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well, we'll have to wait and see, but there's no point writing something if it isn't going to get produced, is there?
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What next for Tess?

17/11/2021

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Michael Blore
In this latest d’Blog, Tess composer Michael Blore talks about the future of the show.

What's been going on during the Covid years?

And why is he now back in a recording studio?

Michael, it’s been a while. What have you been up to since the last production of Tess?
 
Where to start! I’ve moved and been decorating and renovating as well as clearing the garden and –
 
I meant with Tess…
 
Oh, soz. Well, funny you should ask, but I’m in the middle of a new project.
 
Oo, do tell. It is a d’blog, you know.
 
I’ve been working on a new structure, arrangement and backing to ‘In My Hand’ – the main song from the show. Things are taking shape nicely, though there’s a long road ahead.
 
How come?
 
I’m producing it myself.
 
Come again?
 
During the Covid years, and being in times of forced isolation, I started to learn how to produce music.
Wait. No Sunim doing the music production work for you?
 
Correct.
 
But he’s brilliant!
 
I know. But I want to give it a go.

​
Good luck.
Sunim Koria
Producer Sunim Koria recording the TESS album
Thanks, I’m going to need it. There’s so much to learn and get my head around, but if this recording goes well there could be more to come.
 
Like…?
 
New structuring and arrangements of other songs and maybe in time a complete backing to the whole show.
 
Somebody likes a challenge…
 
So they say.
Phil John, Jessie-Mae Thomas
Phil John (as Alec d'Urberville) and Jessie-Mae Thomas (as Tess) in the workshop production at The Other Place
​And what does the other Michael the lyricist have to say about all this?
​

He’s fully supportive and cheering me on. From the feedback we’ve received about the show and continue to receive, we both think it is worth developing Tess and restarting the process of attracting producers to get it back on stage. Since the last production at the RSC's The Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon we have completed a rewrite of the show, which includes among other things a brand new opening number.
A little bird tells me you were planning a new stage production when Covid struck.
 
That little bird is right. A 4-week tour too.
 
Bloody Covid.
 
Couldn’t agree more.
 
So come on, who’s going to be singing this new version of ‘In My Hand’? Is it Sunim? He did sing some mezzo-soprano backing vocals on ‘I Always Get My Way’.
 
So I heard…! But no, it’s not Sunim.
So who?
 
Wait and see. I’m recording her vocals in December and delighted to be working with her. She’s lovely.
 
Tease. I guess we can follow your progress on Twitter, Instagram and all good social media outlets in the coming months to see how it’s all going?
 
You took the words right out of my mouth.
 
I’m known for it. And good luck again with the production work.
 
Thank you.
 
I do still have Sunim’s number, you know…
 
Michael Blore was in conversation with Tess administrator Scott Collins.
 
Thank you for reading and following the progress of TESS.
Feel free to leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you.

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In conversation with Jessie-Mae Thomas

9/5/2019

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Jessie-Mae Thomas, Tess The Musical
In another d’Blog special feature, Jessie-Mae Thomas – the first stage Tess, and the first person to record a commercially available song from the show – talks to Tess administrator Scott Collins. 

​What attracted her to the role? Who else would she like to play?

​And is the future in her hand...?
Tell us a little about yourself  - ‘cos we’re nosey like that. 

I’ve adored musical theatre for as long as I can remember, however I started performing with amateur companies in my local area when I was 10 years old. I’ve since studied singing privately and also performing arts at Stratford-Upon-Avon College, as well as participating in a variety of other amateur performances and workshops.
What attracted you to the role of Tess?

One of the main things was how complex she is as a character and as a role. The journey Tess goes on throughout the show is huge, taking her from a naïve girl to a fully experienced, strong woman. Furthermore, I feel the vocal range and variety of acting skills required for Tess is particularly attractive as she is a huge role in terms of ability, which I felt was an exciting challenge. 
Jessie-Mae Thomas, Tess The Musical, Night Project Theatre, David Fawbert Photography
In the Night Project Theatre workshop of TESS
Jessie-Mae Thomas, Tess The Musical, David Fawbert Photography, Night Project Theatre, Phil John, Tess of the d'Urbervilles
With Phil John as Alec d'Urberville
If you hadn’t played Tess, which character would you like to have played? 

Of all the other characters, Alec is probably my favourite as I feel he is the other character who massively develops throughout the musical – as well as having some of my favourite songs! However, realistically, and due to some obvious difficulties, I could never play Alec, so I’d 
have to say one of the dairymaids as they’re just hilarious! I have a real soft spot for Marian in particular as she’s such good fun.
What was the challenge of recording “The Wrong Side Of The Door” – now available to buy at tessthemusical.com/store (just sayin’) – compared to performing it live on stage? 

On stage it was very easy to get caught up in the acting and emotions as there was a live audience reacting to me, so once I was confident and comfortable with the vocals I could really do what I felt would work (within reason!) with the acting. Recording in the studio was a great experience as I not only got to focus on making the singing sound good, but I also got to work with the writers on how they wanted it performed, which was incredible.
What’s your favourite song in the show? 

Both to listen to and perform, it has to be Quartet. I’m absolutely obsessed with harmony and always have been, so when I first heard it I was hugely excited to get started. I’m also a major perfectionist, which made it so much more rewarding when we got the piece perfectly as it really felt we were doing justice to the gorgeous music.
What’s next for you? Is the future ‘in your hand’…? You see what I did there. 

I’m currently looking at courses to begin studying musical theatre this September in order to (hopefully) continue my career in the industry. I’m hoping to study a BA Hons degree at university and then a Masters at a drama school, but I shall have to see!

Jessie-Mae Thomas, Tess The Musical, recording studio
Recording 'The Wrong Side Of The Door'
As Tess is asked in the show, so I’ll ask you. Have you ever put your head against a cow’s behind? 

Unfortunately in the time since Tess has finished I haven’t had chance to get to that yet! Could be a potential fun day trip with the dairymaids though.

Jessie-Mae Thomas was in conversation with Tess administrator Scott Collins.
Thank you for reading and following the progress of TESS.
​Feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.
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The Dairymaid's Tale - From Studio To Stage

30/11/2018

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Sally Jolliffe
In this d'Blog special, Sally Jolliffe talks to Tess administrator Scott Collins about her time in the recording studio working on the Tess concept album, and discusses her new role in the up-and-coming workshop production of the show.

What was it like recording the concept album with West End and Broadway stars? How's it all going with Night Project Theatre?
​
And does she always get her way...?
How did you first come to hear about Tess?
 
I was contacted by a friend at the start of 2016, asking whether I’d be interested in being part of a concept album for a brand new musical based on Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles.  The composer and lyricist were looking for people to sing ensemble and also take on the various supporting roles.  Although I’ve been performing and singing for many years, I’ve very little experience of a recording studio and so was keen to get involved.  Not long after that first chat, I received an email from the two Michaels, inviting me to record the role of Marian, the dairymaid, with the character description “she’s in her 40s and likes her drink”. It sounded like a great role for me! So I jumped on board and didn’t look back.
What was your experience of working on the album?
 
I felt a little nervous at first, trying to get to grips with the brand new material, but was also quite excited, knowing that I was the first person to be singing the part with the opportunity to create something unique.  I can honestly say I’ve never heard another song with the lyrics “Have you ever put your head against a cow’s behind?” before!  The excitement and the nerves increased as the main cast was announced. West End and Broadway stars? No pressure then! 

I recorded the tracks at Sunim’s (Tess album producer Sunim Koria) studio on a hot Sunday afternoon at the end of July 2016. 
Sally Jolliffe and Sunim Koria
In the studio with TESS album producer Sunim Koria
It took a while for me to get used to singing into the mic and not having any other performers with me (just a click track coming through the cans).  I worked closely with Michael Blore to ensure all the notes were correct and blended with the other dairymaid tracks, and we had lots of fun developing Marian’s character through her lyrics and the odd interjection of dialogue as guided by Michael Davies.  Recording the puddle scene was hilarious!
 
