I was recently invited by SkiBoutique to sample the delights of the stunning Les Anges luxury ski chalet in Zermatt and give an opinion on the chalet and the superb Kawai grand piano that had pride of place in the lounge. The peeps at SkiBoutique were aware that I was a pianist and recording artist and wanted to know what I would make of the piano and the facilities on offer in one of their finest luxury ski chalets in Zermatt. It was an onerous task but someone had to do it. First impressions on entering were extremely favourable. The sense of space and the beauty of the internal timber construction and finish blew me away. I was hugely impressed by the work of the architect who designed the space in the first place and subsequently impressed by the work of the construction personnel who turned the architects vision into reality. That?s before I got to the furnishings and the final finish. If this were a symphony, it?s one with not a note out of place, a harmonious whole brilliantly realised. No apologies for using the music metaphor, this place sings and gladdens the heart. If I had the wherewithal I would gladly purchase and move in yesterday. Sadly I was here for one day only but nonetheless an unforgettable 24 hours. I mused over how lucky people might be to spend a couple of weeks here.

I was itching to lift the lid and tickle the ivories. First off I was surprised that the piano was actually in tune. I?ve experienced many times a piano horribly out of tune in top end venues, the owners treating the piano as an item of furniture not so much an instrument. No worries here, the first chord resonated beautifully and made me fall in love immediately. I played for a good hour and had to be dragged away. Dan, the SkiBoutique representative was eager to show me around the rest of this jewel. I was glad he did. I couldn?t believe how fortunate I was to be spending a day and night here. The interior of the chalet was more than matched by the spectacular scenery through the huge windows that flooded light into the open plan living area. 

As the sun went down and the evening approached I was very impressed with the lighting and ambience in the living area. Apparently, specialist consultants and leading international lighting experts were commissioned to create a warm and cosy ambience, I can tell you they got it right. And so to bed, and which room to choose? The chalet is blessed with 7 doubles all en-suite of course. I felt like Goldilocks, testing the rooms until I found the one just right for me but honestly I was spoilt for choice. I chose a room with a direct view of the Matterhorn, I liked the idea of waking to a stunning view, I wasn?t disappointed. Come the morning after a hearty breakfast it was back to the piano. After a couple of hours, sadly it was time to leave but I was inspired by the beautiful piano to compose a piece of music that I completed on return to my studio back in England. For those interested the piece was called “What Will Be Will Be” and it can be found on my recently released album “Songs For The Sky”. Many thanks to the owners and to SkiBoutique for an unforgettable experience. Ah well, back to the tent.