Hugh Moffatt: News

Hi everyone,

I've just added a show at Douglas Corner Cafe in Nashville. Details are on the calendar page. It's an early evening one hour show starting at 6:30PM on Friday, August 6.

Then I head to the Boston area.

Hope to see you somwhere!

----- Hugh

Hi all-

I've got a couple of shows coming up this summer. I'll do a happy hour at Douglas Corner Cafe in Nashville, about a 70 minute set, either Aug 6 or Aug 13, hasn't been decided yet.

Then I'll do a similar set in a House Concert setting in Woburn, MA on Thursday, August 26. The information is on my calendar page.

Some other things may be in the works. Hope to see you!

- Hugh

Hi all-

Katy and I have two shows together in Ohio at the end of May.

They are May 28 in Columbus and May 29 in Cleveland.

Also I am doing a benefit songwriter's concert in Franklin, TN. It benefits the Montessori School of Franklin. Three other writers (all great!) there also.

You will find all the details on the calendar page.

---------

Also to note a sad and significant transition. Kelvin Henderson, British country music singer, bandleader, promoter, radio personality, and one of the major forces in bringing American songs and songwriters into Britain for the last 30 years, died recently after a long illness. I'm proud that Kelvin was a friend of mine.

He will be missed by everyone who knew him. All my best thoughts, wishes, and prayers to his family and friends across the pond.

------- Hugh

Hi everyone-

Once again I'll be the featured writer for the Bluebird Writers Night on Sunday, March 28.

Details are on my Calendar page. Hope I can see you there!

- Hugh

The story of Orpheus has always made me hopeful. Not because of his (temporary) victory over death, but because the beauty of his music was able to calm the Furies and tame the ferocious three-headed dog, Cerberus. Maybe music can do that in this world too, if we can just make it beautiful enough...

Last Fall, just before my trip to England, Michael Ching and I collaborated on a new English translation of Gluck's classic opera, Orpheus and Euridice.

Opera Memphis will present this (a premier of sorts) January 22-24 and 29-31 at the Opera Memphis headquarters. It is a novel presentation, not just because of our new translation of the libretto, but also because there will be three versions each weekend. Each Friday, Orpheus will be sung by a countertenor. On Saturdays, it will be a tenor, and on Sundays, a mezzo-soprano dressed as a man. All three are common options for the role, since we no longer have Castrato tenors for which the role was originally written, but this may be the first time a production has been done with all three alternating. There has been some international attention because of this.

If you will be in the area, call Opera Memphis (901) 257-3100 or visit their website for more information. I will attend the performances on Jan 22 and 23. If you are there, please say hello.

Happy New Year to all!

- Hugh

Nashville, TN

About halfway through my tour in England in November, I found myself on a local train from Exeter to Torquay, running by the rocky shore of the English Channel in a full out gale. The waves breaking on the rocks only a few yards from the tracks occasionally sent spray crashing against the railcar windows and OVER the train.

One of the other passengers commented, "I'm glad I'm not getting off here". I agreed, but from the security of the train it was great!

Four dates shared with my sister, Katy, one shared with British Country Music legend, Tony Goodacre, one shared with my old friend Alan West and band, one special performance of "Songs From the Back of the Church" at the All Hallows church in London, and the train ride through Devon---highlights of a great and memorable two weeks.

It had been almost 15 years since my last time in England, so thank you to all my friends who remembered and came out. I hope it is not so long till I am back again, and I can also hope that you will welcome me then as warmly as you did this time.

Thanks also to the promoters and stage managers who made each performance a simple task for me of plugging in and singing.

If I missed you this time, see you down the road!

-Hugh

Just a note. I'll be the featured guest at the Bluebird Cafe Writer's Night in Nashville on Sunday evening, Nov. 1. Check out the Calendar page for more details. Then I leave for England on Nov. 6.

Hope to see you if you're in the area,

- Hugh

Hello, all-

The dates for my November tour in England are now set. I start on November 9 in Yorkshire and finish on November 17 in London.

The shows include several with my sister, Katy Moffatt, a shared performance with English country music legend, Tony Goodacre (perhaps his last professional show before retiring!), and the first ever performance outside of the US of "Songs From the Back of the Church".

The latter will be my last performance of the tour and will take place at the All Hallows by the Tower church, by the Tower of London, on the Thames River in London. This famous old church is rich with history, including Samuel Pepys viewing the London fire from the church tower in 1666.

Please view my Calendar page for all the details.