Working on the album was a great experience and one I hope to get the chance to do again.
How are the workshop rehearsals coming along?
 
They’re great fun!  A lot of hard work too, learning the full score and all the staging.  As it is a small company, we are all involved in the ensemble pieces as well as our individual parts.  I’m playing Tess’s mother, Joan Durbeyfield, in this production and singing alto for all the ensemble work – busy busy!!  We’re all enjoying rehearsals.  I’ve not worked with Night Project Theatre before and it’s lovely to have made new friends and reacquainted with some old friends too.  Everyone is working well together and exchanging ideas to help create a strong production.

Night Project Theatre
With some of the Night Project Theatre cast
What’s it like to perform dairymaid Marian on the album and now Joan in the up-and-coming workshop production?
 
Marian and the dairymaids provide much of the light relief on the album, however, it’s nice that Joan has the odd comical moment (normally involving admonishing her husband!).  Joan Durbeyfield is more lyrical in the score than Marian, and there are some lovely melodies. My particular favourite is “Blighted Star”. 
In the show Alec sings ‘I always get my way’. Do you?
 
Haha! Do you mean as Joan or me?!  In the show, Joan is very much guided by the Fortune Teller’s Almanac. She urges Tess to travel to the D’Urberville’s house at Trantridge Chase where she meets Alec, so you could say she gets her way. But if you’re asking if I always get my own way, I couldn’t possibly comment – lol!

Where do you see Tess in 5 years’ time?
 
I think Tess is just at the beginning of its journey.  I’m sure, following on from Night Project Theatre’s production, it will develop and evolve further.  The score is sumptuous and vast, but it is also adaptable.  I’d like to see further small-scale workshops (maybe within colleges as part of the curriculum) and love to see and hear large-scale concert performances. Of course, it would be amazing to see it 5 years down the line as a full-scale production in the West End – and on Broadway!


 What’s up next for Sally?

​
Well, I’ve been a tad busy recently.
Sally Jolliffe
Between takes as Marian the dairymaid
I’m currently co-directing and choreographing pantomime as well as rehearsing for Tess. I’m going to put my feet up for a while and enjoy watching my husband as Peron in Evita and my daughter in her youth theatre’s and school’s productions. I always get itchy feet though, so I’m sure it won’t be too long before I’m back treading the boards or choreographing/directing somewhere. I’d love to work with Night Project Theatre again. They’re a great bunch of people and very talented. Now here’s a thought. Maybe I could go for the Tess hat-trick?!
Sally Jolliffe was in conversation with Tess administrator Scott Collins.
Workshop production of TESS: 8 – 9 Feb, 2019 | The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon
​
Buy tickets:
 www.rsc.org.uk/tickets/tess
Sign up to hear the TESS concept album #TeamTess
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Thank you for reading and following the progress of TESS.
​Feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.
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Interview with an album producer: how was it for you?

14/11/2017

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Picture
Album producer Sunim Koria lifts the lid on the production of the concept album of new British musical Tess.

In this candid interview, he talks exclusively about his reasons for taking on such a huge project and the challenges he faced along the way as well as spilling the beans on some rather scandalous studio activity.
What made you take on the Tess concept album project?
 
I must confess it took a great deal of convincing for me to take it on. I believe it was about the fifth time Michael Blore asked me that I finally said “Yes”. It was by no means due to any kind of disinterest. I just didn’t feel confident that I would have the time, or even the know-how, to do the material justice. But then it dawned on me: exactly how often do people get approached to produce a concept album for a new through-composed musical?
 
Not often, I’m guessing?
 
Not to mention being allowed a wealth of creative freedom and an opportunity to work alongside some big names in the industry. From there, I romanticised the idea of producing something that could rival my all-time favourites in the musical theatre concept album form – the original recordings of Jesus Christ Superstar and Chess. And thus, it was safe to say I was hooked. 
What’s your favourite track to listen to?
 
This is actually quite a difficult question – it probably changes upon every listen! I recall playing several early mixes to my girlfriend who exclaimed that I was prefacing every number with the comment “This one’s one of my favourites!” Even now, quite possibly having spent literally hundreds of hours listening to the album, I’d probably say the same.


​
So, sorry to go all Jeremy Paxman on you, but your favourite track is…?
Picture
Sunim Koria with cellist and Tess administrator
​Isabella Worrall
If I really had to choose, I’d maybe pick the Quartet in Act 2 – a genius moment that is dark and tortured yet, at the same time, consoling and beautiful. Not only does it showcase the brilliance and complexity of the Michaels’ writing, but also the expressive vocal performances of four of our marvellous leads. I also love the dramatic shift and change in mood as it seamless follows on from the contrastingly upbeat and quirky Society Ladies. Another one of my favourites!
What was your favourite track to mix?
 

That would easily have to be I Always Get My Way. I think I even managed to get the kitchen sink into that one there’s so much going on! However, at one point early on in the mixing phase this song would temporarily become my biggest bane.
 
Oo, do tell. It is an interview.


​We had already recorded a version of I Always Get My Way for the demo we’d put together in 2015 and I had done everything to get that sounding as tremendous as possible.
Fast-forward exactly two years and I was now faced with trying to top the work that I had produced before on that very same song. However, due to impending deadlines for the completion of post-production, paired with working on Tess late into the night on top of working 14-hour days, the results of the first mix to my ears were absolutely disastrous!

Crumbs…
2015 recording of 'I Always Get My Way'
The energy of the demo version just wasn’t there, the instruments were stepping all over each other and I simply hadn’t done any justice to Tam Mutu’s electrifying performance. It was the one time that I truly felt defeated. I felt I had no choice but to begin again and mix the entire album from scratch, which at that point was already about two-thirds complete. Thankfully, the Michaels were gracious enough to give me the time that I needed to rethink my mixing “game plan”. For the next album mix I started with 
I Always Get My Way first and did not even think about moving on to anything else until I was completely satisfied. The song ended up becoming my benchmark for the entire album thereafter.
Can you give us the scoop on any gossip?
 
Ooh, there’s far too much to tell! But I shall save the Michaels any embarrassment and further damage to their already deplorable reputation –

 
Shame.
 
And focus on myself for this one.
 
I’m all ears.

As can sometimes happen when recording a multitude of vocal parts for a project as colossal as Tess, I discovered during the early stages of post-production that a few lines in some of the inner parts for the female chorus were completely missing here and there in a couple of numbers.
Picture
Very rock 'n' roll - celebrating the end of production
​with the 2 Michaels. 
As the absence of these was relatively inconsequential to the overall sound, the Michaels and I debated if it was worth scheduling the respective vocalists to return to the studio to record the missing material. Sensing an opportunity to shoehorn myself into yet another performance on the album, I suggested “plugging the gaps” in the female choral sound by using my own most beautiful and soaring (vastly poor and untrained) countertenor voice. I can’t recall the Michaels overtly giving me permission to do this, but I went ahead and did it anyway - scandalous, I know!
Outrageous!
 
Most people probably wouldn’t even be able to spot those moments, but they are there. I can certainly hear my voice a mile off.
 
We should listen now and play “Spot the Prod”! 
​

[He doesn't respond.]

Perhaps another time. What were your technical challenges?

Where do I start?! For me, the greatest challenge was probably making an incalculable number of vocal and instrumental performances (well, 1,306 to be precise!) sound like they were all recorded “as one” in the same room and within the duration of a couple of hours even though they were captured over a period of nine months and across five studios. I probably used every trick in the book to achieve this – and even made up some of my own!
Furthermore, our audio engineers, Conor Manning and Richard Watson, and I had vastly dissimilar studio setups and so a lot of time was spent in pre-production ensuring we had a fail-proof system to make all recording sessions run efficiently with minimal technical fuss. Being blessed with the highly skilled and diligent team we had, working through any difficulties as they occurred was an absolute breeze. I certainly never felt we hit any technical “brick walls” at any point during production.
Picture
With Richard Watson (left), Conor Manning (second left)
​and those 2 Michaels again
So, killer question, would you do it all again?
 
