Virginia Astley | News 2008

14th July 2008

Virginia is continuing to enjoy working on poetry recitals. A recent performance attended by RobB provided a good example of Virginia’s work. The show featured poetry read by Catherine Simmonds with Virginia playing flute as well as recorded pieces of Virginia on piano, bird songs etc.

Virginia is continuing  to enjoy working on her poetry related projects. A recent performance,attended by RobB, provided a good example of Virginia’s work.

The show, entitled We Have Heard Ravens, featured Catherine Simmonds reciting poems drawn from the journals of Dorothy Wordsworth. Virginia provided the musical backing by playing flute live and providing the pre-recorded sounds of her own piano playing, birdsong and other sounds of nature.

Virginia has also produced a new mini-album CD titled Maiden Newton Ecliptic which is a live perfomance from February 2007 and which features Virginia reciting poetry, Florence Astley on harp, Su Morfee on flute and Catherine Simmonds (tape effects).

Some fan-created videos are turning up on YouTube using the music of Virginia Astley. Check out some of the following:

More YouTube work with some classic footage from The Venomettes featuring Ginny Ball and Anne Stephenson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js3sDB1V4LM. Watch out for an interview with Anne at the end!

An archived podcast featuring an interview with both Roger Eno and Kate St John discussing their 1993 album The Familiar:
www.mefeedia.com/entry/2013521 (via www.echoes.org).

An update on our previous news item regarding Layla Astley – the Tuesdays Child album is available to buy direct here: www.tuesdayschildalbum.com