NICOLA HARRISON TEACHING
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​Writing

​ 
In all her writing Nicola seeks to extend the exploration of poetry and music into imagination and ultimately, performance.

 She has written columns for a wide number of national and local newspapers and for BBC Radio 4. She has been published extensively in music-related media such as The Singer, Classical Music Magazine, British Music and many other publications from The Times to BBC History magazine. Nowadays her writing focuses mainly on poetry, music and the magical interface between these two forms. 
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​​Her latest book, co-authored with Dr Alan Watson: A Singer's Guide to the Larynx was published by Compton in July 2019.

Nicola wrote the script for the touring show Margarita and the House of Love and her recordings of Spanish songs have been used in an award-winning documentary about the Spanish Civil War. She is currently involved in several pieces of new writing for the stage and her latest touring show The Becoming.
Two small collections of poetry: Winetown and The Becoming were the basis for two touring shows in 2021. To order copies please  click here.
 
 The Wordsmith’s Guide to English Song: Poetry, Music and Imagination (Compton), offer singers an imaginative and practical guide to interpretation and performance.
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​The Wordsmith’s Guide to English Song Volume 1 & 2 - published articles, editorial and reviews:

​'The Beauty of the Verse, Celebrating Ivor Gurney's 126th Birthday.'
West Country Life Magazine

'The Healing Notes of Nature: The Songs of Ivor Gurney, a Composer Scarred by War.'
Resurgence and Ecologist Magazine

'Song Cannot Live Without Words' .
"In all, The Wordsmith’s Guide is an invitation to think differently about the way we approach the singing of English song, to offer a widening understanding of the repertoire and a deeper exploration of the text."
Classical Music Magazine

Review: "Worthy appraisal of true Cotswold cultural genius."
Cotswold Life Magazine

'A Master of His Craft: The Life of Roger Quilter.'
The Sussex Argus

'Go Lovely Rose: the Songs of Roger Quilter'.
"The last verse closes with a fading echo of the first, both poetically and musically, underpinning the poet’s fine argument about love, beauty, and the passage of time."
The British Music Society Journal

Review by Roddy Dunnett: "A highly perceptive, thoughtful book... discerning in the way it explores the background to each author and poem text Gurney sets... [The author] leads us through well-sculpted biography, and often excellent and insightful analysis of the poetry."
The Ivor Gurney Society Newsletter, Volume 60

'From the Severn to the Somme: Exploring the Poetry and Music of Ivor Gurney'.
"Gurney adored the hills and plains of Gloucestershire: its trees, its stretching fields on the slant, twisting hedgerows, huge skies and scurrying clouds. When in France it was this glorious English landscape that he held brightly in his imagination: it was his refuge and his salvation."
Cotswold Life Magazine: 3-page article

Feature and review.
British Association for Victorian Studies

'A Brief History of the English Rose' (online article here).
BBC History Magazine 

Review: "Gives us an insight into the life and working practice of Quilter, as well as the meaning of the lyrics and their symbolism."
Caring for Sussex Magazine

Review: "Harrison's minute annotation of the poems selected by Quilter adds greatly to our appreciation. This is a worthwhile tribute to a talent not sung nearly enough."
Sussex Life Magazine

Review: "These two volumes represent a real labour of love, and one can only thank Nicola for sharing her enthusiasm and expert knowledge in this accessible and interesting form."
Singing Magazine, the magazine of The Association of Teachers of Singing, issue 71

Review: "These two excellent volumes... provide a fascinating, in-depth exploration... with vivid and detailed analysis that both informs and entertains, while anyone preparing any of these songs for performance will find new inspiration and a deeper level of understanding in these very approachable and meticulously researched guides. Highly recommended."
Musical Opinion Magazine

Review: “Two absorbing books... Harrison explores the poetry with insight and intelligence.”
The British Voice Association Journal
© COPYRIGHT Nicola Harrison 2020| ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 
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