AFFINITI NP: The sound you create is very pure and unfiltered which creates a real intimacy with your audience. What elements do you feel have inspired and influenced your sound? Affiniti: Finding the right songs is key! We spend a lot of time trying out songs to find "the ones" that will work for our blend of instruments & voice. We try to get behind the song and put our own interpretation of what we believe is at its essence. Although we are all classically trained musicians, we are very aware of our Celtic heritage and this definitely is a big influence on our sound. NP: You were previously known as Celtic Rose. What does ‘Affinity’ mean to you? Affiniti: We have known each other for many years and initially formed Celtic Rose about 7 years ago as a wedding group. As we started to experiment more with our sound, we discovered that we got a real buzz from creating new arrangements of well known songs, by injecting celtic, classical and operatic elements into them. Our sound evolved as a result and we felt that the name Celtic Rose just didn't represent who we were anymore; that and the fact that every Irish group seemed to be called Celtic 'something or other!' After much brain storming, we suddenly reached the eureka moment where we realised that it was more than the music that kept
moment where we realized that it was more than the music that kept the three of us together, that we were now friends for so long that we had a real affinity with each other. And suddenly, it seemed so obvious that our name needed to be Affinití. You'll notice that we spell it with an Í rather than a Y at the end. This is our nod to the Celtic influences in our music. Also, seeing as we are three very different personalities, always with strong opinions, we have a joke amongst ourselves that there is no 'I' in team, but there are 3 in Affinití! NP: On your website, you all are described with various characteristics, “the girly one,” “the glam rose” and “the goony one.” As musicians however, you all have similar training in classical music. What do you think is the reason so many classical artists like yourselves are turning to classical crossover? Affiniti: We are all classically trained to
Masters level but although we may be
classical at our core, I think we all found
the classical tradition quite restrictive. For
example, as an orchestral musician, your
role is to play all the notes on the page
exactly as written, adhering to all the
dynamic & phrasing markings and
following the lead of the conductor. There
is little room for personal freedom and
creativity. Within the classical crossover
genre, we can do what we want! We love
using our instruments and voice to create
new sounds and effects, and there's
nothing we enjoy more than injecting
something of ourselves into the music we
are playing. On a broader level, the
classical
classical music industry simply has to embrace crossover in order to survive this modern era we live in. For some purist ensembles, this is met with inertia from musicians who resent having to 'lower their standards' but in Affinití, we strive to strike a balance between contemporary music and virtuoso performance with sensitive arrangements. We LOVE crossover and continue to adore classical music, Irish traditional music, world music, pop and rock music as separate genres in their own right. We just consider crossover as its own genre too! NP: Emer, tell us a bit about your most challenging vocal role? Emer: There is a lot of challenging repertoire in the operatic genre, so this keeps me on my toes! I still go to weekly lessons and I'm constantly working to expand and strengthen my range. I'm playing First Lady in Mozart's The Magic Flute with an Opera company here in Ireland (Lismore Music Festival) this May. Vocally the biggest challenge is just the high tessitura i.e it sits very high in the voice throughout so it's just about working it into the voice the correct way! By the time we get to rehearsals I'll be able to just have fun with it and that's the greatest joy of singing for me - working in the technique and then just letting go and getting into character. Within Affinití, I use my voice in many different ways across a myriad of styles so the biggest challenge here is the very wide range required by the different genres. I can sometimes use 2 and half octaves in the one night so it's important I'm always breathing properly. NP: How did the concept for your EP “Rebirth” come about? We thought "rebirth" was a suitable title for our debut EP because we feel that we give
We thought "rebirth" was a suitable title for our debut EP because we feel that we give songs a new life! In this EP, we took 5 well known songs, paired them right back and completely reworked them, adding new melodies, or creating new textures. For example, in One Day Like This, we added a Hornpipe that we composed ourselves, in My Immortal, we composed a celtic melody as an instrumental in the middle of the song, Falling Slowly we morphed into an operatic aria etc..So in this way, we think it could be said that the songs experience a rebirth at the hands of Affinití! NP: Mary, you are the composer of the group. Have you been writing any new material for the group that we might be able to hear soon? Mary: I do some composing and freelance arranging outside of Affiniti which I very much enjoy, but when it comes to composition for Affiniti, this is a very collaborative process and we all play our part. Recently we have started working on some original compositions which is extremely liberating and something that we are very much enjoying. The project we are currently working on is the Shannon Suite which was commissioned by Shannon Airport and is a 4 movement piece with text both in English and the Irish language from the work of Irish poets including Máirtín Ó Direáin and W.B. Yeats. NP: You girls have a special relationship with classical and rock; is there any music style you think you would never cover or is the sky the limit? The sky is the limit and that is precisely
