Reflections from Cythera

The sun rises over my rose garden. The Tui is singing his mournful song accentuated by pops, hissing and chimes which differentiates this bird’s particular song from any other. The ducks are waiting for me to feed them, but they must wait for me to write this blog!

I am, of course, forcing myself to reflect on the events of the last month. Three standing ovations with the superb Orchestra de la Suisse Romande on February 23rd – in a highly charged emotional atmosphere which highlighted my forty plus relationship with Geneva in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Human existence is about peak experiences and music is certainly one of the greatest mediums. It has the capacity to freeze time itself. The funny thing is I’d always dreamt of performing a classical concert followed shortly by the Royal Albert Hall with Killing Joke and…. It happened as I dreamt it!

I pretty much went straight from the dressing room of the Albert Hall across the world to Aotearoa to Cythera after visiting my grandchildren! (I texted Youth to discover that he had spent an entire week in bed also!)

Most days I go for long walks and compose on the piano in St Johns Church. I am coming up to my third week on Cythera which often creates a change in me. I might have a mood swing and stay but’s it’s unlikely. My place is clearly on the front line, we have a new KJ opus to record of completely new songs in the experimental tradition. I look forward to hanging out with everyone in the same place until it’s completed. In the Golden City of course.

Similarly, I am composing multiple works for Orchestra. There is barely enough time for fishing!

I so enjoyed seeing so many wonderful people over the last month. It has been one of the most incredible and exhilarating months of my life.

How great is our KJ family! Our friends, supporters, crew, managers, all and everyone who came to the shows, those that were there in spirit and our loved ones on the other side.

From Cythera

Jaz