A few of the many Blogs - public responses to this website in recent years
if you would like to ask any questions, and have your blog mounted on this page, please make contact
Received from Seth 26/02/13
Hi Paul,
I am a student in ........... earning a doctorate in musical arts emphasizing vocal performance. I am very interested in studying 8 Songs for a Mad King for my dissertation. I would really like to make the work of Roy Hart (et all) a big part of the paper.
I am primarily a classically trained baritone, but I have always been fascinated with how versatile the human voice has the potential to be. I have a larger range than many of my colleagues, but I very much need to do some work on extended range if I hope to perform the Maxwell Davies piece. I have vocalized as high as the "queen of the night" high F, but with very little reliability. More often, my voice locks up at the G or A below that. Nonetheless, I am constantly filled with the feeling that my voice is capable of much more range, color, quality, and flexibility than what I can do now.
I am determined to unlock the whole of my voice, but as of right now, I feel like I am mostly guessing on how! That being said, participating in some workshops with RHT will perhaps become a necessity. I suppose that information is available online? I am glad to know that this communication line is open because I am bound to have many more questions as my research unfolds.
Thank you so much for emailing me,
Seth
Received from Frances 13/05/12
Dear Paul,
............ Thank you for the information. Do you airmail the cd, or does it come by surface mail, the former takes up to two weeks to arrive here in Australia, the latter, between 6 and 12 weeks!.............No I have never been in contact with RHT, I recently purchased, and am reading Barbara McAfee's 2011 book "Full Voice, the art and practice of vocal presence", she refers the reader to the RHT web site, which I just visited, and wanted to learn more of Alfred Wolfsohn's work ( I have just ordered Shelia Braggins book from the book depository uk)...wonderful to be able to hear his results, so I look forward to receiving the cd...do you know if there are any teachers of the method here in the southern part of eastern Australia?
Kind regards
Frances
"Roy Hart died so quickly that he left a space behind him; a space that was filled by the spirt of his work, and you Paul, through the work you do for the Archives, you put some body into that spirt for all of us that never met him."
Love Daniele
Recieved from Daniele a workshop partsipant 14/04/12
Received from Marcela in Brazil 10/04/12
Dear Paul Silber,
;;;;;;;;;;;;I had never any contact with RHT. I`m a brazilian singer and I am just studying more about voice. In one of the texts I was reading, I found a reference from RHT and became interested.
;;;;;;;;;;;I'd love to have direct contact with his teachings, if possible. Is there a professor of RHT in Brazil?
How could I do that?Thank you so much!
Sorry my english... I have to practice more!
Marcela
Received from Frederica in France 26/03/12
Hi Clara, Here is what I want to say on your page for Survivor. Also to say how delighted I am to have this photo of you and Paul. You are graceful and full of light.
My Love to you, Frederica
Recieved from M in Berlin 3/3/12
Hello and thanx for your request.
I am overtone singer and vocal coach in Berlin, Germany.
more information here: http://www-singing-berlin
So I am interested in the work of the big pioneer A.W.
All the best for you and your voice ;-)
with soundful regards
M
Recieved from Bryn, England 12 Feburary 2012
Dear Paul,
The rationale for my contact is very simple. I attended the first performance of Eight Songs for a Mad King at the Qeen Elizabeth Hall. I Have very fond memories of it and hope the recording of Roy Hart delivering the vocals will reinforce those memories
Best regards,Bryn
Received from Dalene, South Africa, 28/01/12
Dear Sir
Thank you for the information and yes we are indeed aware that Roy Hart was born in South Africa and lived here for a while.
Kind regards
Dalene
Received from Ingrid 10/11/11
Dear Paul,
...................The CDs have safely arrived in Berlin and I thank you so much for the quick delivery, all the more as you apparently had difficulties to do so because of the floodings you had located close to the Parc National des Cévennes (must be a beautiful site!).And I very much liked the lovely stamps on the envelopes! ;-) THANK YOU VERY MUCHI shall remember you to Daniel when I see him next. I am very much looking forward to listening to the discs
Best wishes and greetings from Berlin!
