Working on BambinO with Scottish Opera this summer has been an absolute blast. I have worked with kind and talented colleagues, performed to enthusiastic audiences and caught up with friends and family along my tour route.
On one of my days off, I visited Fairy Glen Falls with Sam Pantcheff. I must admit I didn’t need much persuading when our Stage Manager Val recommended the nature walk, as I was hooked in by the word “Fairy”! It was quite enchanting and a spot I would recommend visiting if you are near Rosemarkie. After the carpark, we followed a woodland path which ran next to a meandering brook. It was very tranquil, thanks to the sound of the trickling water across smooth stones. The path leads to the first of two waterfalls. It was a grounding experience and charming to look at. Just to the left of the waterfall is an unassuming path which leads up the mountainside. There was a rope bannister attached to aid your journey. Once at the top, it revealed a second, larger waterfall.
At the water’s edge, there was a tree trunk that sparkled and seemed to have scales like an Aligator. On closer inspection, I found it to be covered in money. It turns out that previous visitors hammered coins into the tree trunk in exchange for a fairy wish. It is now recommended not to continue the tradition as it can be poisonous to the trees, but the woodland handlers left the money trees so that new visitors could see and admire the peculiar result. I wonder if a new tradition will emerge that looks after the woodland and its creatures. Perhaps wildflower seed bombs could be scattered along the path. What do you think?
On sadder note, I was upset to hear the news of our Queen’s passing. Queen Elizabeth II represented stability, grace and dedication to me. I will certainly be thinking of her and her family this weekend, and perhaps I will make a wish to my local fairies in appreciation of her hard work and devotion to duty.
Bomb away, Charlotte. We need all the wildflowers we can get.
https://bit.ly/3BLtJWG George is on stage right now in his piano competition final. I hope you can see the link. It’s exciting.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Fingers crossed for George even if the link doesn’t work for me
He came second Don, so proud of him, he worked so hard. I’m sorry you didn’t get to hear him he played magnificently.
Best wishes
Charlotte
That area is very pretty with the flowing water! I too am very sad about the Queen’s passing. Regardless of my American citizenship, she has always been there through my life too and I have always had the highest respect for her and what she represents. Stability. God bless the United Kingdom. 🙏🏻❤️🇬🇧
Thank you for your best wishes John I appreciate your lovely message.
https://bit.ly/3BLtJWG George is on stage right now in his piano competition final. I hope you can see the link. It’s exciting.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Oh my gosh! Yes, I saw your husband play and he is fantastic!!! I watched at least 15 minutes, so mesmerizing! Thank you, Charlotte, best wishes for you both. ❤️
So proud of him John, he came second and got a special prize in addition. It’s great to see him in such a beautiful venue.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Congratulations! He is amazing! 🤙🏻
That’s great you are having so much fun. Those Fairy Falls are wonderful. The tree trunk is amazing. It looks like it’s full of coins.
Thanks Timothy, it was full, its bad that I was really tempted to put my coin in the trunk, i resisted.
https://bit.ly/3BLtJWG George is on stage right now in his piano competition final. I hope you can see the link. It’s very exciting keep your fingers crossed.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I caught the end the last piece played and Now they are waiting for a decision. About 20 minutes.
Congratultions on George’s 2nd place finish. The few minutes I heard him playing was fantastic. Thanks, for sending me the link.
Thank you Timothy, I’m very proud of his achievement, he works really hard.
George’s performance was top noctch. Alexandra must of been out of this world to beat George.
LOVE the idea of flower seeds! Thank goodness they have ceased the practice of forcing metals into the trees. May HRM rest in peace.
https://bit.ly/3BLtJWG Just watching George in a grand piano competition live. Exciting. Hope you can see the link.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Oh, my goodness! What a stunning performance by George. How grand the venue and how remarkable his connection to the music and the other musicians. Most impressive. AND to hear that his conductor has a connection to my beloved Detroit Symphony Orchestra was indeed an added bonus for me, as I am from Detroit! Well done, him, Charlotte!
A lovely update and wonderful pic of you two. Best wishes for much success ❤️
Thank you Holly, it was great working with Sam and the full team at Scottish Opera again.
Best wishes
Charlotte ♥️
Wow, so glad to know that there are still sites dedicated to fairies.
And yes, you have a great idea with your wildflower seed bombs.
Yes, Queen Elisabeth was an icon for many people on the planet. And she will remain a source of example and motivation for a long time.
Best thoughts for you my friend ! with love from Provence, take care of you my lady Rainbowvoice !
Merci beaucoup Pascal. Practising my French for the new opera at the moment. Did you hear that there was a double rainbow over the Palace when the Queen died. I’m so busy right now trying to keep several projects moving forward.
Best wishes always,
Charlotte.
No, I didn’t know about the double rainbow.
I understand, I also have several projects at the same time at the moment……
If you think I can help you with French, don’t hesitate
Best thoughts my friend.
Loved the video. We here are sorry for the loss of the queen as well.
Thank you John, its a very strange feeling, everything is coming to a halt here its going to be a special day for lots of people.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I can imagine.
A lovely falls!
Our flags were at half-staff for the Queen.
When I was driving between venues on my tour we drove past Balmoral to get to Banchory and when I told my Mum she told me the Queen was in residence and that our now Princess of Wales had flown up that day to see the Queen. It seems quite unreal we all thought we had a few more years with her, as her Mother had lived past 100. I’m sure they will do the Queen proud tomorrow with the service and procession to Windsor.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I think she was eager to be back together with her Prince.