I’d love to… but maybe after a decent couple of years’ break at least! As much as I’ve loved dedicating most of my musical focus on Tess it’s definitely nice to be getting more than three hours sleep every night once again.
 
Three hours sleep? And you still look so young?
 
[He smiles.]
 
Moving on. What’s next for you?


​In terms of projects, I have my own album of material that I have been constantly putting on the back burner since 2010, so really I should be getting on with that if I want it to be completed any time before 2040!
Working on Tess for all this time has also really inspired me to make a return to composing concert music: for orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists, and collaborating with a diverse mix of musicians – something which I adored revelling in when I had the opportunity to do so. I may even compose a musical of my very own… who knows!
I see it now. TESS 2 - T2 - Revenge of the Tessth!
 
Can I go now?
Sunim Koria was in conversation with Tess administrator Scott Collins.

Thank you for reading and following the progress of Tess. Please feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.
​
Read again
  • How to make a musical: From page to concept album - whatsonstage
  • 5* review of Tess concept album - Londontheatre1
  • Tim Rice backs new British musical - carnstheatrepassion

​Next time on d'Blog... We bring you more news on the Tess journey from score to stage via the radio.
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Quiet please: master at work

10/8/2017

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Picture
Hello again and welcome to the latest d'blog on our journey taking TESS from page to stage.

In this post, lyricist Michael Davies writes from the recording studio as the team meet for the final time to mix the album of the show.

Exciting times. But when will it be finished? Well, read on.
It’s hard to believe but we’re sitting in the studio of producer Sunim Koria discussing the final mix of the Tess concept album.

The journey thus far has taken more than four years. To be this close to a finished product is slightly unreal.

Reverb levels, percussion cut-through, dialogue fades - this is the kind of fine detail we’re into at this late stage. And even allowing for these tiny tweaks, it’s sounding extraordinary, though we say it ourselves. In fact, there’s no reason not to say it ourselves as all the magic is being woven by Sunim and his producer wizardry.
'FINESSING'

​There’s still much to be done, apparently. Finessing the final mix after today’s session will take a little time, while the mastering process alone is a huge enterprise. Then there’s the small matter of delivering the package to the manufacturers, with attendant artwork, for them to turn into shiny, shrink-wrapped parcels of promotional delight.
Michael Davies
The lyricist listens in
Michael Blore
Composer Michael Blore goes through the notes
DEADLINE

​There is no specific deadline. It’ll be ready when it’s ready (probably around October, since you ask). But it’s important not to cut corners in a headlong rush towards the finish line. We want the concept album to be the best it can possibly be before we put it into the hands of the kind of folk who might be able to give it a future on a stage.
Because that, after all, is what this whole exciting project has been working towards: we went into it with the approach that there was no point writing something that wouldn’t ultimately be performed. The reason for the album is to use as a promotional tool. While it won’t be commercially available for contractual reasons, we will be offering listeners a chance to hear the material online and, hopefully, fall in love with it so much that they start demanding that someone makes a stage show out of it.
And so the next phase begins…
Thank you for reading and following the progress of TESS. Please feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.
​
Read again
  • Siobhan Dillon and Tam Mutu to lead Tess cast recording - whatsonstage
  • Tim Rice backs new British musical - carnstheatrepassion
  • West End stars join the team for musical Tess - stageylady

​Next time on d'Blog... We bring you news on the first live performance of one of the songs from TESS as the album heads for completion.
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Mixing time

2/5/2017

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Michael Blore & Michael Davies
Hello and welcome back to the latest d'blog. From d'both of us!

That's right. You're getting 2 Michaels for the price of 1 d'blog giving you all the latest on progress with the TESS album. 

So take it away Michael. 

​And Michael.
So the end is in sight. For this part of the Tess project anyway. The album. Hard to believe we are saying that, nearly two years on from the first discussions we had about a possible recording of the entire show with our producer Sunim Koria (for the record, he initially turned us down).
In case you missed the news, we now have a first mix of the whole show. That’s right. All two hours of it. All singers, band members, additional instrumental sounds, foley (yes, we had to look it up) and sound effects are now in place and have gone through the first process of “A bit more that”/ “Less of that”/ “Oo, bring that bit out!”
We can actually hear the show.

THE BILLIE JEAN STORY

The only thing is, fussy so ’n’ sos that we are, this could take us a little while to finish off. Don’t groan. To give you some idea of the time it can take, you remember Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean? Well, they did 91 mixes of the song. That’s right. 91. Only for them to go with mix number 2 as the one we hear today. Click the pic of Michael Jackson to read the full story from the producer himself, Bruce Swedien.
​
Picture
Now Bruce is something of an idol to our very own producing wizard Sunim, so let’s see if we make it to 91. Stay tuned!

​ALBUM DESIGN


Meanwhile, the album design and booklet are also nearing completion. Here’s a little sneaky peek of what we’ll be serving up:
Tess Album
A lot of people have been asking us over the past year, “Why have you done an album?” Mainly our long-suffering partners, we hasten to add, but the truth is that the cost of putting on a show far exceeds that of recording one. Plus, crucially, we are not theatre producers. And if we’re not in a position to produce the show ourselves, the question arises of how to promote it in order to attract someone who could?
Of the many options, a ‘concept album’ recording looked the strongest choice. It worked for Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess, even The War of the Worlds. There’s also the fortunate corollary that anyone staging Tess will have an invaluable resource when it comes to getting to know the show, making rehearsals a breeze before the opening night of its world premiere. We hope. 

THE STRATEGY
​The thing is, there’s no blueprint for putting on a new musical. One thing that helps is having a strategy. Ours has been about promotion, building contacts and support, and preparing a top-quality album as a calling card.

And this is where you can play a vital part. In time, we’ll be sharing excerpts from the album on the Tess website and introducing our baby to the world. If you like what you hear, please tell all your friends and acquaintances – especially any called Cameron.
With luck, we may be sharing mix number 2 very soon. Then again, it could be mix number 91. Bear with us – this may take a little more time…
Thank you for reading and following the progress of TESS. Please feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.
​

​Next time on d'Blog... As work finishes on the first ever album recording of TESS, we bring you news from the studio for the final time.
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Interview with a composer

13/2/2017

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Michael Blore
Welcome back and thank you for clicking over to our latest d'Blog.

Though technically speaking this one ain't a blog. It's an interview. Or is that a d'Interview? With TESS composer Michael Blore. 

From the first recordings last June we catch up on how the album project is progressing and hear about some plans for the future.

​And just who is Prodzilla? 
​​So how’s it all going?
 
With vocal editing complete and the instrumental editing nearly done things are ticking along very nicely thank you. My job at the moment is mainly one of providing notes and guidance on the whole score to our album producer, Sunim.

​Oh yes, Sunim. Don’t you call him Prodzilla?
 
Affectionately, yes. He’s got a monster of a job and is doing it all with tremendous skill, dedication and patience.
​
What’s he been doing then?
 
What hasn’t he been doing! We recorded 21 voices in 5 different venues. From that wall of sound he’s pulled 
Sunim Koria & Michael Blore
TESS album producer Sunim Koria (l) sets to work with Michael Blore
everything together to create one beautifully harmonious 2-hour long new musical theatre extravaganza. Oh, and ​incorporated the recordings of 11 musicians. And begun creating sound effects, additional instrumental sounds and foley. ​

Foley?
 
The reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film, video and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality.

 
You looked that up.
 
Maybe…
What has been the most challenging aspect of the post-production process?
 
Well, I must admit to getting the jitters come vocal editing deadline day. Had we chosen the best takes? Had any adjustments we needed to make enhanced the quality of the performances or not? I felt the responsibility weigh heavily on my shoulders.
So you were making decisions alone?
 
Mercifully not. Sunim is a composer in his own right so I always sought his input. And Mike was very much part of the decision-making process.
 
Do you mean award-winning playwright and lyricist-in-chief Michael Davies?
 
The very same. Not only is he a formidable wordsmith, but also a top musician with an ear that can spot a musical anomaly at 20 paces.

