Countdown day 5

As day 5 of our Christmas countdown arrives, I am preparing scores for my wonderful singers in preparation for their first Christmas service here this evening. I know the congregation will love the fireworks and inevitably, the huge organ.They will surely sing with all the vitality they can muster, and revel in the soaring descants which lift them off into Christmas aboard the great rocket Willcocks! For me, the most magical musical elements are those hushed and whispered moments where we tell the tale of silent and otherworldly nights, and we imagine the smells that would have filled the air once upon a time. Being half Egyptian, I am especially excited by this stunning fragrance and especially coming from Liz Moores, one of the most exciting and inspired perfumers around today. She has produced a tiny but absolutely masterful selection under the banner, Papillion Perfumery. Anubis (2014) has an arresting opening of dark and menacing smoke, it is breathtaking in the most wonderful way.It makes you forget where you are or what you were doing, it is so intriguing and inviting that everything else is somewhat mundane. This smoke is joined by by an intoxicating blend of Jasmine, Saffron and even a hint of scorched breadcrumb. Without a middle as such, the opening if quickly chased with a rich Suede/ Leather accompanied by bursts of Immortelle and Incense It is beautiful and disturbing, it is of such great quality, you cannot help but feel humbled by its beauty, it demands to be taken seriously. This suede sits atop Olibanum, it is rich and resinous and blended to perfection. I cant shake the feeling that if you keep smelling you will eventually reach the molten core of the planet. This fragrance is one of the greatest things I have smelt in this exciting passion of mine, it transports you back a couple of thousand years, and yet is still totally modern. It has a boldness and confidence that shines through, and the raw materials are absolutely first rate. This fragrance has something which attracts me to a great fragrance, and that is Personality. It tells a story, it has clearly been composed after much care and time, and yet feels wonderfully fresh and spontaneous. I urge you all to try it, few perfumes create such a magical experience.

Happy Smelling. J xxx