As always, if you can't make it to one of these shows, please send someone in your place!

See you down the road,

-Hugh
Nashville
September 19, 2009

Hi everyone-

New upcoming dates are on the Calendar page. They include most of the details of my November tour of England (many dates with my sister, Katy Moffatt). I also have the featured writer's spot on Sunday, July 26, at the Bluebird Cafe here in Nashville.

Hope to see you down the road,

- Hugh

Hi-

The show at the Bluebird with Hunter Moore, Brent Moyer, and Tom Kimmel was great.

My good friend and co-writer, John Peppard, was in town from England. I asked him to join me to do our song, "Give Them Wings". It was the one song we didn't get to when we did my last Bluebird show a couple of years ago, so it felt like completing that show.

I introduced him as a Grammy Award Winning writer, so of course he had to stick around and do "In Another's Eyes", which he wrote with Garth Brooks and Bobby Wood. What isn't so well known about that song is that he got the idea from Shakespeare. It comes from a line in As You Like It. "Oh! how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes."

The bard lives on in country music!

See you down the road! (Maybe in England this fall. I've added some show dates to my calendar. Only preliminary information. I'll add more details later)

- Hugh

Hi-

I've restocked my CDs at CD Baby. I had a delay getting a couple of titles, but they are there now.

- Hugh

Hi everyone-

I've got four performances coming up in Nashville, including Songs From the Back of the Church on Feb. 22. The other dates are in March and in April and are with friends and associates sharing songs.

Please check the details on my calendar page.

Hope to see you!

(There are beginning plans for a short tour in England in November. Please watch for updates)

-Hugh

Hi everyone!

I'm really looking forward to the new year. After the move from Pullman, Washington back to Nashville in April, Mary and I have spent most of our time between day jobs and working to get our new home settled.

Although-- I've been writing again. I hope I'll have something significant to report about that in the new year!

I am also planning to start performing again. My first show will be in February in Nashville. It will be a performance of Songs From the Back of the Church. Details to come later.

I'm sorry that I'm currently out of stock of my 1st CD, "Loving You". I expect to have some available in a month or so.

Thanks to all of you who have left me notes in my guestbook in the past year. During this time when I'm not getting around the country (or the world!) that much, it really warms my heart to feel a little connected. Please keep it up. I hope I can continue to reply to everyone, even if I'm not very quick about it.

I wish everyone the best for 2009.

Hugh
Nashville, January 1, 2009

Hi, all-

We are in Nashville for good again. Too busy to get out much yet, but we love it here!

I'll write more when I have something to tell.

See you down the road,

- Hugh

Hi everyone-

The shows and vist in the Boston area went great. I saw old friends and made new in Wareham at the C.A.P.E., the Cantab in Cambridge, and at the main show at Nichols College in Dudley, where I was joined by 240 listeners for an hour and a half. Thanks again to Barry Wilson of Nichols College radio, who made the whole tour a reality.

Mary and I also got to join our daughter Corianna for a day of classes at BU. (Whew! they make her work!).

At the end of this month, we'll drive to Nashville to make our new home there. It may be a while before I get a chance to write another update. In the meantime, please leave me a message in my guestbook if you have comments or questions. I check it every couple of weeks.

See you down the road,

---Hugh

I have two shows in the Boston area on Sat. Feb. 23, Mon. Feb. 25, and then in Dudley, MA on Tues. Feb. 26.

See the Calendar page for details.

Hope to see you there!

- Hugh

On January 5, Katy and I will perform in Spokane, WA. Details on the Calendar page.

On January 19, I will perform my Songs From the Back of the Church program in Pullman. See Calendar.

Feb. 23 - 29, I'll be in the Boston area. Those dates also are posted on the Calendar page.

I'll see you in 2008!

--- Hugh

With the help of some old friends, I'm putting together a week of performances in the Boston area the last week of February, 2008.

Stay tuned for details!

------ Hugh

On Sunday, July 29, at 2PM, I'll perform my complete "Songs From the Back of the Church" program at Cordelia Church just east of Moscow, ID. This is a free concert.

Cordelia church is a small historic wooden church. I am part of a summer concert series to help support use of the building in order to preserve it.

Directions to the church from Moscow and from Lewiston are on my Calendar page.

Come on out if you're in the area!

- Hugh

I'm home now. I've added Note #6, to finish the story.
Let me know what you think.

