What a challenging year 2020 has been, but as the nights draw in and 2021 starts to beckon there is the hope that with it comes new opportunities and the expectation of a return to normality. The last nine months have been a tumultuous time for so many people who have suffered from their health, lost their jobs, or faced uncertainty for their future.
George and I have been blessed with good health and though we had all our performance bookings canceled for 2020, and postponed our wedding twice, we have tried to stay positive. When the lockdown first took hold back in March we offered to put on a little concert from our balcony to try to lift spirits and bring a little music and joy to our neighbours. The first performance was on Friday 27th March and we were taken aback by the response of our community, so much so that they asked us to entertain them again the following week, we went on to perform each Friday evening for the 15 weeks that followed, learning how to stream the performances to friends and family around the world who could not be with us in person.
We had so much fun and were grateful for the chance to perform, as musicians having that outlet each week kept our minds occupied and left us no time to dwell on the loss of all our paid work for the year. It helped keep us grounded and sane, we were so grateful for that.
After our last concert, we decided to try and record some of the songs that we performed each week as a memento of this period of our lives. Many of our neighbours encouraged us to produce an album so that they too could share the memory of this challenging period. As you know from my blog posts during the Summer and Autumn recording at home brought with it many problems that we had never encountered before recording in a commercial studio and required a lot of blue-sky thinking, duct tape, and a heavy sprinkling of ingenuity.
Finally, the tracks were completed, the artwork completed (thanks for all your input with this) and the album uploaded for distribution online. So today I can finally announce that the album is officially available and if you want to have a listen or download a copy it should be live on all major services in the next few days. iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Deezer all have the album available now.
Links:
This has been a challenge of our resilience and determination to accomplish the task with limited resources, but we are so happy that we now have something positive to remember this year by. We could not have done it without the support and encouragement that we have received from you all throughout and for that, we will both be eternally grateful.
Congrats and well done! x
Thank you Christine 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
I got on iTunes. At least something good came out of the lock down.
Thanks a lot Timothy, I’ll do some posts with translations and information about the composers.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I am so pleased that you have found a way to share your music, Charlotte! LOVE you the title: Songs from our balcony. You and George are a dynamic duo and I am looking forward to the many musical evenings when you and George sing from the balcony on my side of the world. I am following you on Apple Music.
Thank you Rebecca. Thanks for following on Apple Music :). It really was a joy to perform for our neighbours, we did a little Christmas jamboree this last Friday the weather was fine, dry and quite warm for this time of year, we had a super time and it was lovely to see such a good turnout.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I am excited to find your other albums – a great Christmas present, Charlotte.
Bought my copy and am listening to it this minute in iTunes. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Will it be available as an actual CD or only as a download? I wanted to buy it for friends. The cover is great, after all that sweat you have made wonderful decisions.
Dear Hilary, I am smiling from ear to ear to hear that you are already listening and enjoying the album. Thank you so much. If you let me know how many actual CD’s you would like, I can put them to one side for you. We have ordered a short run and just waiting on them to arrive. So exciting! If you are happy to, I would be grateful if you could write a short review on itunes or amazon. All positive boosts are appreciated.
Best Wishes,
Charlotte
I would love to buy 5 CDs if possible. I managed to put a review on Amazon, but couldn’t find out how to do this in iTunes (and I bought it on iTunes).
I am looking forward to the hard copy! My Christmas gift to me!! Your cover is superb and I am so very happy you two are such talented, giving people. Thank you for all you do to make this world a better place. Cheers!
Oh I love that it will be a personal Christmas treat! I have a short run ordered and once they arrive, I would love to send you one. Thank you for your sweet words, I am blushing and honoured at such a kind compliment. I love your angel messages, I enjoyed reading them for a positive boost this morning to start my week.
Best Wishes,
Charlotte
I would be honored! <3
Congratulations to both of you. I will be downloading a copy and can’t wait to listen to it. Brilliant!🥰😘
Thank you so much Gill – I hope that the CD brings back lovely memories from watching our balcony concerts. If you enjoyed listening to the CD, I would be grateful if you could write a short review on itunes or amazon. I hope that I can see you in the new year and that we will be able to have a big hug then too!
Best Wishes,
Charlotte
The album cover looks great. Congratulations to both of you.
Thanks, John; it was very much a DIY (do it yourself) project; as you know, we’d love to have had access to loads of nice fonts, but it does the job, I think.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I think so too, Charlotte.
Bravo, bravo, bravo !!!!!!!!! The best for you twice !!! xx
Cher Pascal, merci pour ton soutien chaque semaine tout au long de cette année. J’ai adoré voir les images de tu en train de regarder les concerts sur le balcon à la maison avec ta maman. J’espère que le CD pourra vous apporter de la joie à tous les deux.
Best Wishes,
Charlotte
Merci à Toi !!!
My thanks to you and George for bringing sunshine into our lives.
