Still Locked Down ... and being creative!

After the last Blogpost where I confessed my inadvertent revamping of the website … I just couldn’t keep myself from meddling and so after changing everything for about the fifth time I asked one of my Daphne’s Flight Goddess friends, Chris While, for some much needed advice and decision making.

Chris is our go-to-tech goddess for all things remotely arty and … well technical. She cast her artistic gaze over the mess I’d made and in no time at all, seamlessly found cleaner, clearer, classier colours, images and fonts to play with, et voila, as if by magic a much better and more user-friendly site appeared. We both hope you like it!

We’re still awaiting an onsite platform to accept payment for CDs/DVD/Downloads but for some reason to do with my living in the Isle of Man … we’re still waiting. We have it all in hand (fingers firmly crossed!) And will by hook or by crook, have a functioning Web-Shop very soon!

The other functionality I have yet to secure is creating and successfully delivering an E NewsLetter … after enticing many of you to “subscribe” to the website … I have yet to connect and give you a reason to keep coming back! That too is an inevitable future-feature I will soon have under control - watch this space!

In other news … I’ve done my third FB Live (replay HERE) from the sun room in my mum’s house on the clifftops of Kirk Michael on the west coast of the Isle of Man and am now in earnest rehearsals for another - garden or sun room TBD weather dependent - Friday June 26th. I have a whole new string of songs I’ve remembered and re-learned that I hope will keep you generally entertained.

Plus - I’ve been invited to take part in an online Festival over the summer Solstice … Campfire’s World Harmony Weekend! I have a 25 minute slot set to air at 7.30pm Friday June 19th! Check it out HERE: It’s always delightful to be invited to take part in these global events and it’s a real honour to be involved with something so up lifting and community conscious. Hope to see you there!

Please do have a look around and let me know what you think? On the listening page for example there is a track that no one has ever heard before … Isolation is a marvellous heart wrenching song from The Soldier Of Orange - written by good friends Tom Harriman and Pamela Phillips-Oland - Tom invited me to do the English version demos for the part of the Queen, when looking to get the whole production on in London. Which was on the cards till Covid hit … c’est la vie! Anyway I’d be delighted if you gave it a listen.

The world keeps moving even though we’ve come to a stuttering halt and I keep my mind on a positive vision of connection and general good will, and trust we will all meet again with lighter hearts and warmer smiles - very soon. Know you are loved beyond measure … and missed beyond words. Till we meet again … this will be a place to catch up and shoot the breeze.

Stay well and keep rising above the turbulence!

Much love

Christine x

Recreating in Lockdown

I didn't mean to start revamping my website but here I am doing just that. Or at least trying! It is most definitely not my forte ... tweaking anything in a technical sense. But times they are strange so equally strange actions are called up to meet and mulch over this mess.

I have already played two (solo!) FaceBook Lives ... in a week! My very first livestream was played outside in the garden (I had no idea the router was close enough until we gave it a go!). And my second came about because of the first. Christy DeHaven, a lovely friend who hosts several shows on Manx Radio here on the Isle of Man, suggested it would be a grand idea if I "took over" their FaceBook page and streamed to their (massive!) listening and watching audience, direct from my living room on Tuesday night. Well ... it would be rude not to!

I opted for a 20 minute slot which consisted of 3 songs not played on the Friday performance, with plenty of banter between myself, my husband Bob (who attempted to inform me who was posting comments as they came in!) and my 82 year old mother, Maggie, who came in to see what all the fuss was about halfway through. She did no more than plonk herself down in an armchair in her fluffy red dressing gown, and proceeded to clap and chat with me completely unaware she was being heard by an untold multitude of people around the planet!

Should you wish to experience these two quite different events they are now embedded on the "Live/Events" page.

I now need to figure out how to post this Blogpost and maybe prettify it with a photo or 2? Watch this space ... I could make this a new habit! Thanks for mooching around the site and please do subscribe both here and on my YouTube channel (it makes a huge difference to what I'm able to do using that particular platform).

Much love and stay well

Christine x

The in between times

Hi everyone! It's been a whole month and more since Daphne's Flight last shimmied their magic but we have some more musical adventures coming up fast. Before I mention our growing Festival excitement I'll reminisce a little about the fun we had in May - just gearing myself up for the next phase don't you know?

After our first flight (please see earlier post) on the Isle of Man our next show was at The Theatre By The Lake in Keswick - a beautiful venue and gorgeous location. It was also the first show where we had our very own sound man (who quickly became known as the sixth Daphne!), Richard Harris and tour manager extraordinaire Jil Barke, aka Agent Barke (special OPs!). So our merry band was complete.

The show was another great success complete with brilliant audience full of enthusiasm and wonderful praise which we lapped up! Richard made us sound even more harmonious ... and it was only his first gig! We knew we were in safe and very talented hands (or should that be ears?:-). We stayed with great friends Vanya and Graham that night and were tatted to a mystical walk through a local stone circle the following morning before heading to Worcester. All-in-all a truly fabulous start to a magical tour.

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There were 19 dates in all and each had its high points and I can honestly say - apart from losing my phone and Bob having the back window of our car smashed and his suitcase taken! - the entire experience was one of great camaraderie, beautiful uplifting music and deep gratitude. Who knew that after 21 years we could come back together and create something even more wonderful?

As a final reminder of this lovely start to the tour here's a small collection of musical, magical and mystical moments from our adventures in Keswick ... a few performance snippets and a delightful walk round Castlerigg Stone Circle ... you're welcome!

Daphne's Flight continue their adventures the weekend of July 29th at Cambridge Folk Festival where it all began 22 years ago! To say we're excited about revising such an auspicious occasion is a giant understatement. We're very much looking forward to recreating the buzz of that first outing including making a video diary with a special recipient in mind ... if anyone knows how to get in touch with Ellen Degeneres ... let me know! We would LOVE her to see and hear Julie's wonderful rainbow anthem "Pride"!

I'll do another catch-up Blogpost soonish. Thanks as always for dropping by. I'm still working on the website as a whole though it's intermittent ... I have plans! Watch this space.

Till next time ... play nice!

Endless blessings!

Christine xxx