Ingrid
Received from Robert 6/10/11
Hello Paul,
as the CD has arrived in my postbox today, I´m just listening to the voice of Marita Günther on the CD of Alfred Wolfsohn. I think a lot of work is waiting for me in exercising my voice. I hope I will be able to get a little bit more colour and authenticity into my voice. I am not a classical singer, I must say, Iam not a singer at all, as I am just the frontman of a non-professional band and had only a few years of professional singing lessons. Nonetheless I am singing not only with my vocal chords but with the whole of my body (I write the texts myself and try to express my emotions in my music), so I am looking forward to increasing the authenticity of my emotions in the songs of my band.
Thanks a lot for the CD
Robert
Received from Gabi 8/09/11
Hello Paul! I'm Gabi from Argentina. I did a workshop last week and I just wanted to thank you very much for all the information that is available in the web site and also in the archives in Malérargues. It was great to listen to some of CD's and to know the beginning of roy hart. I think the work you did putting all the information together is fantastic!!!
Muchas gracias!!!!!!!!
Gabi.
Received from Joy 14/07/11
dear paul
thanks a lot for sending us the cd. ijust come back from the work-shop with jonathan in malérargues (still somewhere in a "special" reality" after a enormous week...).
the cd is part of our ménage since a few ears already and between other reasons it's it that gave me envie to participate on a workshop with jonathan.
this cd you will send me now is for my parents who came with me to malérargues to take care of my little boy during me working;they didn't know roy hart work and world at all and having passed a wonderful week in malérargues are curious to know more about it. so i'm looking forward to offer them the cd for their coming birthday.
tamara, a good friend of mine let me in, into the archive, whitch i didn't know so fare. we didn't have much time to really plonger dedans, but it gave me envie to go and spend more time there the next time.
thank's am lot for your and your wifes work it concerning.
so, sorry for the strange english end hope to meet you on my next visite in malérargues.
if you think of it, say hello from me to tamara, david, marianne and jonathan next time you cross them.see you
joy
Received from Chris 3/06/11
Dear Paul,
::::::::::::: The CD arrived earlier today and I'm listening to it right now. I am familiar with "Eight Songs for a Mad King" from the other commerically available recordings, but I was very excited to learn that through you I could obtain a recording of the work's original interpreter, particularly since Peter Maxwell Davies still says nobody has ever been able to reproduce everything that Roy Hart did with the piece. This performance is remarkable, and I will treasure the CD. Thanks so much!
Chris
Received from Jason 3/05/11
Hello Paul,
I look forward to receiving the CD. The Mad King/Soul Portrait CD is incredible and I have listened to many, many times. Thanks for letting me know that this CD is on the way.
Best, Jason
Received from Marcela 22/01/11
Dear Paul,
I am doing an MA in Voice Studies at ----- School of Drama and because of my research I decided to learn more about Roy Hart´s work. I have heard so much about it, but I have never had any connection to the RHT. I know that you have a lot of workshops. I want to apply to it as soon as possible. Just need to find some time available.
Thanks,
Marcela
Received from William 22/02/11
Dear Paul,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I have had no direct contact with the work
of the Roy Hart Theatre but I have studied Paul Newham's method of Voice
Movement Therapy including a ten week intensive training. And I am somewhat
familiar with the work of Alfred Wolfsohn.
.............Further, I have toured extensively as a storyteller and musician, including
a tour in France with Claude Sicre and the Fabulous Troubadours as well as
with Patrick Gallien.
............Voice Movement Therapy training is weighted heavily toward a therapeutic
application where I lean toward theatre and performance. I have noticed that
on the Roy Hart International Centre web site a listing of various trainings
and workshops. I am intrigued and would like more information, especially
about longer intensive workshops. I'll thank you in advance for any insights
or information you can share.
Regards,
William
Received from Lena 29/01/11
Dear Paul,
Thank you for your mail.
;;;;;;;;;I am getting to know more and more about Roy Hart but haven't actually worked with the method - yet!
k;; ;;;;I heard about him and the method during an interview with a woman who has done a lot of work in France. She is now working in Sweden.
;;;;;;;;;I am writing an essay within my education to become a psychologist. The essay deals with what singing means to the individual in a psychological perspective.