 
Or even 20 decibels.
Michael Blore & Michael Davies
The 2 Michaels - Blore and Davies
Exactly. As we speak he’s also working on the promotional package that will accompany the CD when it is complete.

And what have you been doing?
 
I’m making notes!
Picture
Chorus member Janette Summerfield gets some pointers from the composer
I see. So when can we get to hear it?
 
Give us a few more months and we’ll be ready. We’re planning a launch party to kick things off.

Oo, do tell.
 
In time.
 
You tease.
 
I know.
​
Michael Blore was in conversation with TESS administrator Scott Collins. ​

Thank you for reading and following the progress of TESS. Please feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.


​Next time on d'Blog... The end is in sight for the first ever album recording of TESS as mixing kicks off.
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Another Michael's TESS story

24/1/2017

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Michael Barker
Hello again and welcome back to the latest d'Blog keeping you up-to-date with all the latest from TESS Central.

In another d'Blog special, we hear from the multi-talented Michael Barker (I know, another Michael!) - actor and singer on the TESS album who will be performing as a postman, gambler, servant and priest as well as taking on high tenor duties in the chorus. Multi-talented indeed. 

So over to you, Michael.
​Back in the summer of 2013, my partner and I had some pretty extensive building work carried out on our house that necessitated our moving out of the property.  Fortunately for us Michael Blore and his partner John came to our rescue and offered us a place to stay for what should have been four to six weeks. As is always the case with such projects the deadline came and went and we ended up staying for more than three months.
This was how I became aware of and involved with TESS. During those long hot summer days and evenings – trust me there were some in 2013 – we would hear melodies escaping from the music room where Michael had shut himself away. Sometimes we could hear the music flowing and coming together beautifully. At other times we could hear Michael struggling to get things to work and occasionally his frustration would be taken out on the piano keyboard. Such is the life of a composer! It must have been made extra hard for Michael, knowing that we were listening to what he was doing and would be constantly quizzing him over dinner as to what he was working on and what section of the show the music we had just heard him working on related to.

'ROLLICKING DANCE'
Sunim Koria & Michael Barker
Michael Barker (r) with TESS album producer Sunim Koria
​I knew Michael could sing and play the piano; what I didn’t know was that this boy could write – and he could write good stuff. Listening to those melodies I could already picture the rolling Wessex countryside, the Christmas market and the rollicking May Day dance. Little did we know the seismic and tragic turn of events that would end that joyful summer of music and laughter; and, returning back to our own home in Leamington, I assumed that that would be the end of TESS.

Thankfully that was not the case and I was thrilled to hear that Michael was continuing with the project – and even more thrilled when he asked if I would be involved with recording some of the ensemble pieces for the album. Of course I would: I didn’t even need to think about it!
Seeing the sheet music with Michael’s arrangements and Michael Davies’s lyrics gave me such a buzz. Michael also provided backing tracks for us to learn our parts before recording. To hear these songs coming to life with full arrangements and harmonies was so exciting it really made me appreciate how much work the two Michaels had put in since those early days of Michael composing from his music room.
Michael Barker
Michael Barker recording "Pleasure City" from Act 2
RECORDING DAY

​Then came the recording. I started to feel the pressure. With such a talented cast assembled I didn’t want to be the one to let the side down. Apart from anything else, I’d never recorded any vocals before - let alone been in a recording booth with headphones on. I don’t really read music. Panic was starting to set in! I needn’t have worried. Sunim Koria and Michael B were wonderfully kind and patient and guided me through the whole process. They never showed any hint of frustration, even when I might have had to do five takes on one phrase!

I loved hearing the songs come to life. I’ve still only heard them with either an electronic backing track or piano so can’t wait to hear the full orchestrated 

sound with all the instruments and voices. Both the music and the lyrics have captured the atmosphere of the book and the settings of each scene brilliantly.

I am so grateful to have been a small part of this process and am really looking forward to hearing the finished album. Having been around to witness the early days of the project I can’t wait to see how far TESS can go and really hope to see a fully staged production in the not too distant future.

Thank you for reading and following the progress of TESS. Please feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.

Next time on d'Blog... We bring you an exclusive interview with TESS composer Michael Blore.
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The 2 Michaels discuss the last 5 months

7/11/2016

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Michael Blore & Michael Davies
Hello again and thank you for checking out the latest d'Blog.

​As work continues on the TESS album, the 2 Michaels look back on the last 5 months and completing the recording of all vocalists in the show.

5 months... Hasn't the time flown! 

So take it away, Michael. And Michael.

With all vocals now recorded, how does it feel?

​MB
: Emotional. I always get emotional when I take time to stop and reflect. Especially on such an amazing few months for the TESS project.
 
MD: Rather unbelievable. When I think back to those early discussions around Michael’s kitchen table, covered in Post-It notes (the table, not us) to work out the narrative we wanted to tell, then compare it to the ever-growing project we’re now involved in, it hardly seems possible. And yet here we are, with all these fantastic vocals in the can, and ready to launch into the next phase. Pinch me, please. Ouch! That was meant to be metaphorical…
What has been the most memorable moment?
​

MB: That’s so difficult to answer because there have been standout moments with everyone. My overriding memory though will be of the laughter and fun.
 
MD: Too many to recount. It has all been memorable.
​What has been the most unexpected moment?
​

MB: Piggy snort. We asked Nikki Cross (dairymaid Izzy) to record a flirty though comic giggle for the moment she meets the handsome Angel Clare. The piggy snort she gave us was certainly unexpected and made me laugh so much.
 
MD: Landing our trio of leads, quite out of the blue. Our audition pianist Barney Ashworth led us to Simon Bailey, who came in to meet us unexpectedly, which led us to Tam Mutu, which led us to Siobhan Dillon. The perfect domino chain.
 ​
​How do you try to get the best out of the performers?
​

MB: Be patient, kind and determined. Oh, and be prepared.
Sunim Koria & Nikki Cross
Nikki Cross with TESS album producer Sunim Koria
MD: I’ve been consistently impressed at how they’ve all delivered their best unprompted. No input required from us.
Tess team meeting
From left Richard Watson, Conor Manning and Sunim Koria with the 2 Michaels
A word about your studio technicians, Conor Manning and Rich Watson.
​

MB: What were their names again? Kidding! I thought I was a fussy britches, but these guys have an attention to detail that makes me seem positively slapdash. I am in awe at what they can achieve.
 
MD: You know how you hear and read platitudes about how projects ‘couldn’t have happened without them’? Well, it’s true. Endlessly patient, relentlessly 
reliable and always a joy to work with. Thank you, guys. Sorry, that’s more than one word.
​

What next?
​

MB: Bring on the instrumentalists. We hope to have them all booked and recorded in November. Can’t wait!
 
MD: Instrumentalists? Really? But aren’t they notoriously difficult to work with? Oh no, sorry, that’s composers, isn’t it? As you were. Can’t wait!

Thank you for reading and following the progress of TESS. Please feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.

Next time on d'Blog... A Christmas surprise from the TESS team as the album production moves on to the next phase 
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London studio days

10/9/2016

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Hello and welcome back!

​In this latest d’Blog, composer Michael Blore discusses the London studio days for the album recording of TESS.

​A d’Blore d’Blog if you will.
 
So take it away, Mr Music.
You know when you can’t sleep, and you try everything from counting backwards from 100 to picturing yourself in a calming field of rabbits (no, really), but nothing is working so you just think “Stuff it, I’ll get up” and it’s 3 in the morning? Yeah, that. Welcome to my first day of recording principal vocals for the TESS album!
'LANDMARK MOMENT'

In a word, how did I feel? Excited. In another? Knackered. But any sense of tiredness is very quickly dispelled by the adrenaline coursing through your veins knowing you have reached a landmark moment on a journey that has so far taken 3 years of your working life.

