Lenten Pilgrimage

King's College, Cambridge, England

Choral Evensong at King's

My recent English travels would have been incomplete without hearing this superb choir sing in its own home, King's College Chapel. I never miss the live BBC radio broadcast, "A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols," on Christmas Eve. The choir is even better in person — 16th century surround sound!

Visiting Cambridge is easy — arrival via express train from London and a taxi to King's Parade. The Chapel's Gothic spires are a beacon in the center of town.

Inside the Chapel, I marveled at the majestic stained glass windows in the morning light, took some incredible photos, walked to "the Backs," then returned for evensong later that day. The Gothic architecture, spectacular; the choir, heavenly.

Begun during the reign of Henry VI in 1446, the Chapel took more than a century to complete. Not surprising, as the entire ceiling is covered with intricate fan vaults and incredible detail throughout. Richard III, the last king of the House of York and recently in the news for his re-burial in Leicester Cathedral in March, 2015, was a generous patron of the Chapel. Henry VII and Henry VIII reigned during the final stages of construction and directed funds toward the church's completion.

"By 1547, the chapel was recognized as one of Europe's finest late medieval buildings. It was in truth a 'work of kings.' " (1)

Thankfully, this sacred space and symbol of English Christianity was spared during wartime. The stained glass windows were removed, stored and reinstalled after WWII.

……….

"Lenten Pilgrimage" is the first in a series of blogs/photo essays about my March, 2015, jaunt "across the pond." England has centuries of wonderfully preserved architecture, fascinating history, art museums, galleries and classical music.

As a designer, I admire great use of color, type and graphics. British graphic design has always been elegant and stylish, and British typefaces are legendary: Baskerville, Caslon, Gill. 

References
1. From "A Guide to King's College Chapel, Cambridge, by Josephine Warrior, 1994

Watch

Britain's Best Buildings episode HERE: 'A gravity-defying hall of light'

Listen

To Allegri Miserere HERE

Humorous "alternate" version (!) HERE

Read

The official college website: www.kings.cam.ac.uk

Case study by Pat Dunachie, King's College choral scholar / designer of anniversary logo: READ MORE

Punting on the River Cam. Idyllic.

About our studio
Emilie Pallos Graphic Design creates custom websites, corporate identity and marketing collateral for businesses and organizations — from healthcare and education to the arts. Our work features fine typography and classic design, with a modern twist.

Visit our website to see our work. Then contact Emilie about your creative project: studio@emiliepallosdesign.com or call (818) 242-9055. 

Good design is good business.

. . . . . . . . . . . 

Cambridge, in pictures...

"R Woobro" carved this stylish signature (graffiti?) on a Chapel wall.

Dusk

Sharing a laugh with British bass singer David Thomas. David was a choral scholar at King's, and colleague/friend of conductor Christopher Hogwood.

Hooten's Haydn. And a New Website.

Today is a big day for our friend and client Tom Hooten, a terrific musician who is making his solo debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Noted British early music specialist Andrew Manze is in town to conduct a program entitled "Brilliant Brass" Feb. 6 - 8, 2015. Tickets: wwwl.laphil.com. 

Tom is stepping out from his principal's chair to play Haydn's Trumpet Concerto.

Bravo, Tom!

His new website also debuts today: tomhooten.com, which our firm designed, photographed and produced.

We met Tom last year and began a dialogue about ways to increase his marketing reach. He really liked our clean, modern style and our work for other clients, especially our website for physical therapy practice Movement Links. Tom asked us to create a new website and extend his "brand reach." As an experienced performer, teacher and clinician, Tom needed a site to describe the various facets of his work, and also offer resources for students. His previous site was inadequate for his current needs.

The new site is a custom design, and incorporates two sections which Tom can edit himself (Performances and News pages). It also contains his Twitter feed and links to recordings and videos and press kit. Kudos to our colleague Tom Ferguson who handled web development for this project.