;;;;;;;;;The more I hear and read about Roy Hart, the more interested I get!!!
I'm looking forward to receiving the disc.
With a smiling song,
Lena
Received from Walli 13/11/10
Hello Paul,
thanks for your e-mail. I am back to Berlin and have finally
installed myself back here - it took some time and that's why I
answer your mail so late. Sorry for that!
Everything works perfectly with the e-book/ I printed it out and
started to read. It is really interesting to read about your personal
view and history. Also lovely with the photographs and drawings,
which give another insight. So on the first view I can say that I
really like it!
I send you my best wishes!
Walli
Received from Chris 25/08/10
Dear Paul,
I was visiting the Roy Hart Theatre Archive website this morning, and noticed that
"A Celebration of Life" is now available in an e-book. I don't quite know what an e-
book is though... heard the term around, but never purchased one. How does it
work? And if I purchased one, would i receive the accompanying cd also?
in thanks,
Chris
Received from Jason 21/08/10
Dear Paul,I received the CD yesterday and it's outstanding. I also am very intrigued by Soul Portrait.
Thank you for making this disc available.
Best,Jason
Received from Deborah 20/08/10
Dear Paul,
How nice to get a prompt and personal response to my order!
Yes, I speak German well.
;;;;;;;;;;;;I have never had any direct contact with RHT before, but I have been meaning to leam more about it for years. I am a singer and singing teacher myself. I am interested in RHT because it sounds as if it has some principles in common with the approach to teaching singing that I have learned from my mentor. The immediate thing that prompted me to go online and find you is that a woman who teaches Voice Movement Therapy contacted me about my work. -
::::::::::::I look forward to the CD. It sounds so intriguing....
All the best,
Debora
Receieved from Ian 5/11/09
Hello Paul
..............Thanks for the reply, hopefully it will make it through the British postal chaos. I haven't had any connection with RHT before. A former bodywork teacher, who had many different ways of working, mentioned it to me, and I've been meaning to investigate, I seem to be increasingly interested in voice work.
..............I'll have to read up some stuff on the site and see if it makes sense!
........................................Regards
..........................................lan
Rceived from Andrea 10/05/09
Dear Paul,
Just to acknowledge safe arrival of the CD and the huge enjoyment I have had
in listening to it. What an astonishing voice: I've never heard chords
produced with Roy's power, though I have heard similar effects (vocal
harmonics) by members of Electric Phoenix and other singers (John Potter,
Rogers Covey-Crump). An immensely touching performance and his upper range
is phenomenal. Fantastic stuff.
All best and renewed thanks for a treasured disc.
Andrew
Receieved from Judy 11/09/08
Paul, My cds came on Thursday in a beautiful package with awesome stamps.
We've had lots of troubles here from Hurricane Frances, and now it looks like Ivan could be
menacing us as well.
...........That said, I've only been able to have a cursory listen to the material, but I am
tremendously impressed. You couldn't have known that "Rime/Ancient/Mariner" is my
husband's favorite poem, so thank you for choosing it.
...........We have a wonderful copy of a large book of the poem with engravings by Durer. 'What
little I heard so far conjured up those images, I'm hoping to have time this weekend to get
off by myself and really listen and enjoy.
...........Wolfsohn's work is fascinating. I want to know more. Is there a biography?
I'd like to stay in touch as I explore this further.
...............................................Thanks,
......................................................judy
Received from Ali 20/03/08
Dear Paul,
;;;;;;;;;;;;; Its Ali -I am the short-dark-haired Scottish voiceworker who was on Ulrik's course last week.
I had wanted to listen to/buy the CD of Wolfson's original exercises etc, but you guys were
still in the set-up phases of opening the Archives room when I came along so it didn't seem
like the right time. Our course ended before the next day you were open.
....................Good to know that you operate some kind of health-warning on the work for newcomers!
Hope all going well - the Archives room seems great, its a huge job to have that set up and
prepared so nicely. I hope to see you again (I wanted to look into what further training I could
do with RHT, but the main website seems to be down?) - lovely to meet you
Ali