--Hugh

Hi-

I am near the end of the tour with Katy in Europe. I have posted blogs called Notes from the Other Side on my "Lyrics, etc" page and photos in the Photo Gallery. Please check it out. We've had a great, and very interesting time.

----- Hugh

I have a rare chance to do some shows this spring. On March 24, 2007, I'll be in Spokane, Washington.

I'll do a house concert at the home of Dan Gore. I'll be performing several of my familiar songs plus my entire "Songs From the Back of the Church" program.

For information about this please contact Dan at goreandmiller@msn.com.

ALSO from April 22 through May 9 I'll be touring with my sister, Katy Moffatt, in Europe. The complete itinerary is here on my 'Calendar' page.

I hope to see you there!

thanks for visiting!

-Hugh

I wish everyone the best for 2007

- Hugh

My week in Nashville was great. I was part of four performances, including a performance of the SONGS FROM THE BACK OF THE CHURCH program at Bellevue Presbyerian Church (see PHOTOS page) that was a terrific experience and a once-in-a-lifetime songwriters in-the-round at the Bluebird Cafe.

The Bluebird show (see PHOTOS page) included my old friend Bill Haymes, who had just returned from a month in France, John Peppard, who had just arrived from his home in England, and Michael Ching, who drove in just for the show from Memphis on a one day leave from rehearsing Porgy and Bess, which he was conducting for Opera Memphis. I, of course, had flown in from Pullman, WA. It's hard to imagine the four of us ending up on the same stage again, though with Nashville, anything is possible.

There is more information on each of my guests in the previous journal entry below this one. The evening was magic. The Bluebird was filled to the brim with people and we all rocked for two hours.

I was also privileged to be a part of a Service of Music at the 61st Avenue United Methodist Church. An inspiring experience presided over by Rev. Paul Slentz.

Christmas is coming now, and our small family is gathering. All of us total 6 people, but we're dedicated to each other.

I hope all of you have a wonderful season. If you're stuck for a gift for someone, visit the "STORE" page of my site. Maybe I can help you.

Good luck and hope for 2007.

------ Hugh

I'll be in Nashville from Saturday, September 30 to Saturday, October 7. I'm doing several shows. None of these shows have a cover charge. Expect a collection to be taken at the church appearances.

On Saturday, Sept. 30 at 6P, I'll be a guest at an Evening of Music worship service at 61st Ave United Methodist Church at 6018 New York Avenue, in West Nashville.

On Sunday, Oct 1, I'll be the featured writer at the Bluebird Writers Night at the Bluebird Cafe in Green Hills. I'll start about 10P after the signed up writers are done.

On Wednesday, Oct. 4, I'll present "Songs From the Back of the Church" starting at 6:30P at Bellevue Presbyterian Church, 100 Crosstimbers (at the corner of Crosstimbers and Hwy 70, across from the Caboose Park).

On Friday, Oct 6, from 6:30P - 8:30P I'll host "Hugh Moffatt and Friends-Reunion" in-the-round at the Bluebird Cafe. My guests will be John Peppard, Michael Ching, and Bill Haymes. My introductions to each of them are below.

If you are in the Nashville area during this week, I hope I will see you at one or more of these performances.

All the best!

--Hugh
*****************
John Peppard – “I've known John for 10 years. We have written together and visited each other at his home in England, in Nashville, and in my home in Pullman, Washington (that's friendship!). Besides being one of the writers of the mega-hit "In Another's Eyes", John is a world class blues-rock guitar player and a world class person. He and his wife, Lizann, have long served in leadership roles with Amnesty International in England, and are among the kindest, most caring people I have ever met.”

Michael Ching - "Michael and I were introduced by a mutual friend when both of us were living in Virginia over 15 years ago. We started writing songs together...then operas. We now have three operas, two one-act and one full length, each of which has had multiple productions. Besides being the most accomplished musician I have ever met, Michael is one of the most gifted and delicately sensitive melodists you will ever hear. He is currently General Director of Opera Memphis. It is my privilege to host his Bluebird debut."

Bill Haymes - "I went to college with Bill. I won’t say how long ago that was. He went into the Navy and afterwards hit the road as a singer-songwriter on the national college circuit. Bill later developed a second career as a teaching artist in music and songwriting working primarily with secondary students during one-week residencies partly funded by the NEA and state arts councils. He moved to Nashville about 10 years ago, not so much to pitch songs and write hits, but more to enjoy the culture of being in a musician's town. He is a heartfelt, unique artist and educator, who never stops growing in depth and dimension