In January 2017 we asked a well-known conservatory company to build a studio in the back yard of our house. They agreed to have it finished by May. In January 2018 they had finished faffing around with surveys and plans. They decided to put down nine 12 metre piles to support the tiny floor. The floor was not good. They re-did it five times. The studio leaked when it rained hard. The drain blocked. The heater didn’t keep it warm in winter. In August they completed repairs and in December 2018 we finally settled the contract.
We wanted to have a grand studio opening. I would display the watercolours I’d done of the artefacts the builders had found while digging out the foundations, and we would show a slideshow of the studio being built. One morning, many months’ ago, I woke up and thought that the obvious soundtrack to this had to be Dona Dona. And I planned to bring Cookie of Cookie’s Cookie Projects out of retirement to lead us in a cookie decorating event.
We finally finished our recording of Dona Dona in March 2020, but by then we were in full lock-down. So, welcome to the virtual studio opening. Enjoy the slideshow and have a look at the watercolour drawings of what was found under our house. You will have to make and decorate your own cookies but Cookie is happy to share her recipe – contact her at Cookiescookieprojects@zanditon.com.
Photographs: B.A.Zanditon and Simon Wallace
Music: Dona Dona (Traditional)
Lead Vocals: B.A.Zanditon
Backing Vocals, Guitars and Synth: Simon Wallace
© 2019-2020
Also see the watercolour drawings of found artefacts from the construction