​And what a moment! Here we are, recording and working with a performer who only a month prior I had seen at London’s Coliseum in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard playing opposite 
Picture
With Siobhan Dillon and engineer Conor Manning
screen legend Glenn Close giving a vocal performance of stunning beauty and control now about to lay down the first tracks as our very own leading lady for the first ever album recording of TESS. Perhaps “excited” doesn’t quite cover it.
​

​And then, thanks to the terrific work of casting director Anne Vosser, there were a few more sleepless nights to come in the weeks ahead as we prepared for recording more West End musical theatre stars in the shape of Tam Mutu, Simon Bailey, Jacqui Tate and James Dinsmore.
'STELLAR QUINTET'

And how did it feel hearing this stellar quintet perform my music? Well, oddly enough, though I’d been asked that question many times, it’s not something I pondered when getting down to business in the studio. The feeling that it is my music is lost as you try to capture a performance that is in the spirit of the music and one that is right for the storytelling.
Admittedly, there were tears, which isn’t saying much for a blubberbrain like me (the ending of The Sound of Music always has me in pieces!), but the sheer beauty of Siobhan’s voice at some of the story's most tender and intimate moments was truly heartbreaking.
'SHOCKS'

There were also goosebumps. Tam singing “Marry Me” in Act 2 would have any goose in bumps – especially this goose!

There were shocks too. Simon recorded all his material for Angel Clare in one day, which left us speechless. Selfishly, I wanted him to take longer so that I would have more days to work with such a lovely guy.

Picture
Tam Mutu records "Marry Me" from Act II
And there were laughs - intentional as well as those best reserved for the outtakes – with Jacqui and James giving us great comic turns as Joan and John Durbeyfield.
Picture
Simon Bailey sings the role of Angel Clare
'IMMENSE GRATITUDE'

​But above all, there is immense gratitude.

​Firstly, to London engineer Conor Manning who made our stay at his home studio an enjoyable and good-natured affair in spite of the sweltering weather!

Then, to our album producer, Sunim Koria, who kept a watchful eye on proceedings from afar (no mean feat when there are over 400 vocal audio assets to capture).
And finally, to our London cast. Our aim is to get the TESS album heard by producers and theatre companies and, if they like it, to consider staging the show. Having such “names” involved will certainly help that cause. Names though are not enough. Quality counts. And on this album, it is there in abundance. Our London cast was not only magic to work with, but, in a word, magical to hear.  And though there are no guarantees, they have given TESS the chance of a very exciting future ahead.

Thank you for reading and following the progress of TESS. Please feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.

Next time on d'Blog... A look back at progress on the TESS album. 


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A dairymaid's diary

8/8/2016

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Nikki Cross
Hello again and thank you for clicking over to the latest d'Blog.

In this snapshot of the journey we are taking with the show from page to stage (via the recording studio), actor Nikki Cross talks about her time with the TESS team as dairymaid Izzy.

So over to you, Nikki!

​After a busy few months working on Singin’ In The Rain and Sweeney Todd, I wrapped up for the summer last night with my final project, Tess - The Musical.
Earlier this year I was delighted to be asked to provide the vocals for the character of Izzy the dairymaid in the album recording of a new musical adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s iconic novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles, written by Michael Blore and ​Michael Davies.

​The new album recording also features 
West End stars Siobhan Dillon as Tess, Tam Mutu as Alec d’Urberville and Simon Bailey as Angel Clare. 

​After several months of studying the music independently, it was great to finally get into the recording studio and work with Michael Blore (composer) and Sunim Koria (album producer) to lay down the vocals and help bring the album ​that bit closer to completion. Having only ever done live theatre, where performances are fleeting and over before you know it, it was great to have the time to go back and fine tune certain sections and try doing things in different ways.
Picture
Nikki Cross shares a moment with TESS album producer Sunim Koria
'BRISTOLIAN BANTER'

​We had lots of fun recording my few bits of dialogue, in particular a few giggles and a very spontaneous unladylike snort! I’m not sure if they’ll keep that in… We’ll have to wait and see!

​It was also really nice to finally utilise my native West Country accent which is rarely heard these days - lots of Bristolian banter flying around (especially as I’m not the only member of the team from that neck of the woods)! 


​Although my work on this project is now pretty much done, it will be a few months before I get to hear the finished album. There is still a lot more for the team to do in terms of recording more vocals and instrumentalists as well as editing, but I’m very much looking forward to getting my hands on a copy and so grateful to be part of such an exciting new musical! ​​

To follow the latest theatre adventures and updates of Nikki Cross, please click over to her pages on tumblr and twitter. 
Thank you for reading and following the progress of TESS. Please feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.

Next time on d'Blog... The composer's perspective. Michael Blore talks about the London studio days for TESS.
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In the studio with Tam Mutu

6/7/2016

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Tam Mutu
Hello again!

It's been quite a while, hasn't it? Still, we hope it's been worth the wait.
​
Coming up in this d'Blog, lyricist Michael Davies talks about the studio days with West End and Broadway star Tam Mutu - our very own TESS bad boy Alec d'Urberville.

So, take it away, Mr Words! 
A little over a year ago, the score and libretto of Tess were being finalised into a workable draft, ready to be put in front of the kind of people it needed to be put in front of at that stage in the long journey towards production.
 
Around the same time, a certain leading man was stepping out onto a Broadway stage in the title role of a new musical based on Pasternak’s famous epic of the Russian revolution, Dr Zhivago. Tam Mutu won rave reviews from the likes of the Washington Times, which described him as “really wonderful” and “utterly perfect”, and he was nominated for a prestigious Drama League Award.
Now, as the creators of another new musical based on a classic novel, composer Michael B and I are enjoying the extraordinary privilege of listening to that same soaring voice delivering the role of Alec d’Urberville, Thomas Hardy’s scheming villain who’s responsible for our heroine’s initial downfall.
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​'CONSUMMATELY TALENTED'

​Tam, besides being the consummately talented singer we’d expected, is also a proper professional. Oh, and a lovely bloke too.

​Nothing is too much trouble and, as with Siobhan Dillon before him, is utterly focused and dedicated in the studio. Never mind whether the writers are happy with a take, there’s always a better one just around the corner which these stars are determined to nail.

 
It’s a joy to watch and listen to, and time flies by far too fast. If only we’d written another couple of songs for Alec. No, just kidding.
So, with half of Tess and all of Alec in the bag - at least as far as vocal tracks are concerned - things are proceeding at a pace I don’t think even we anticipated. There’s still months of work ahead, recording a dozen or so chorus parts as well as the rest of the principals and instrumentalists, before a complex post-production phase.
 
But the smooth class with which our cast are acquitting themselves is making the process not only incredibly straightforward but also immensely enjoyable.

​Long may it continue.

Picture
Tam Mutu with TESS creators Michael Blore and Michael Davies and (front) recording engineer Conor Manning
Thank you for reading and following the progress of the show. Please feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.

Next time on d'Blog... More commentary from the studio as things get busy on the production of the TESS album 
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The rollercoaster adventure rolls on

8/4/2016

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Michael Davies
Welcome back and thank you for clicking over to d'Blog (d'Urberville, d'Blog - in case you're wondering).

Coming up, lyricist (and award-winning playwright, don't cha know) Michael Davies shares his thoughts, and a lot more besides, on the recent auditions for TESS - The Album. It's been quite a time!

​So take it away, Mr Words.
​"Well, we’ve had some pretty extraordinary moments in the TESS journey so far, but this week has surely got to be the most exciting to date.
 
Now, keep up at the back, please. It’s hard enough for us to ride the rollercoaster without you dilly-dallying about over last week’s news. Aren’t you signed up for the regular updates on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram etc? If not, why not?

 
But I digress…
 
With only the slightest hint of irony about the date, April 1 saw the two Michaels ensconced at the ever-so-helpful Dance Attic in Fulham for the second day of auditions. We were casting the five principal roles in the show for the forthcoming album recording (what do you mean, what album?). And while we were excited enough about that prospect, we couldn’t have prepared ourselves for what we actually got.
For a start, let us give appropriately grateful nods to our esteemed casting director, Anne Vosser. Next, the tenacious and ever-willing assistants she supplied – Katharine Moraz and Tam Kirk. And finally, our two audition pianists, Dean Austin and Barney Ashworth, both West End ‘stars’ in their own right and unbelievably helpful in the process of auditioning singers.
 