The sky is the limit and that is precisely why we love what we do so much! Saying that, we'll probably steer clear of rap! NP: Aisling, you have performed on the classical stage and also with Kayne West. How do you, as a harpist, adjust to accommodate such a range of styles? Aisling: Whatever the performance, concert or recording, whether with a symphony orchestra, chamber group, or rock star, music is music. It is a language and a playground all at once! I find I get lost in it and just the excitement of entering into the moment guides me. Of course, having trained from an early age helps endlessly in the task. It takes a huge amount of practice and study to appear effortless behind any musical instrument and adapt to so many different styles, but for me, that's the joy of the craft! Kanye West is such a massive 'star' and his production was huuuuuge. I can't honestly say that it was a musical highlight for me as I had to busk from a violin part but it was certainly a novel tour! Style over substance is rife in the music industry and often appearances are more important than the quality of music. As a harpist, my tone will vary hugely from genre to genre. Where I choose to play on each string will produce slightly different tone, how much or little flesh I play with on each finger, how quickly or thoroughly I close my hand after plucking each string, how abruptly I change a pedal (yes. The harp has SEVEN pedals, each with three different positions - flat, natural and sharp) what technical effect I use (harmonics, glisses, pedal slides... the list is endless!) What I adore about Affinití is that Emer and Mary know how much I love to improvise so I have lots of freedom to explore the harp
know how much I love to improvise so I have lots of freedom to explore the harp on every gig. We are sort of telepathic and know each other’s thoughts- which is VERY handy when you have to cope with a rather rebellious and rambunctious harpist! Affinití is all about marrying style WITH substance and we work incredibly hard, always striving for satisfying arrangements musically- for each of us. Its such a fascinating process that requires all three of us to have the eureka moment. (We nerdily joke about being 'struck by Affinití' when this happens) NP: Mentor’s are extremely important to the creation and improvement of any artist. Who are some of the people who have helped you on your journey so far? Affiniti: Well I think we would have to start with our manager, Terry Browne. He truly believes in what we are doing and has done so much to help us already since we first met him in September. Second would have to be Howard Crosby, nephew of the legendary Bing, who we also met last September at a concert in the National Concert Hall in Dublin. He loves our music
and has organized a very exciting White Christmas Tour which will take place in Dec 2014 and includes concerts in Portland, Washington State (the Bing Crosby Theatre!) and Chicago. Another inspirational mentor is Harry McKillop in Texas who presented us with the Spirit of Ireland Medal in McKinney, Texas in February. We had the honor of performing at his Honorary Conferring at the Perot Museum of Science in Dallas. At 94 years of age, he still goes to work every day and is an incredible and inspirational person. We have been very fortunate to meet these wonderful people and are so honored that they believe in what we are doing. When can we expect a full length album from you? Affiniti: We have recorded about 75% of the album. We don’t have a recording contract so it is an expensive process; we are currently saving to finish it off! We hope to have it ready to release by early Autumn.
Affiniti official: affinitimusic.com
BY NATASHA POHOLKcA
S tephen Bowman, Humphrey Berney
and Ollie Baines make up the band
BLAKE. Since the launch of their first
album in 2007, the friends have quickly
established themselves as one of the most
successful crossover bands. Thanks to
Sara French, Classical Crossover
Magazine was able to get to know them a
little better…
NP: The story of how your all found
each other and then started a group
thanks to facebook is very
interesting. What made the three of
you want to sing together as a group
as opposed to pursuing solo careers?
Steven: There is certainly safety in
numbers! We've all had the chance to
sing as soloists previous to Blake, which
was great, but genuinely it's a lot more
fun creating a group and enjoying the
experience together. A big part of our
live shows is the banter and comedy
between us, which the guys in audience
appreciate as antidote to all the love
songs we sing.
