00:00Good morning, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers and also
00:06Chairman of the Festival of Chichester. Now, over the years we've been so pleased, so delighted
00:10that Tamsin Barnett has been a big part of the Festival of Chichester, but for the last
00:14three years, Tamsin, you've lived in Vienna, where you are now, where it's wonderfully
00:18hot today, but you are coming back for this year's Festival of Chichester, and on Wednesday,
00:24July 3rd at 1.30pm in Christchurch, Old Market Avenue, Chichester, you are offering flowers
00:31and flirtations. Let's talk about that in a second, but tell me about your life in Vienna.
00:36You've been there for, coming up three years, and you're having a good time, clearly.
00:40Yeah, it was interesting you said good morning, because for me, it's good afternoon. Yeah,
00:47yes, I've been here for three years, since October 2021, that's when I officially had
00:54my papers approved to live here, and then I got a job. It was actually still very much
01:02in COVID during that time, and since then I've been teaching piano and music classes
01:09to children at this wonderful English-speaking music school where I'm currently sitting,
01:15because I will start working soon. Fantastic, so Vienna really suits you. I mean,
01:20it's a magnificent city, isn't it, for a start, but it's a good place for you to be?
01:24Yes, I've just found the whole experience fantastic. I've learned so, so much, and I
01:29really hit the ground running here, and started learning German, and it's a hugely international
01:35year, so I'm exposed to many other languages as well, and of course, there are opera houses here,
01:42four different places to see the opera. So, given how much you're loving Vienna,
01:46we're very lucky to have you back in Chichester for the festival concert.
01:50A word or two on what you are planning with this concert in Chichester, what are you going to do?
01:56So, the title of the concert is Flowers and Flirtations, and I have grouped together a
02:03selection of pieces surrounding the theme of flowers, and also flirtation and sensuality,
02:12because I found texts where these things are brought together through the flowers.
02:20So, the first half is going to be centred around arias, pieces from opera and musical theatre
02:27repertoire, and in the second half, I will sing the Mädchenblumenlieder by Rikard Strauss,
02:35which is a set of four absolutely beautiful lieder, each with a different flower. So,
02:44the first one is Kornblumen, which is cornflower, the second one is about poppies,
02:50the third one is Efeu, which is the ivy, and it finishes with this really beautiful
02:58kind of transcendental Wasserrose, the water lily. So, there are many different musical
03:05kind of textures explored in the piano accompaniment as well, and the piano is
03:10going to be played by Teresa Dovani, who I currently haven't met, so I'm very,
03:17very excited to meet her, but we've had a lot of online correspondence.
03:21She is currently living in Portsmouth, she trained as a pianist in London,
03:27and yes, I'm very much excited. Fantastic, and we should also say,
03:30of course, that your sister Zoe is playing at this year's festival, and your mum, Linda,
03:38has got a concert with our former festival coordinator, Barry Smith, so a family
03:44contribution, as it should be. Brilliant. Tamsin, really lovely to speak to you again,
03:49and I hope you have a very happy return to Chichester and to the festival. Thank you.
03:53I'm really, really looking forward to it. Thank you so much,
03:56and have a wonderful rest of your morning and afternoon, Phil.
04:01Thank you. Thanks a lot.
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