Across two exhausting days, we met probably 50 or 60 immensely talented, totally professional and clearly very dedicated performers. There was not one dud in the entire crop and, it’s fair to say, it has left us with the most wonderful of headaches.
Dean Austin
Day 1 with the brilliant Dean Austin 
Barney Ashworth
Day 2 with the (yes) brilliant Barney Ashworth at the Samick 
In case any of them are reading this, and the message hasn’t got back to you via your agent yet, we would both like to say a huge thank-you to everyone who took the time and trouble to come and meet us, and deliver such wonderful audition performances in all five of the roles. We’re under no illusions that we are but little fish in this sizeable musical theatre pond, so to have so much talent, commitment and sheer hard work given over to preparing so fruitfully in such a short space of time was, I don’t mind admitting, rather humbling.
If only we could have twenty-five Tesses.
​
​Now, of course, we have to address that wonderful headache: who to cast? As I write, conversations are taking place. I can’t at this stage divulge their nature, or the people involved, but suffice it to say that the excitement generated by the audition days has continued throughout this week and throughout the conversations. When we are in a position to make announcements, we will, and you will understand, I hope, why we have allowed ourselves the indulgence of becoming quite so excitable.
Audition panel
The 2 Michaels - with some tough decisions 
And so the TESS rollercoaster rides on. I just hope my heart can stand it."
Thank you for your continued support of the show. We are very grateful and appreciate all your comments, likes and shares. They spur us on.

Next time on d'Blog
... In the studio with West End and Broadway leading man Tam Mutu.
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It's pre-production time! Or is that pre-pre...?

18/3/2016

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Sunim Koria album producer
Welcome back!

In another d'Blog special, album producer Sunim Koria spills the beans on life at the planning stage of TESS - The Album. We now have a production team!

​So take it away, Mr Producer.

"As I write this, it has virtually been a year to the day we produced our very first recording for TESS – a demo of the leading character’s song ‘In My Hand’, sung by the magnificent Joanna Strand. Roll on another twelve months and here I am with the producing gig of the century!
 
It was not long after all three demo recordings were successfully completed when Michael Blore got in touch with me again to enquire as to whether I would now be interested in producing a concept album of the entire show. I was flattered to say the least! And it’s always been an ambition of mine to produce something as “epic” as TESS. However, currently having almost no concept of a work-life balance - working 40 hours a week as a gameplay designer for Guitar Hero in Leamington Spa during the day and spending a lot of my evenings playing bass in a theatre pit somewhere around the region – most unfortunately the answer had to be no. Also on top of this was a pending house move to Lutterworth; I simply couldn’t commit to a project of this magnitude, as much as I’d wanted to!
Now, it must be said, our composer Mr Blore is a very persistent fellow indeed. I lost count at what may have been about four or five different e-mails over the course of a few months where Michael tried his utmost to unabashedly “seduce” me into becoming part of this project! I resisted the temptation all I could, but alas, he always gets his way...
Tess musical quote
...and today I have to say I’m very glad he does; how could I be so foolish to throw away an opportunity as good as this! In order to give myself enough time to get my head around making this project fit around my already busy lifestyle we agreed that April 2016 would be an appropriate time to commence with pre-production of the album and I’d be in a much better position by then to completely lend my focus towards the project. “But wait!” you may proclaim, “Didn’t the last blog mention that work for the TESS concept album was already well under way?” Yes it is! It just so happens that I have managed to shoehorn in an arbitrary stage that we have dubbed the “pre-pre phase”...
So what is this “pre-pre phase” we speak of? Well, primarily, it came about around the beginning of this year when I simply couldn’t wait until April to get stuck in to TESS! Secondly, it seemed like a very good idea to do everything in the time we had leading up to the start of the project to avoid the inevitable “damn, I really should have thought about this before, Michael...” The main difference between the “pre-pre” and pre-production phases is most probably in the mindset; at the moment my role has a more organisational aspect, as I’m setting into motion a variety of methods to effectively split the potential workload into comprehensible “chunks” (management speak), and, furthermore, endeavouring to make scheduling the vast number of cast members we will be recording come July as straightforward and efficient as possible. For pre-production I am anticipating a greater focus on the technical side of things – making sure everything runs as smoothly as possible in the forthcoming recording sessions, maximising the use of the time and resources we have available during the production phase, and making sure everything’s in place for us to get the material we need to finally put the album together. I have also enlisted the talent and expertise of two fellow recording engineers (one in Stratford-on-Avon and the other in London) and very recently acquired a trusty and enthusiastic production assistant to help manage any organisational duties once my role in the project becomes more technical! ​
Tess musical quote
So, how am I feeling less than a month before we hit pre-production? Nervous? Quite a bit. Excited? Hell, yes! Even though I am almost drowning in an array of spreadsheets as I write this, I can’t say I’ve ever been as enthusiastic and determined about my involvement in a production as much as this one. In some ways, I half expect the Michaels to tell me to “calm down” when I find myself, once again, impulsively e-mailing a long "babble" of
inspiration that just happens to strike me about the project at any given moment. But every idea I’ve had so far they have welcomed with open arms. ​
​
What can I say? It’s the collaboration of dreams! It really is an honour to be “the chosen one” in helping something as majestic and beautiful as TESS to finally come to life."
​

Thank you for reading and following the progress of the show. Please feel free to leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.


Next time on d'Blog... Audition time! We take you behind the scenes as casting for the album recording of TESS is concluded.  ​
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Where have all the d'Blogs gone?

27/2/2016

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“Where have all the d’blogs gone?” we hear you cry. Don’t we? Well, in case we do, we’ve come up with something a little bit different for you. A d’blog (wait for it) from BOTH Michaels. At the same time! I know! So, take it away Michael.

​And Michael.
“Where to begin? Ok, casting. We’ve got a chorus for the album! Yay! And we love ‘em. Which may not be their feeling towards us once they get their parts to learn. Still, they say the most euphoric feeling you get when being involved in a show is learning you’ve got the part. So let’s keep the love and euphoria going until the work begins. We’ve also got us some dairymaids. Double yay! And a farm manager and a parson!  I think one of us has just fainted.
Yes, you’ve guessed it, we are very excited about the cast we are assembling for the album. And, in case you missed it, we will be holding auditions for the prinicipal roles in London at the end of March. With both of us at one time being actors, it’s going to be a rare opportunity to be on the other side of the desk, so to speak. But we know what we are looking for. Well, one of us does anyway. As for the other one…

​
We would like to give a special shout out to our album producer, Sunim Koria
. Super Sunim. Special K. Although we don’t start pre-production on the album until April, he’s already begun plotting and planning the work. A kind of pre-pre-production if you will. 
Tess album chorus
The Chorus for TESS - The Album
Now before you think, oh jeez, this all sounds a bit too much of a love-in, trust me (and me) there are tensions. He does call one of us a “Diva”. We’ll leave you to decide which one.

Keeping things newsy (and we hope you like the new news page btw), we’ve also entered some of the songs and music to be considered for an orchestral concert that is taking place in London later in the year. That’s about as much as we can say for now. You know, egg-on-the-face and all that. We would also love to tell you about some other exciting approaches that have been made and conversations that have been had about putting on the show, but again, our lips are sealed. Soz. But believe you me (and me) when we have something more definite to tell you, you will be the first to know. Well, maybe not THE first, but high up there on the list. Honest.
 
Talking of egg-on-the-face, you may have seen that we said we were going to be appearing on the WAWOW radio show at the end of February hosted by the lovely Ruth Curtis. Sadly, one of us had work commitments and the other one got ill. However, we will be giving an interview with said lovely Ruth for her on-line TV show in March. We say “will”, but let’s not tempt fate, shall we?
 
In other news, we’ve been restructuring the show. It now has a Prologue. It was the brainwave of the Michael who is good with words. Fortunately, the other Michael could see it made complete sense – and cursed the fact that he hadn’t thought of it in the first place. Little did Michael Music know that a swift couple of lines from Michael Words would involve quite so much recomposing of the opening material… But still, that’s the composer’s lot.
 