Humphrey: Singing in harmony is a
great feeling and working with others
adds a great team dynamic. You can
play off each other on stage and have
mates to have a beer with after the
show. It can be quite lonely as a soloist.
Natasha: Your group has had many
fantastic performance opportunities
since you released your first album
in 2007, including several major
sporting events. Which ones are your
family and friends most excited
about?
Steven: We've been asked to sing at
Twickenham stadium a number of
times, for national and international
rugby games. Seeing 70,000 people
filling that stadium is really quite
something, specially when you're
leading Swing Low or Jerusalem. We
often take our family and friends, who
get to enjoy us and a good rugby game
too!
Humphrey: My family all came to see
us perform at the classical Brits at the
Albert Hal. It was such a great night
and they were very proud. Another
highlight for them was when we sang at
the opening of the new roof. They are
big tennis fans!
NP: (for Stephen) You were accepted
into the London Guildhall School of
Music and Drama before you could
even read music and now you are
writing songs! Do you feel that your
studies in music theory have helped
broaden your appreciation for the
music you sing?
Steven: I was shockingly bad at sight
reading music when I started Guildhall,
preferring instead to play the piano and
sing by ear. I improved slightly, but
frankly I'm still pretty awful at it.
However, I'm sure that relying on my
ears has helped me with my song
writing and helped me appreciate more
than just classic music; essential for
writing and helped me appreciate more
than just classic music; essential for
Blake.
NP (for Humphrey): Although you
studied at the Royal Academy of
Music and performed in operas you
have also sung in a rock’n’roll band
and are now happily in the crossover
music scene. How important do you
think it is for people to be exposed to
all different genres of music?
Humphrey: Very. For me variety is so
important. Of course that brings
challenges in regards of singing
techniques but to be able to satisfy all
my musical tastes through Blake is
amazing.
NP: Change is an inevitable and
exciting part of any musical group.
Your band has gone from a quartet to
a trio in recent years. How are you
enjoying reworking old favorites to
accommodate this and creating new
sounds?
Steven: You're very right, change is
something to be welcomed in any vocal
group, as it injects new life into
performances and allows for new
directions. We've reworked every single
piece we sing, distilling four part
harmony into three. It was during this
process that we realised how often we
were doubling up on harmonies.
Audiences were surprise at how similar
the trio harmony sound was to the
quartet.
Humphrey: I am loving it, it has
provided challenges which we have
overcome. Becoming a trio has added a
new energy to the group both musically
and in our stage performance so things
are looking good!
NP (for Ollie) I think sometimes people underestimate the diverse careers available in music beyond performance. You have a degree both in music (performance?) and also music technology. Can you tell us a little bit about your studies and how they have helped you so far in your career? Ollie: I went to three universities and didn’t finish any of my degrees – not through lack of trying but because of my want to move onto the next thing. When I ended up at the Guildhall and found myself with a job after the first year (that’s when I joined Blake) I left as I felt it would have been foolish not to take the opportunity. The purpose of the music performance course is to get a job so when the opportunity came up I took it. Music technology has been an enormously helpful foundation for the amount of time we spend in the studio and the amount of input I have on the production of the recordings and I still keep up with all the trends and technology now. NP: As musicians I feel we have a
higher purpose than mere personal
advancement, and Blake has been
very supportive of multiple charities.
Do you have any words of
encouragement and advice for up and
coming artists to give back with their
music?
Steven: As a group we do all we can to
help charities in the UK and worldwide.
We've been very lucky with our career,
gaining the opportunity to travel the
world and sing the music we love. Giving
as much time as we can to charity feels
right, whether singing at events or
appearing on radio or TV to talk about
their campaigns. Musicians have a
unique way to help charities get their
message across, it's important to do all
we can.
Ollie: There are only so many ways of
getting one’s music out to the wider
public most of these involve major
record labels – if you are fortunate
enough of finding other ways to do this
you absolutely have to take the
opportunities – this includes charity work
of course. However, if wouldn't work if
you didn’t have some kind of personal
affiliation or connection with that charity.
All charities that Blake have worked with
over the last seven years (35-40 in total)
have had some significant personal
connection to at least one member of the
group. The advice I would give is they
should work with the causes they really
care about, because that way you gladly
give your time and you will feel more like
you are really making a difference.