The iconic silver exterior of Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown L.A. provided a natural backdrop for location photos. A big thank you to Vic Pallos for stunning new photography. The home page really "sings" with that dramatic opening shot!

For high-quality professional design, contact Emilie: studio@emiliepallosdesign.com or call (818) 242-9055. 

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To view our work, please visit our website at www.emiliepallosdesign.com

Website design / print design / signage & graphics / marketing communications

Good design is good business

Tom and art director Emilie at Disney Hall photo shoot

The Trumpet Shall Sound

Our office recently began work on a new website and identity for L.A. Philharmonic Principal Trumpet Thomas Hooten. We met Tom after a concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall, where earlier that evening (just as the orchestra began "Daphnis and Chloe"), the hall was rocked by an earthquake. The band played on. Fortunately, the shaking stopped after a few seconds, much to the relief of everyone in attendance!

At the after-party, while talking to Tom and other members of the brass section, Emilie mentioned our design work for clients in a range of professions (including classical music). Her interest in music goes back to childhood — she has attended concerts and operas and has a terrific collection of recordings, especially early music. 

Tom was interested in re-vamping his website so the next step was to outline the project in detail and devise a schedule for this extremely busy artist. We also talked via e-mail and conference calls before the first photo shoot.

Location Photography at Disney Hall 

Tom and the orchestra are lucky to work in an iconic downtown building with a renowned conductor, Music Director Gustavo Dudamel. During the last 10 years, dozens of production companies have used the hall's exterior as a cool, modern backdrop for car commercials — it's now as famous as the Hollywood sign and California beaches.

Emilie took some architectural shots while Tom was in rehearsal, then directed portraits in various locations in and around the hall that afternoon. Luckily, we had a slightly overcast day and then wispy clouds and blue sky — a welcome contrast to the iconic silver building.

The custom website will debut early in 2015 — for now, we've posted "Coming Soon" page (above).

Go to tomhooten.com

We'll keep you updated when full site goes live!

For help with your company or organization's website, identity or marketing collateral, contact Emilie at (818) 242-9055 or studio@emiliepallosdesign.com. Visit our website at www.emiliepallosdesign.com.

Good design is good business.

The ubiquitous Disney Hall wedding party!
Do they know who he is?

The Last of Mrs. Burling

A short story by Barbara Pallos

Today's post was written by my mom in 2007. She was a fantastic copywriter — witty, observant, and detail-loving. I inherited her droll sense of humor! Thanks, Mom.

Enjoy. :)

The Last of Mrs. Burling
by Barbara Pallos

Our neighbor Mildred Burling, 91, took a fall a few weeks ago. She was on her way to the hair salon, just a block from her Glendale home. She went there every Wednesday.

When she fell, we’re told, two kindly men picked her up, brought her home and called paramedics, who arrived swiftly.

They spent a few minutes inside her house, located across the street from ours, and then to our relief she walked out the front door and climbed unassisted onto their gurney.

Next came a ride in the red Fire Department ambulance — just for precaution, we thought. We didn’t hear sirens. Mrs. Burling’s friend followed in her new Saturn.

She didn’t return home for several days. A couple of other neighbors checked with the hospital and discovered she was undergoing tests and would be confined a few days.

We weren’t too concerned. After all, Mrs. Burling was spry, even at 91. She had a keen sense of humor along with a distinctive Boston accent and had no health problems that neighbors knew of.

True, she had given up her old yellow Chevy a few months before, concerned that her driving had slipped a bit. She didn’t like the speeders along Glenoaks Boulevard, either.

Then we began noticing her walking to the grocery store, getting her hair done, being picked up by a friend every Thursday morning for bowling.

She was exceptionally active for a woman her age. 

On Saturday night, just three days after her departure by ambulance, we noticed a big pickup truck pulling up to Mrs. Burling’s house. Two men hopped out and began bringing boxes inside.

“What’s going on?” we wondered. And then: “Uh-oh, Mrs. Burling’s not coming back.”