We could keep going on with this, but one of us is getting decidedly diva-esque and saying “Stop now for goodness sake!”. So we will. But not until we’ve said thank you so much to you for all your lovely likes, shares and comments on social media. It is so very much appreciated. Bye for now.”
 
Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a comment.
 
Next time on d’Blog… It’s pre-production time. Or is that pre-pre...?
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Tess - A Herstory (The Final Phase)

4/12/2015

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Michael Blore
​      
In his final d’Blog on the “herstory” of TESS (no cheering, please),  composer Michael Blore takes you on a whistle-stop tour of the 9 months that finished with the completion of a musical draft for the show. ​
“With a move back home to Bristol now complete, slowly and surely I began to concentrate more and more of my time to composing TESS. Having planned Tess’s final song, knowing what the love song would be, having ideas for the d’Urberville theme and also sketching out a possible death theme, it was about time I tackled probably the most difficult number of the whole show. The opening. Musicals live or die by how they start. You either win an audience over quickly or you struggle till the interval where you face the possibility of people voting with their feet. I had made a number of false starts when tackling the opening months before, but then came the light bulb moment. Follow the ‘bible’. Mike had laid out the action for me in our story-planning stage, so all I had to do was follow that musically. With so many themes already fleshed out, it was time to knit everything together with the corollary of introducing ideas for later development.
 
Now I know it sounds bleedin’ obvious to “follow the bible” and be guided by Mike’s plot-line (forgive me, I am prone to ‘blonde’ moments), but that philosophy took hold. No more thinking about standalone musical moments, just follow the path we had laid out when structuring the story. So, as soon as the opening was done, on I went to the recitative that leads into “In My Hand”. Which then leads on to music for Prince (the horse, not the artist-formerly-known-as) getting killed, which leads on to… Well, you’ll just have to see the show to find out what we did next. By July 2014, via a brief hiatus of me quitting work on the show, Act One was complete. Yet I couldn’t rest. So on it went. Follow the action. Realise it musically. By November 2014, via a brief hiatus of me moving into a flat, TESS was musically in its first draft.
 
And that is the end of the TESS herstory. Musically speaking.

 
But whoa whoa whoa… “What’s with these hiatuses?” I hear you cry. Quitting? Moving again? All I can say is even the best writing partnerships have their testy moments. And as for moving again? Well, I do have something of a wandering spirit. I didn’t even mention the third hiatus… No really.  We found out that another musical adaptation of “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” was taking to the stage, which made us ask ourselves whether we should continue or not. We quickly came to the conclusion though that having come so far it would be a shame to quit. It would just have to rank as another tussle à la the Phantoms of Ken Hill and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
 
Now, before I go, I’m aware that during this 5-part Herstory there hasn’t been much discussion of the process we went through to create the show. This is mainly because I’m never much interested in how people have made things. I can admire the craft of a watchmaker, but I don’t need to know about or see the components of the watch. Unless I want to make a watch. In that case, tell me everything! So, for those of you who would like to write a musical, here’s how we did it:


  1. Get a lyricist! Not any old fancy dan with words, but one you trust, admire and can get on with. And hopefully one who can understand musical notation. You could do a Sondheim and do it all yourself but that’s just showing off.
  2. Find a story you are both passionate about and, with an eye to your audience, one you think will resonate with the general public (you’re going to have to sell some tickets at some point).
  3. Work the story. No really. Work it, baby. Condense it, structure it, cut out superfluous characters, keep to one central plot-line (if you’re very good you can have a sub-plot), plot the main musical moments (opening, closing, love song… Oh come on, you can do this!), have a massive row with your lyricist (just kidding, there were no fisticuffs) and go over it all again. I did say ‘work it’.
  4. Then it’s chicken or egg. Do you wait for the lyrics to be written or are you going to be followed by the musical thrust of the story? In our case, we went with thrust. Not planned, but when you have a musical mind like mine that won’t shut up, it’s best to find a lyricist who’s content with playing catch up. That said, your lyricist may surprise you and produce lyrics and scenes in advance. In this case, smile sweetly and compose something to words (you are part of a team remember).
 
And then, 5. With the your first draft complete, go on to the second draft. And then the third. And then the… You get the picture. With your bright and shiny final draft in place, be prepared for some really hard work. It’s all about publicity and producers from now on!

 
And so to the future. You may have just clicked over to this page to see a video. And hands up all of you who skipped all the words to get to this bit… I know I would! Well, here’s our latest vid telling you what we are going to be up to in 2016. It’s not long. Promise. And we are VERY excited. Thank you for following TESS and for all the lovely comments we have been receiving from you. It’s making two middle-aged men very happy. Now, here’s the vid…”
Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a comment.

​We’d love to hear from you :)

 
Next time on d’Blog… New Year News. We’ll be keeping you up-to-date with all the latest developments in our quest to bring TESS from page-to-stage. Things are about to get busy… ​
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Technical Tales

9/11/2015

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​In this special d'blog, audio engineer Sunim Koria lifts the lid on his studio days with Team Tess.

"The first I heard about TESS was when I met Michael Blore for the first time at my local theatre bar after a show in 2013, but it wouldn't be another two years until I finally sat down with both Michaels to discuss recording the demo.

In all honesty, I was quite apprehensive about my involvement in the project at first, but after the initial discussion I was reassured to discover that the Michaels seemed incredibly easy to work with and, most refreshingly, they were completely open to my creative input from the onset.
 
Being somewhat of a literary ignorant I wasn't familiar at all with the story of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, but the Michaels were very quick to remedy this by giving me a copy of their “bible" to provide me with all the information that I needed to capture the personalities of the characters and the nature of the complex plot in the soundscape that I would go on to create.
 
The first listen to the rough recordings of the music that were sent to me completely bowled me over. The music, even in its rawest form, was incredibly beautiful. A solid chemistry between the lyricist and composer was apparent, with the words and music seamlessly bound together - the passion of these guys was strong enough to come through even a basic digitised mock-up. My ideas for producing the demo came as soon as I heard the music and the picture was instantly painted - it’s very rare I reach that level of excitement upon the first listen! However despite this excitement I was now filled with a new apprehension - the task of fitting into this equation. Knowing how to bring this material to life and realise it to its full potential to the best of my ability.

 
Before I knew it I was introduced to a number of outstanding vocalists who had made a successful career for themselves on the West End circuit; namely Joanna Strand, Antony Lawrence and John McLarnon. All of them were a pleasure to record - no egos whatsoever and nothing less than extraordinary talent. They were the definition of true professionals, with each of them possessing the determination to get it right no matter how many takes it took. They nailed everything, and it’s a privilege for any engineer to have the opportunity to work with performers of such a calibre.
 
Musically speaking, the two key words for me in putting this demo together were "MASSIVE" and "LUSH" (the capitalisation of those words is everything!). I strived to create a sound that is both beautiful but still have the ability to really "push out" of the speakers. An engineering highlight for me was recording the choral parts for ‘I Always Get My Way’ - overdubbing every vocal line several times individually to give the simulation of an enormous choir in a single room. It was a process that was considerably time consuming, but ultimately rewarding. Also, ‘I Always Get My Way’ was the first of my studio creations where I could really indulge my influence from one of my favourite music producers of all time - Phil Spector - right up to the inclusion of 'Be My Baby' castanets during the song's climactic moments (I hope you didn’t mind, Mr Blore!). The demo we finally created was truly "magical", though the vocal interplay between Joanna and Antony in 'One Look of Love' did it for me most especially - you wouldn't think the two singers recorded their individual parts on completely different days!

I'd love to say that I worked arduously in engineering these songs, but honestly, from the quality material I was given to work with, everything just simply fell into place and nothing was laboured. And of course, no studio session is complete without the obligatory bit of banter (almost always between the two Michaels!), but there was absolutely no antagonism amongst the team; just excellent communication at all levels. The Michaels put complete trust in me and gave me the freedom that any audio engineer in the field longs to have without a single feeling of artistic compromise. This is more than exemplified by what Mr Blore said to me on more than one occasion: "Don't tell me what you want to do, just go ahead and do it!!"
 