Humphrey: Music is a very wonderful
thing and can help people in so many
ways. Use your music and if you are
fortunate enough, your profile to help
others or simply bring them enjoyment
through your performances. It is a
wonderful gift so share it!
8. In Britain singing in choirs is a
NP: In Britain singing in choirs is a
very important part of musical
culture. As you have choral
backgrounds, what do you think it is
about choral singing that continues
to draw the public?
Steven: It's true that Britain has an
exceptional tradition of choral music,
although for a while this was rather
forgotten in the mainstream. The public
now seem to be fascinated by choral
singing again, perhaps because of
recent tv shows headed by Gareth
Malone, a Royal Academy classmate
with Humphrey. Our harmony sound is
very much influenced by our times in
choirs, giving us some experience of
jumping around the available notes till
we arrive at chords which best suit the
mood of a piece.
Ollie: I think choral singing is a part of
the British culture and I think choral
music has played a huge part in Britain’s
musical evolution over the last 500 years
and since the break with the Catholic
Church choral music has been a major
part of the Church of England that the
rest of Europe has never experienced.
There are more than 40 cathedral choirs
in England alone and countless parish
choirs that are of an extremely high
standard. A lot of people in Britain do
not realize how far ahead of the rest of
the world we are is in terms of choral
music. It is something we should be
immensely proud of.
Humphrey: The new interest in singing
in choirs is a great thing and something
we have been very involved with having
invited hundreds of choirs to join us over
the past few years. Singing in a choir
brings so many things: Musical
fulfillment, team work, friendship and so
much more. If you have not sung in a
choir then join one - you will love it.
NP (for Humphrey): You’ve done a bit
of acting for the BBC. Is this a talent
you hope to develop more in the
future? And if so, would you ever
consider doing a super hero role?
Humphrey: I have been very lucky to
have had a great deal to stage time
throughout my life both acting, singing
and combining the two. Blake is my
focus and there is certainly no time for
other projects which is a good situation
to be in! Super hero?! I have a big jaw
and told I look like buzz light year so
maybe Toy Story the Musical!!!
NP: Tell us more about your label
Blake Records and how its formation
came about?
Steven: Blake Records was our best
business decision in seven years
together. As other artists were finishing
their contracts with major labels and
immediately looking to sign up to new
ones, we were approached by Svengali
Adrian Munsey, who asked if we would
consider setting up a record label with
him. We loved the idea of gaining more
control over how our records would
sound, so accepted the opportunity and
never looked back.
NP: If you had to label the members
of your group, who would be… the
Steven: Always hard to pigeon hole us boys as we're all
fairly multi-faceted, but here goes. Perhaps, Ollie the
Diva, the Prankster and the Scholar?
Or any other titles you feel more
appropriate?
Steven: Always hard to pigeon hole us
boys as we're all fairly multi-faceted, but
here goes. Perhaps, Ollie the bookworm
scholar, Humphrey the extreme sports
junkie and I the self professed online
geek?
Humphrey: Scholar - Ollie. He used to be a teacher and loves the academic side of music.
Sporty – me, I cannot sit still and happiest when I am doing something active - wake boarding, kite surfing, mountain biking....anything.
Techno - Stephen. He is the computer whizz and runs all our social media, keeping us in touch with the world.
Prankster - All of us!!!
NP (for Ollie): Have you done any
arranging for Blake so far?
Considering your background in
French Horn, Trumpet and piano, I
would imagine you would add some
very interesting textures to the
instrumentation. If you have not,
would you consider doing so in the
future?
I have been lucky enough to have a big
input in all the Blake albums which has
increased has time has gone on. I have
been lucky to work closely with all the
orchestral arrangers so that the structure
of our songs fits with the vocal
arrangements we come up with. We
have also over the years worked with
some incredibly gifted vocal arrangers,
such as the brilliant Mark Williams (who
is now the Director of Music at Jesus
such as the brilliant Mark Williams (who
is now the Director of Music at Jesus
College Cambridge) who have
significantly helped to mould the Blake
sound into what it is today.
NP (for Stephen): You are an avid
supporter of motor bikes, which some
might say is a bit risky. What makes
you enjoy them so much and do you
think that being a bit of a risk taker
has made you a better performer?
