Another Wednesday another carol. Tonight we began with the 'Apple Tree Wassail'. For anyone who attended a yuletide concert last year, this was the one with stamping (or rather stomping), clapping, and discussions of a farmer's old cow and the problems of milking her. What larks! Well, it must be said we largely remembered it quite well, although we do have a tendency to make up the words when we are swinging along. As you may recall, it finishes with Jen and Claire 2 doing a Macbeth-three-witches impression (or rather two witches): 'three bushel baskets/ little heaps under the stairs' (for anyone who hasn't heard this piece, I am quite sure that my description sounds bizarre to say the least- come and watch us and you'll see what I mean). Except that Claire 2 struggles to remember how many 'bushel baskets' there are; three? forty-seven? Anyways, as Helen so eloquently put it, 'there is something creepy under the stairs'.
Our brains were tested again trying to remember 'In Dulci Jubilo'. Last time we sang this was in front of Richard Wilson and Carol Smillie no less, and we were fairly impressed that we had recollected any of it. We even thought about dynamics. Goodness! The first time Robin sang the trio (I nearly said triplet then, but singing a single triplet isn't quite as impressive as singing a whole trio) he apparently managed to sing about 'nasty tashes'. The mental images on that one are really endless... and horrid! Suffice to say, the piece requires a little more work but at least we don't have to do that painful note bashing malarky (sp?).
While we were on a roll, Maestro boy decided that a quick sing of the old 'Lux Auremque' was in order. Poor Helen has probably heard this piece more often than the illustrious composer due to her valiant work on the CD. Nevertheless, her solo note still sounded beautiful. As a second soprano, I am constantly amazed by our Diva duo (Helen and A-L) who stay on the same note for about half an hour. I could go away, make and drink a cup of chamomile tea, eat a chocolate Hobnob (there's a biscuit for dunking [Chris says: But not in herbal tea, surely!]) and do a short Irish jig while singing my current favourite folkie song, 'She moved through the fair', and come back, and the Diva duo would still be smiling and holding on to that note. Impressive stuff!
Anyways, we concluded our evening with our usual intellectual chat and banter. A brief rendition of 'Little Green Frog' was in order and with that, and an animated discussion of what indeed was happening at the Pleasance next Friday (I'm not sure that we came to any conclusion on this one even though it is written in the communal diary, so if anyone knows an answer then please do leave a comment), we were done.
Just enough time to send best wishes to all those in our Rudsambee family who are feeling a little under the weather right now. There seems to be so much illness about. Get well soon to all and 'break a leg' (not literally ladies, especially with your track record!) to the Wild Myrtles who are off to blow Ireland away with their great sounds.
Apparently Rudsambee received an email about doing Eurovision. Well... the possibilities are surely endless! Definitely skirts you can whip off, the tenors doing some sort of tribal-infused dance sequence, the basses doing their best didgeridoo (honestly can't be bothered with the spelling of that one) impression, Maestro boy in a sparkly suit... oh goodness, this one is going to keep me up at night.
And with that merriment, I bid a fond farewell to all readers for this week.
felicitations (that should probably have gone at the beginning- Ooo cyclical blog posts, how very Modernist! The beginning that could be the end, an end that could be a beginning... agh my tiny mind is imploding).
CSW
2 comments:
In fact it was "O nasty lady 'tache"...
Apologies Dr Robin for the misquotation. Thanks for clearing that one up. That is an even more disturbing image!
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