Pianist, composer, inventor and vegan chef Peter Manning Robinson on Harmonious World

This episode of Harmonious World is probably going to be the first - I sincerely hope it won't be the last time I chat with Peter Manning Robinson.

    Peter has just released Double Helix, a double-CD that features a selection of compositions for solo acoustic piano and then a further selection of pieces performed on his invention - a refractor piano.

    This album has to be heard to be believed. It is simply extraordinary in its inventiveness and beauty.

    Peter was a pleasure to talk to and I hope you enjoy listening to the latest episode here.

Snow over Hitchin

 

Award winning saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom joins me on Harmonious World

 Jane has a fabulous new album out and our interview was such a pleasure.

    Listen here.

Making a difference - one piece of litter at a time

I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions, but I'm definitely changing to a more sustainable way of life in 2021.

    I've started with regular litter picking. This was the first big walk of the year and I filled my 4Ocean bag in a bit less than an hour.

    Let's hope the next one is less muddy.

 

Another Grammy-nominee! Luna Pearl Woolf joins me on Harmonious World

 Once more, I was able to interview a Grammy Award nominee. This time, it's Luna Pearl Woolf.

    Listen here and subscribe, review and comment.

Sunrise over Hitchin Boys' School

 

My book of 2020 (and possibly 2021)

 

Having loved the 2020 film 'Blinded by the Light', I decided to read the book on which the film is based.

    While the film is linear, the book is not, and that actually made it more interesting. The book is a series of commentaries on the author's life from different perspectives, and it's fascinating. Probably more so for me, because I grew up around 10 miles from Sarfraz, although I'm seven or eight years older than him. His experience of school was very different to my own and the insights were brilliant.

    I now want to go back and rewatch the film. 

Interviewing Grammy-nominee Richard Danielpour

 This was such a joy. Interviews like this make Harmonious World fabulous!

    If you can listen, it would be great if you could leave a review and subscribe.

A 20km walk around the edges of Hitchin

Today was a fairly sunny one, with odd showers in the nearly five hours it took me and Florence to walk the 20km around Hitchin.

     This is a well-marked route - called the Hitchin Outer Orbital Path - that, today, was very muddy.

    Nevertheless, it was a great walk and very rewarding.

Dog walk and hot chocolate

A well-earned oat milk hot chocolate at the end of a dog walk.

Series 3 trailer released - how is that possible?

 Today sees the release of the trailer for season 3 of Harmonious World. It doesn’t seem possible that I’m coming up for 30 episodes.

    When I started 2020, I was appearing on North Herts Radio, and loving it, but my podcast gives me complete control. Although I haven’t been able to use music tracks because of copyright issues, I think I’ve found a way around that.

    There’s lots of plans for 2021, so watch this space!