SANS had its first trip to Australia this Easter, to play at The National Folk Festival and take part in the Australian Folklore Conference. The band reconvened in England for some July concerts in Liverpool, Cheltenham, and Colchester. More UK gigs are planned for 2014, after a tour of Flanders in December.

Meanwhile at the Blue Bear Studio complex, some new projects have emerged: Thai Lee's Across Time is now available from iTunes. And The Guitar Cases' debut album of new bluesy songs got a grand review from Chris Johnson which said nice things about the way it sounded, so I'll definitely quote that right here: the 11 original tracks have been recorded so well they ooze an intimate small-venue feel that really works.

The Pocket Score Company was also doing some recording: thirty-five layers of male voice karaoke backing in four channel surround to blend with the five live chaps in our version of Thomas Tallis' Spem in alium (which whizzed up the charts last year following a mention in Fifty Shades of something or other...)