Living out of a suitcase...

The children left yesterday afternoon to go to stay with my parents; we'll join them on Saturday, after we've loaded up the car with our remaining things. It has been extremely stressful, packing things up, because we are trying to figure out what we will need for the next month-and-a-half, in several different environments. After Saturday we have to plan for:

• eight days canoeing/cottaging
• seven days working from my parent's home office
• six days with my parents, after finishing work
  
• flying to Brussels
• 17 days in a beautiful country loft in Glons, near Liege
• and then finally moving into the house at 122 rue des archives on the 7th of September

So as you can imagine, it can be exhausting to try to think ahead that much. For example, I need to consider what I will be taking from a work perspective, but also need to think ahead about sample recordings, photographs, CVs and Bios, etc. As well, we are trying to get a number of administrative things done before we leave the house. It would appear that some of them, at least (the certification by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of my medical certificate, for example) will have to wait until I come back to Toronto in early August.

We've found the social schedule very enjoyable but also very exhausting; the personal pressures to connect with friends and family, and the pressure to complete certain tasks prior to leaving, are to some extent in competition with each other. I can't imagine how we will feel when we arrive in Glons for two weeks of relaxing!

This evening we have to:

• prepare for a meeting tomorrow with the accountant
• continue the last bits of packing of our personal and professional items
  
• complete our Schengen Visa applications
  
• arrange and assemble my promotional materials
  

as well as a host of other tasks. This post is therefore ending here; I'll post again after we're in Belleville and out of the house.

Back in Kingston

I'm back in Kingston, getting ready for tonight's opening performance of "Molly Brant", a newly developed chamber opera for two vocal soloists and chamber ensemble. This piece was performed last year in a different arrangement, and there has been much new music added. As well, while I am performing the same role as last year, this work is new to Laura Enslin, the soprano who is performing the role of Molly.

Molly Brant was a compelling character, born in the eighteenth century, in the Mohawk Valley, in what is now New York State. Molly was the sister of Joseph Brant, also known as Tyandenaga, and she met and became the wife of William Johnson (my character), the Irish-born immigrant who was charged with administration of the American colonies by the King of England. William had come to the colonies seeking opportunity, and in Molly, he found a strong partner who remained with him for the rest of his life, bearing him eight children.

This chamber opera explores the evolution of Molly and William's relationship, and the eventual assumption of authority by Molly following Johnson's death, through the American Revolution and the migration of the Mohawk Loyalists north to Canada, and the long negotiations with the British to obtain land and concessions for the Molly's people.

Initially it appeared to be a special challenge to play a historical character, one whose descendants may actually be in the audience! In fact, the process of finding and developing the character was as usual. We open tonight, and play three performances until closing on Friday the 29th of June.

* * *

I'm assembling a list of agents and opera houses who responded positively to my inquiries during my visit to Paris and Brussels in February. Colleagues have suggested that I contact these people now, while there is a gap in the opera season, and people are preparing for their summer holidays. As well, other colleagues have advised that I have my audition request packages ready to mail to potential houses and agents immediately upon my arrival, with European postmarks.

This suggestion is confirmed by something that I noticed during my visit; most agents and directors indicated that I should contact them once I was living in Europe.

Now that my arrival date is confirmed, and our Brussels address is established, I have a clear reason to call those houses back, and some news to give them. Nonetheless, with all the preparations required to get our house ready for our tenants, and arrange travel documents, insurance, etc., it has been a challenge to find the time to get these calls made. Other time pressures include the wrapping up of my responsibilities with my day job and Maggie's, visiting with friends and family, and of course, preparing for the concerts and opera performances that I've had over the last few months.

Speaking of performances, I've been asked to fly back to Canada for a performance on November 8th of the Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem at the Weston Recital Hall in Toronto, with the Toronto Philharmonia, conducted by Kerry Stratton. I'm very pleased with the number of new musical opportunities I've had with new musical collaborators in the last eight months:

• my first Conte Almaviva in Marriage of Figaro with conductor Jeff Butler and Opera York
• my first Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony and Elgar Coronation Ode with conductor Jurgen Petrenko and the Toronto Classical Singers
• Schubert's Die Schone Mullerin with collaborative pianist Dina Namer

Each of these has presented challenges for me that have stretched me greatly as a singer and actor, and I look forward to putting these lessons into practice as I sing auditions over the next few months.

Update: A very nice house...

It looks like our proposed house rental in Brussels is going to happen. We had friends in Brussels take a look at it on the weekend, and in their words it is "un bijoux" (a jewel). I spoke with the owner this morning, and we've agreed on a mutually satisfactory price.

We are still trying to secure a job for Maggie at an international school, primarily so that Malcolm can attend school in English without incurring a huge tuition cost.

I enclose a photograph of the house. It is really lovely and has four bedrooms, as well as two additional bedroom sized rooms that are currently being used as offices. There is a piano, a large enclosed garden, a farm style kitchen with a large fridge and a big gas stove. We are really very excited, and expect lots of guests from Canada and other places... I'm going to try to figure out how to post a guest calendar, so you can block off your reservations online.

A nice house in Brussels...

Happy Tuesday,

We've had contact from a resident of Brussels who owns a beautiful house that he is looking to rent or exchange for the next year, and it looks like it would be solidly in our price range. Quite a relief to find out that the rental costs are not as astronomically high as we thought they might be. Now it's a matter of looking around for comparable houses.

We are still working away at finding a teaching job for Maggie. Following up with the schools that were interested initially but are perhaps not familiar with the work permit application process (which only they can initiate) is our present priority.

In other news, it looks like the only utility we won't have to cancel is our telephone number, which has stayed the same since we came to Toronto. Fortunately, recent changes in Canadian legislation allow us to take our number with us and move to a VOIP, or "internet" telephone, which works pretty much independently of where one is located. It's good to know that our friends and family will continue to be able to reach us during our stay in Europe.

Speaking of friends and family, we are already scratching our heads trying to fit in shared dinners and visits with all of our loved ones in advance of our departure... not an easy task, given that our calendar is already filling up quickly.

Cheers,
Matthew