Stephen: I'm actually the least likely
person to get called a risk taker, even
when I'm on a bike, I'm cautious by
nature. I use a Honda Fireblade
motorbike to get around London, get to
the recording studio and attend some
concerts. It's a thrill to travel that way,
gives me an adrenalin buzz, maybe it
does pick me up on stage!
In conclusion, 2013 was a big year for
you in terms of touring and
NP: In conclusion, 2013 was a big
year for you in terms of touring and
performances. Do you gentlemen
have a new record coming out soon?
What can we expect from you in 2014
and beyond?
Steven: 2014 is a big year for Blake.
We have tours and shows in the UK,
Russia, South Africa, Germany and
America. Importantly we have our first
UK studio album by the trio, so that very
exciting. We can't wait!
Humphrey: Lots! Tours in the UK, South
Africa, Asia, USA, a new album and
amongst all this I am getting married! It's
going to be a big one!!
To keep up to date with all the latest
from Blake visit blakeofficial.com
The golden haired soprano was standing
before a mirror, humming a tune and
clutching a sparkly red dress to her chest.
The door opened a crack and her brother
launched a wind-up toy penguin into the
bedroom. The slim twenty something
stooped to pick up the bird that was
waddling towards her and launched into a
song about how she wished she could be as
carefree as her "feathered friend." She sang,
"everytime you have a date, you're not in a
nervous state, lucky bird...you don't cause a
lot of talk if you wiggle when you walk,
lucky bird." Amazingly enough, the perky
blond did not come across as seductive even
while demonstrating said wiggle and
changing into the red halter-top dress behind
a dressing screen while winking at the
camera. That's because this cutie was actress
Jane Powell performing in another one of
her MGM Technicolor musicals.
Unlike the sexy blond bombshells Marilyn
Monroe and Lana Turner, Jane Powell was
Hollywood’s nice “girl next door.” Her
screen personality was bubbly, friendly and
cheerful. However, in her autobiography
Jane describes herself as a lonely and tearful
child who was pushed by her parents into
being “another Shirley Temple.” This
included dancing lessons and perms, starting
at the age of two! She was an only child, her
“mother’s toy,” to be dressed up and shown
off. But even though she was groomed to be
a star from a young age, she never felt she
really was one – just a kid from Portland
Oregon.
Jane was the only child of Paul and Eileen
Burce, born on April 1st,1929. “Suzanne
Burce” (later Jane Powell) started singing on
the radio at the age of five for the “Stars of
Tomorrow,” program. By twelve she was
named the “Oregon Victory Girl” and
worked selling war bonds for two years
during the war. Although she loved to sing
and was grateful for her opportunities, as a
and was grateful for her opportunities, as a
child all she wanted was to have friends and
go to school with other children her age. She
was always being pulled out of school and
moved around due to her work however.
With her peers, Suzanne always felt like an
outsider, and it didn’t get any better once she
arrived in Hollywood. Yet, some of her
peers were welcoming, and she did become
friends with Roddy McDowell, whose house
she spent many happy Sunday afternoons at.
Not everyone was so gracious, though. Once
she went to a swanky party where there were
many major stars, including Shirley Temple.
What could have been an exciting moment
proved to be embarrassing when she caught
the famous actress mimicking her opera
singing. Once Shirley saw that Jane had
noticed her impression, she blushed and
turned away, but it only served to reinforce
the feeling that she didn’t belong in
Hollywood or as the girl next door.
“I’ll tell you how I felt then. Not like
Cinderella and not like Jane and not even
like Suzanne anymore. Everyone said I was
wholesome and sweet and darling, but I felt I
was an ordinary person doing an unusual
job. Who WAS this Jane Powell,’ The Girl
Next Door’? I wasn’t really The Girl Next
Door, and I didn’t feel like a movie star,
either. I didn’t know what I was. I just felt a
real ‘Girl Next Door’ had a better time. She
knew more than I did, dated more than I did,
had more friends than I did. She had a
mother and a father who were loving to each
other. She went to football games, had
pajama parties, flirted with boys, ate lunch
with girls, saw movies with boys and girls,
drank sodas in the drugstore. She took
physical education classes, ate in the school
cafeteria, worried about shaving her legs
and wearing silk stockings. I was not that person.”
Once it was time to plan her wedding, she
did not even know who to ask to be her
bridesmaids. Her MGM co-star Elizabeth
Taylor became one of them, and she later
became hers, but they were never close.