I agree he was a fabulous husband for her. I love how they used to joke together. He was in his Palace Guard uniform with large bear skin hat and the Queen walked past him as a bee swarm disturbed the parade and they were both chuckling together.
Thank you for telling me that story. This very moment, I have her Majesty’s funeral on TV.
Apart from the final paragraph this is a joyful post with your infectious smile to begin with. It is good that you paid that final timely tribute.
Thank you Derrick, I’ve had a splendid summer, although I did miss George, we were both busy and he came up to Scotland twice luckily managing to get a concert in Edinburgh one weekend otherwise the trains are quite expensive and the journey is over 5 hours.
The military and the Royal Family did the Queen proud last Monday.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Looks like a lovely place. Glad you were able to take a break and get out into nature. And visit the fairies.
I had a lovely time Trent, my friends always tell me I should take more holidays, but every working tour I try to make the most of my spare time and then they feel like mini-holidays. I have a lovely memory book of photos of my adventures over the years.
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Beautiful place, Charlotte, and I love the tree but it’s good the tradition has come to an end. We were saddened by the Queen’s passing too. Best wishes to you!
How lovely to see your pretty face again and to learn you are married to a pianist and are still singing! The very best of good fortune to you, Charlotte. Love Joy xx
Thank you Joy 😊, we met at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and have been together ten years next month. We had to postpone our original UK wedding from 6.6.2020 to August last year due to covid.
I’ve spent a couple of weeks refreshing my French language skills because I’m in a French opera next month and rehearsals start next week.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I love seeing your headdress again! Whimsical and funny!
I’ve a funny tale about the headdress, I’d been using a panty liner on the inside forehead to stop me getting spots because it’s leather and I sweat 😅 when the costume lady noticed she gave me some proper pads that are designed for that purpose and I never knew lol. She warned me against using perfumed ones, so I live and learn lol 😂.
It’s been a good role for me and I love it, introducing opera to babies and their families is a joy to me and people are genuinely amazed that their babies are so enthralled with it. Because it’s immersive they can get right into the circle central space with us. When other adult family members come we persuade them to sit on the opposite side so they can watch their own babies reactions.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Flower bomb shirt and rainbow smile to complete the rainbow quartet. Surely this is a sign for the fairies to return and replant the flowers. I think in biology this is called successional speciation. 🌈🌈🌈🌺🌸🌼 Congratulations to your husband
Haha, I’ve always loved rainbows, colours, flowers and fairies. I was very pleased he came about with a top prize after working so hard for many months.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Wonderful post, Charlotte, not just in seeing you happy and living life to its fullest, but also the feeling as you walked along the wooded path, the babbling brook off to the side ~ and then the wonderful video of you taking in the magic of a waterfall. Just like a fairy princess that you are 🙂
Thank you Randall, lovely to hear from you. I love to turn my working trips into mini breaks into the countryside. I’m certainly keeping busy. I’m trying to raise funds to put on my own opera next year.
Best wishes
Charlotte
What a lovely fairyland.
Hmm, you seem like its fairy.
So wonderful that you had a great run on Bambino. Love the costumes!
I too, was sad about the Queen’s passing. I’ve always been proud to be part of the Commonwealth, with the Queen at the head.
Condolences!
BTW, I sent you an email with a link in it. It is an article about my gowns. Thought you might enjoy it!
I would have left it in a comment, but I don’t know if your blog is set to allow links. LOL, I don’t want to end up in Spam!
xo
I’ll check my e-mails when I get home thank you Resa🙏 . Just travelling back from watching rehearsals for the second show and learning my cover role. I’m hectic trying to write the songs for the show I’m hoping to put on, trying to raise funds for it as well as learning two roles hehe. Sadly my blogging is affected because I’m working late into each evening. Luckily George is very busy I told him about an urgent call role for a pianist on the West End and he got it, working in a Play so he’s out six days each week.
Best wishes always,
Charlotte
It’s tough raising money. I want to do a show with my gowns next early summer.
Wow, you are writing the songs! Is it a known play/story and you are writing original songs? Is it the Alice Rabbit Hole story?
Yay for George getting that job! You guys are doing great!
Cheers! xx
Life isn’t going quite how we expected it to Resa if I’m honest, but we are both making the best of every opportunity and I am trying to bring Down the Rabbit Hole to the next stage of development. Good luck with your show I wish I could come and help. I’ll be writing the libretto and I’m hoping to raise funds to pay my composer friend to write the music as although I can compose I’m not sufficiently trained to do what I want to achieve. I had a quick glance at your e-mail it is so impressive, truly Resa I am blown away, I’ve just put my food in the oven so I’ll really enjoy reading it properly after my meal x0x0.
Best wishes 😘
Ah, Down the Rabbit Hole!
We must keep plugging!
I just can’t work on another movie or tv series, unless it is quite special. I gave 30 years to the industry. Yes, it was an applied creativity, but not my ideas and dreams.
LOL… So far the pot growers are interested in suppling free pot for the event. Haha! They will even promote it. Sigh!
Well it is legal here, and they don’t get many places to advertise.
I have a venue for free.
Still, I will look further. I started a budget, and wow, lots of $$$ is needed.
Hope dinner was fab, and enjoy the article!
xoxo