Thank you Don, it is such a pleasure to hear that our music has made you feel happy and positive this year. I am honoured and it gives me such a boost to continue working on what I love.
Best Wishes,
Charlotte
EPIC. Love the cover. Congrats to you both. Looking forward to this.
So glad that you like it! We have really enjoyed the process over the past few months and we are thrilled that we can release it before the new year. I hope you enjoy listening to it.
Best Wishes,
Charlotte
Congratulations, a lovely thing to come out of lockdown 😊👐
Thank you so much Josh, I hope that 2021 brings more opportunities for you to perform and share your wonderful joy for music with audiences.
Best Wishes,
Charlotte
Thanks Charlotte! Same to you and merry Christmas to you both 😊
Fantastic recording. Just bought from Amazon – perfect present for my mum.
Thank you so much; we appreciate it. I hope that your Mum enjoys the music 😊.
Best wishes
Charlotte
So very well done – one for posterity
Thank you, Derrick; absolutely 2020 a year that won’t be forgotten. We finished off this past weekend with a Christmas jamboree on the balcony; it went down a treat with our lovely neighbours. If we get chance we’ll release some of the songs soon.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Fascinating and uplifting
OMG! I’m listening to it right now on Amazon Music! So Awesome!!!!!!!!
I’m so very proud of you both.
Congratulations!
Thanks so much for listening Michael 😊 and your lovely message.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Congratulations to you both for creating something positive from this year! I am sure all the encouragement from your followers was just us paying you back for keeping US afloat with your music!
Thank you so much, my Dear Noelle 😊. Were you a Christmas born baby? We did one last Balcony concert for this year last Friday, a Christmas Jamboree. I’m hoping to put the video out next weekend.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Congratulations Charlotte and George! Tweeted this post, and will update the info on Art Gowns when I get back there in a couple of days. Trying to catch up on the street art blog!
CHAPEAU!
Thank you for sharing our post Resa on twitter :). I got called in to work shortly after the concert because our Sales Director had to have an operation so I’ve been hectic trying to stay on target with all my other work at night and weekends. I will make time to come and check out your street art blog soon.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Happy Holidays!!!
🥂🎄🥂🥂🎄🥂🥂🎄🥂🥂🎄🥂
You do your work, and time for fun will come!
No worries here!
Lovely blog Charlotte.
The cover is great lovely photo of you both. Will have a go at downloading it. 😳😘
Hehe good luck, let me know if you have problems and I’ll send you an actual cd.
Stay safe and well both of you xx
Charlotte 🥰
Love the cover and congrats to you both, Charlotte. You are such a cute and talented couple. I’ll look for the album on Spotify! Love the title, too! So happy for you both!
Thank you Lauren, stay safe and have a merry christmas xx
Best wishes
Charlotte
Congratulations to both of you!
I’ll update the interview post to let anyone there know!
Also, I’d like to own a CD, and will check where to buy one after the holidays. Or, I’ll do a download!
Charlotte!
Actually, I was here a few days ago. I was visiting from my street art blog. I left a message, at that time, but I don’t see it.
So, It’s either waiting to be approved, or is in your Spam Folder.
Would you be so kind as to check?
Resa ❦❦
I bought the album from ITunes!
So excited!
Resa ❦❦
Thank you very much Resa, we are grateful and hope that you enjoy the music we recorded.
All our best wishes
Charlotte & George xx
I’m loving it! Will be listening often, while I’m sewing my Art Gowns! xx
The album is a wonderful, positive finish to 2020! Congratulations to you both, Charlotte and George! <3
Thank you very much Lavinia I’m glad that the positive energy came across. Stay safe and well and Merry Christmas to you xx
Best wishes
Charlotte
I think your balcony concerts were a wonderful idea. I am sure all of your neigbors really appreciated that bit of live music during the lockdown. Will the CD be available on US Amazon? I searched and didn’t see it there yet. (I guess since it is mp3, I could get it from UK, but…) Anyway, congratulations on having it out now! I wish you and George a lot of success with it 🙂
Thank you Trent, we had fabulous encouragement from our neighbours, you can’t hear on the recording because we’d put a directional mike on the iPhone but they were shouting to us that they’d missed us which was a relief because you never know if you’ve overstayed your welcome 😅.
I think it is on US Amazon as a download but we are still waiting for hard copy cd’s to be printed, there have been a few delays. I’ll start doing some posts about the songs, the composers, translations of the foreign songs and so on in the New Year, it will keep me busy as lockdown doesn’t appear to be finishing anytime soon 😳.
Happy New Year to you,
thanks for your gift Trent we appreciate it,
Best wishes Charlotte
I’ll check again on Amazon. I know your past CDs have been there, but I couldn’t even find them… I’m looking forward to seeing some of those posts. As to the gift, I know it has been a very tough year for performing artists, so I am glad I could help in some small way 🙂
Just got it on ITunes. Thx for sharing. You’re a talented young couple. 🎶 🙏🏻