People assumed they were, but Jane
confessed that the reason they were in each
other’s weddings is because “we just didn’t
know anyone else to ask. How were we
supposed to meet anyone else? We were both
working all the time. It was hard to find
enough bridesmaids for us.”
The irony is that for someone as sheltered as
she was, Jane had a “Dear Abby” type
advice column! Teenagers would write to
her for advice, and “Jane Powell” would
respond – only in actuality she did not write
the column, somebody else did under her
name.
“I lived a dream, but it wasn’t mine.” Most
of her life was spent pleasing other people
and fulfilling their ideas of what she should
do, even her marriage at the tender age of
twenty, which the press was thrilled about.
“The Girl Next Door was SUPPOSED to get
married was supposed to pick an athletic,
All-American boy. Once again I’d pleased
my public by living out their fantasies, not
mine.” Although she didn’t realize it at the
time, looking back Jane believed the reason
she got married was to escape her parents
and their unhappiness.
Four years and two children later, Jane filed
for divorce. From the start, her marriage had
been unhappy, and although she was judged
and criticized by the public, for the first
time, she chose to ignore them. “All the
while, I heard Mama’s words in my ears,
‘we only stayed together because of you,
honey.’ What a burden to put on someone –
especially a child. I was afraid I might say
those same words to my children.”
In the meantime, Jane was busier than ever,
caring for her two children and working full
time. However, she was always full of
seemingly superhuman energy. “I realize
now that my energy helped me avoid facing
my problems. I was always running,
probably running away.” Her movie
musicals from this time feature famous co-
stars such as Fred Astaire, Debbie Reynolds
and Howard Keel. Jane Powell wrote that
her favorite movie was “Two Weeks With
Love,” a story about a Victorian family,
which in some ways resembled the Judy
Garland musical “Meet Me In St. Louis.”
She plays a teenage daughter who wants to
be grown up and allowed to wear a corset.
Not only did she enjoy the cast and the
music, but she could also relate to the
character’s longing to be considered a grown
woman.
After her divorce, she did marry again. And
divorce again. And marry again. She was
married five times in total, which is why at
the beginning of her biography, she jokingly
promised not to give advice (because she
said after four failed marriages, who would
want her advice?) But looking back, she saw
that one of the mistakes she made was
choosing men who needed help, because she
was again acting out the role she had
practiced from early childhood, helping and
pleasing her parents.
When she finally left MGM, the era of
movie musicals was coming to a close. “For
the first time in my life, I had to take care of
myself. All I’d ever known was the studio. I
was protected and guided by it. I hadn’t
realized how much the studio had taken care
of – the singing lessons, publicity, dancing
lessons, guidance. Where do you go now for
all those things? I wondered.”
She turned to the theater, and her career was
revived with her live performances in
musicals such as “My Fair Lady,” “The
musicals such as “My Fair Lady,” “The
Sound of Music” and the stage version of
one of her most popular movies, “Seven
Brides for Seven Brothers.” Her children
would travel with her at first, but they soon
tired of it. “They preferred spending time
with their own friends to hanging around
theaters watching their mother – and I
didn’t blame them.” She did her best to stay
connected even while touring –calling two
or three times a day and even ordering the
groceries by phone.
Unfortunately, years of singing incorrectly
eventually damaged her career’s most
valuable asset, her beautiful soprano voice.
However, the deterioration of her voice was
nothing compared to her worry regarding
the welfare of her children. Jane’s son left
home to live with his father, and later she
found that he had started experimenting
with drugs. All she could do was pray as he
made one bad decision after another. He
finally started attending AA and decided
to turn his life around. Jane herself started
to turn his life around. Jane herself started
going to therapy and trying to put her own
life in order, which previously she had never
found the time for.
When she got married for the fifth and final
time, it was to another former child star
named Dickie Moore. They currently reside
in Connecticut, and Jane was finally able to
achieve a sense of peace in her life instead of
the familiar feeling of constantly struggling.
Letting go of the expectations other people
have for her has allowed Jane to find
freedom from constant worry and
insecurities. At the end of her autobiography,
she described herself as the happiest she has
ever been. Life is full of learning and
subsequent growth.
Quotes and information from this article are
based on Jane Powell’s autobiography, “The
Girl next door and how she grew.”
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