Swakopmund, Namibia

a German town in Africa

Recently, the Australian broadcaster SBS reported that the German language is making a comeback in the Barossa Valley in South Australia, which has a rich German heritage.  In my opinion, it could only be to the advantage of the Barossa to cultivate this heritage and promote the language to help attract German tourists.

This reminded me of our experience of Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast of Namibia. Several years ago we spent an unforgettable holiday in Namibia. We were in Swakopmund for 6 days.  I would like to share some of my memories with you.

Anne Boleyn’s Songbook

Royal College of Music MS 1070

This morning, an article about a recent performance of music from an old book found in the archives of the Royal College of Music caught my eye. This book is known as Anne Boleyn’s Songbook (Royal College of Music MS 1070).

The book contains music that a well-bred young woman in the Renaissance would have liked and enjoyed. It is a collection of musical love songs by Josquin, Mouton, Sermisy and others, some are anonymous. It contains 42 compositions, both secular chansons and sacred texts, and is one of the most important sources of French Renaissance music anywhere.