune of digging in and bringing that to life for you to enjoy for a little while.

There are many things that I have always wanted to do- I am fortunate in having done many of them! In my 'Bucket List of Musical Experiences' category, a concert series of Dowland songs with lute has always bubbled near the surface. I am thrilled to say that this one is about to get a big check mark next to it!

Keep you eyes open- as we start into rehearsals, we will be sharing all of this with you, and inviting you to come, sit, and listen (and enjoy) our walk through these beautiful stories in song.

Cheers!