Sure enough, the following morning, in light rain, the same men returned and began loading furniture into the truck. The Saturn was back, parked in the driveway.

Two weeks later, the last of her belongings (we thought), including clothes, were tossed into a large curbside bin delivered by a city Public Works Department truck. We felt sad, almost as if her life were being thoughtlessly discarded.

The next time we saw the Saturn parked across the street we made it a point to walk across the street, introduce ourselves, and express our concern for our elderly neighbor.

We then learned we were talking with Mrs. Burling’s daughter-in-law.

She told us Mrs. Burling now resides in an assisted living facility, a nice one  and a new one, in nearby Burbank.

She is being well taken care of, we were assured. Then the daughter-in-law dismissed us to speak with a real estate agent who had just arrived.

We sure hoped Mrs. Burling already has her TV and radio in the new one-bedroom apartment. On summer nights we could always hear the Angel or Dodger games blaring away. (She is a little deaf.)

And we couldn’t help wondering if she has her Hammond organ, too. She used to play “Lara’s Theme” from “Dr. Zhivago” all the time.

And does she have any other relatives? We just don’t know. She seems to have outlived almost everyone.

Her house was soon sold to our next-door neighbor. It needs lots of work as the Burlings had lived there since at least the 1950s, maybe even longer. Mr. Burling has been dead for 15 or 20 years; we’re  not sure.

The last of Mrs. Burling — the last  of her furnishings, anyway — subsequently appeared twice at her curbside. Chairs, couches, mattresses, desk, bookcases, paintings, rugs, rusty patio furniture.

Some items disappeared during the night, spotted and trucked away by roaming scavengers. The remaining goods were collected, courtesy of the city’s “large-item bulky pickup” service.

This time we probably have really seen the last of Mrs. Burling. We won’t forget her, though.

We’ll remember “Lara’s Theme” and Vin Scully drifting across the street and into our house, and we’ll smile, “Mrs. Burling’s home.” 

(Barbara Pallos is a freelance writer in Glendale.)

Exciting 2014 Business Expo!

T H A N K   Y O U  to the many clients and friends who visited my booth at this year's Glendale Chamber of Commerce Business Expo in October, 2014. This year's event was well-attended and great fun.

As one of the few "arts" booths, visitors are always keenly interested in my studio's projects. I create a new booth design every year to showcase my latest work. This year's "large letters" were a big hit with visitors. I used the typeface Johnston Underground, the same one used for station signage in London's "Tube." Fun and stylish, yet readable. Modern, yet approachable. Just like our studio, and perfect for communicating across a large, crowded banquet room!

I'm always keen to discuss how professional design and well-planned marketing strategies benefit businesses and organizations of all sizes and industries. 

To talk about your creative project, please contact Emilie at studio@emiliepallosdesign.com or call (818) 242-9055. Initial consolations are free.

Good design is good business.

Talking to a visitor in the printing business at this year's Expo

Good friends — Fremont Tennis Center's Head Professional Ron Zambrano and wife Patty stopped by to say "hi."
Our studio designed Fremont's new website and corporate identity in 2014.

A Thousand Words

"Double Indemnity"? — At the historic Glendale Train Depot built in 1923

In addition to art direction and graphic design, one of the other creative services we offer at Emilie Pallos Graphic Design is location photography. We are lucky to work with Vic Pallos, who also happens to be Emilie's dad.

Vic is a veteran professional writer/editor who served for more than 30 years as the Director of Public Relations for the Glendale Unified School District and is now a marketing advisor for Glendale Adventist Medical Center in the Los Angeles area.

He shoots quality portraits, effective marketing campaign and product shots, and charming photos of animals.

Contact Emilie today at studio@emiliepallosdesign.com or call (818) 242-9055 to talk about your creative projects. Design, photography, copywriting, illustration — in print or online.

To see our work for clients, please visit our website at http://www.emiliepallosdesign.com.

Good design is good business.

Here is a selection of photos for client projects. And a few just for fun!