It has been an absolute honour to engineer even such a small portion of this musical masterpiece and I very much hope to be continually involved as the show evolves into a life that it truly deserves.”

 
Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a comment.

​We’d love to hear from you :)
 
Next time on d’Blog…
composer Michael Blore concludes the Tess herstory and discusses the future of the show
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Tess - A Herstory (Phase The Fourth)

2/10/2015

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Narooma
​In the fourth of five blogs about the musical journey of the show, composer Michael Blore talks about the months following his partner’s death and what led to his own journey Down Under.

​Just what did he get up to on an Aussie beach?
​​“So, what next? Well, there were two over-riding and competing thoughts that began to take hold. One was the need for change and to simply run away, the other was to continue with TESS. Soon after the events of that August, a friend mentioned the possibility of my renting a cottage on a remote Scottish island, which had an enormous attraction. After long and hard consideration, only one thing was stopping me from “doing a Peter Maxwell Davies” – TESS. Such a move away would surely put unnecessary strain on the working relationship with Mike and I wasn’t prepared to let that happen. However, I wanted to move. The following months were then spent preparing my house for putting on the market and, whenever possible, spending fleeting moments composing. If not a very productive time in the Tessie gestation, those few months yielded 2 love songs, a draft dairymaids’ number “Have You Ever?” and Alec’s fiery sermon “The Greater The Sinner, The Greater The Saint”.

But wait a moment. TWO love songs? Whether it was because of the grief or that a set-piece love duet is an easier compositional feat in the scheme of things, I’d drafted two ballads – “The One” and “One Look Of Love”. I just couldn’t decide which ‘one’ I preferred. It’s like asking me which song in TESS I like the most. I just can’t do it. To paraphrase Rufus Wainwright, it’s like asking me “to pick my favourite child. Impossible!” To help me in my “Sophie’s Choice” moment, I turned to Mike and, smart chap that he is, he went with “One Look Of Love”.

In December, I then came up with two possible numbers (don’t sigh) to open Act 2. And, you guessed it, I couldn’t make up my mind which one I preferred. So, true to form, I recorded both and sent them off to Mike for him to have the final say. And, smart chap that he is, he went with “Confession” (you can hear the opening to Act 2 in our promotional trailer - oh go on, click the link. You know you want to...).

​Which brings me to Christmas 2013. The first Christmas without John. Needless to say, all TESS work had stopped. A move back home to Bristol was on the cards and I was planning a first ever trip to Australia and New Zealand at the start of the New Year. To satisfy the need to flee, I was taking the 5-week journey Down Under alone and didn’t envisage doing any work on the musical while away. But there is something about my musical mind that just won’t rest. And so I found, on a remote beach on the South East coast of Australia, in February 2014, that I was singing into my recording app Tess’s Act 2 lament “The Wrong Side Of The Door” (one of the few songs where lyrics came before music). Take a listen here. I’m all sotto voce in swimming trunks!
​Who would believe that 9 months later the entire show would be composed? Then again, who would believe many of the things that were happening at that time. As someone much cleverer than me once said, “No matter how many plans you make or how much in control you are, life is always winging it.”
 
Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment. ​We’d love to hear from you :)
 
Next time on d’Blog…
Techie Tales. Audio engineer, Sunim Koria, talks about his TESS studio days.
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The lyricist speaks

20/9/2015

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Hello again! And thank you for clicking over to the latest d'Blog. Our post comes from Michael Davies. The lyricist. Mr Words. That's right. The writer who has been curiously absent from writing d'blogs. To find out why, read on.
"But Michael B is the composer, I hear you cry! Well, I would if the internet was multi-sensory. So why is he doing all d'blog writing?

Good question. And not an easy one for me, supposedly Mr Words, to answer. Part of it is to do with the fact that I did attempt a bit of a blog during the writing process, couple of years ago now, so to revisit all that at this stage feels a bit repetitive. I stopped when we came to the hiatus (see previous d'blog entries around personal tragedy) and didn't pick it up again as things had moved on significantly by that point. Now, I find d'blogging being so ably covered by my musical colleague that my contribution is distinctly superfluous. 

However, I am part of this musical, so I'm going to offer a little piece of the lyrical perspective. Whether you want it or not.

When we launched into this enterprise, I somehow entertained the notion that the musical and lyrical division of labour would be fairly evenly split between its two creators. How wrong I was. I think I can claim rights to, perhaps, four musical notes in the entire score. And quite right too. As soon as I began to hear Michael's extraordinary Romantic output, I willingly downed manuscript paper and quill in favour of the trusty Qwerty keyboard. There was nothing I could add to his musical virtuosity, so I pinned all my hopes on being able to keep up with him lyrically.

I also had training in story, thanks to an MA and some practical experience writing plays, so this was where I concentrated my efforts. We spent a long time getting our 'bible' right, choosing which bits of Hardy's epic tale to include and which to leave out, and then shaping them into a workable two-act structure. From this, Michael began to generate melodies. Lots of them. And all of them memorable and beautiful. I offered him a few snippets of lyrics at the start, but the reality became one of writing to the score.

​Looking back, I couldn't honestly say it was easy - and maybe I'll explore why in a little more detail for a later post - but it was an absolute delight. My musical background allowed me to understand, I think, what Michael was aiming for (at least, most of the time) so it turned into a curiously exhilarating mixture of crossword puzzle and scriptwriting, two of my favourite activities. And all set to gorgeous music. 

There's a real art to writing successfully for voices, and Michael has it. My intention throughout has been to supply words that are meaningful, entertaining and, above all, singable without descending into cliche.

But you'll have to judge that for yourself."

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment. We'd love to hear from you :)

Next time on d'Blog... 
​Love songs and Australia. The composer's journey continues as TESS begins to take off.

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Recording "Tess" - the singer's point of view

25/8/2015

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So what was it like to record the first songs from a new musical? How does a singer approach such an undertaking? In this special d'Blog, vocalist Joanna Strand talks about her TESS experience.

"I was delighted when Michael Blore asked me to have a look at his songs from TESS. I had looked at one of his songs a couple of years ago and knew I would enjoy singing his music again.

What a joy when I received the songs and they were utterly beautiful. And not only was the melody soaring and romantic, but I loved the lyrics and believed them. Plus, best of all, I would have a chance to really explore different vocal colours and range.
​
I like to get a song into my voice before I record or audition and work on those little phrases or words that are challenging or could be delivered in a number of ways. I also like to try to get to know a song, if not by heart then just so it becomes familiar enough so that I can think about the overall shape - and also to stop me rustling too many pages in the studio! Having said that there was still something very spontaneous about the recording for TESS. The colour we eventually chose for the character's voice wasn't the one I had prepared. We decided, even at her young age, to give Tess a depth and warmth of colour that would reflect the deep soul she has and somehow foreshadow her future suffering.

I must admit that I love performing live more than recording as interacting with my audience and feeling their participation and enjoyment is of great importance to me. But that aside, our recording days for TESS were fulfilling in the same way - and the Michaels and (audio engineer) Sunim seemed to enjoy the process as much as I did! It makes me deeply grateful to be lucky enough to have followed my heart and become a professional singer as opposed to a more sensible and reliable profession!

I have a feeling TESS will go far. The lyrics are intelligent and the music is beautiful and truly and unashamedly romantic. In our everyday lives, being able to express such romance so unselfconsciously, and so articulately, is a rare experience.

Thank you to the Michaels for allowing me to do this for you in this recording!"

Joanna will be performing at 54 Below, New York, USA on September 16th 2015. For more information please go to www. 54below.com

We hope you enjoy Joanna's performances on "In My Hand" and "One Look Of Love". You can find out more about her at www.joannastrand.co.uk

Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a comment.

Next time on d'Blog... The lyricist speaks. Michael Davies shares his thoughts about the TESS process to date.

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    THE LYRICIST SPEAKS
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    A HERSTORY (PHASE THE 3RD)
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