Cows - watch out for the running theme of the post!

So as to make up for the lateness of the last post, this post is written in the veryhour after our rehearsal finished. Just like Fleet Street fans. Bring me copy! etc. Well, this evening's songfest was a cacophony of laughter and hilarity so King Editor suggested that I write a serious post with none of the usual quips. However, like JK Rowling I have only one writing style; she has Harry Potter as her Muse, I have Maestro Boy. I cannot, unfortunately, construct a serious post however hard I try, which is a bad omen when it comes to things like condolence cards and the writing of wills. However, I digress...

We began tonight's rehearsal with the joy of an A-L warm-up. Always a jolly affair, A-L got us touching our toes and giving ourselves a shake. We then made noises like cows (you aren't surprised? Well ,there you are) followed by a beautiful rendition of Irish Blessing. A-L got us to form a huddle (like pre-footie match) with arms over each other's shoulders, and sing to each other. I'm not sure I have experienced such a moving musical experience. John even closed his eyes to prevent his tears from falling... or it might have been because he didn't want to catch Jen's eye. It is a fact universally acknowledged that during a Rudsambee warmup one should never never ever no never catch Jen's eye. It is a dangerous thing and generally you, and she, end up snorting.

As promised we began the tough bit of Cloudburst tonight. Yes, that's right, the bit that splits into fifteen parts (for less than one bar , mind you)and involves us clicking, clapping and slapping our thighs. The image in your minds must be a keeper. Anyways, we did it all rather well actually and managed to work out what when to click and when to clap - and even when to sing a couple of notes! Now, I lost it for a bit in the middle there because Anne and Maestro Boy decided to have an intricate conversation about, well, musical things. As confessed last week I am the one who failed my first round of Grade 5 music theory so don't ask me what they were talking about, they may as well have been speaking Arabic backwards... oh hold it, that's how it always works. So apparently we are performing antiphonal clicks and the scale before the crazy click sequence is in Friesian mode. Hold it, it might not have have been Friesian come to think of it... it may well be that cow image again. Anyways, ask Maestro Boy for the accurate terminology. [Chris says: Phrygian, dear blogstress.]

We finished with a quick run through the Debussy and then (as is customary) a little bit of Tormis. It was Kanarbik tonight (the one where A-L sings a top Z or something; I tickled her mid-squeal tonight and, like a true professional, the note didn't even quiver) and we spent a good long time trying to get the chords tuned well. We then sang it through, ending up in great hilarity as the basses came in sounding like the cows of A-L's warmup. Granted it is a very low note but honestly, how funny was it!? Suffice to say we didn't hit the final chords through our laughter!

Anyways, on that note I only have a celebratory cheer for Robin and Elaine who, combined, are aged 90 this week. Blimey! I'll leave it to you to decide which one is thirty and which is sixty (or any other combination)! On the way home Rach and I discussed the merits of Genesis and Simon and Garfunkel - a couple of musical recommendations for you there. Oh, and we talked about rock stars who cut their hair and both decided that Dave Gilmour improves with age. Goodness, that's his second mention in as many weeks.

Have a fabulous week. This week I will mostly be getting excited about heading to the capital to see my favourite rockers' gig. Hope you have an equally thrilling (I mean that in all sincerity - I've just realised that generally we only use the word thrilling in a sarcastic manner) week. Stay out of the way of any rampaging cows. Or Basses. They sound similar so may be mistaken for one another in fields...

CSW