I begin my post with such an edifying and uplifting statement due to last night's alto bashing. All in jest I might add, but, where sopranos are diva-ish and high maintenance, altos are generally sensitive souls. The altos took particular offense when Maestro Boy decided that the sopranos should split rather than the altos because the middle ladies' line is a 'd' and is a little high. Apparently first altos are very touchy about suggestions that they struggle on the top notes.
Anyways, I will start with a little plug as Maestro Boy is performing in what I hear is a startling and thought-provoking musical version of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner . I have completely brilliant images of dancing albatrosses in sparkly lycra doing a big finale number on some Hollywood-style stage steps [Chris hereby gives up on trying to find appropriate linkages]. Oh man, that will stay with me for the duration. I am guessing that Maestro Boy's version is not quite the spangly performance of Fame-esque loveliness that is currently whirling round my head.
On another note, the latest news on the keyboard saga. As you may know (if you read this blog as avidly as you should then you are well up to date with this ongoing crisis) we have had some problems with our little Casio keyboard over the past few weeks. It gradually died and Douglas brought us a new one. In fact it looked even more retro than the last one. Fab! However, last night it decided to create its own musical soundscape, as whenever Maestro Boy switched it on, it made a peculiar flatulent noise. I wonder if the Kings Singers have similar instrumental problems. Actually at one point it even sounded like a cow... it's those pesky cows again, interrupting our weekly musical soiree even when not prompted by A-L.
And so to music. We spent quite a bit of time tonight on our new Chinese (yes fans, another day, another language) song Green Fir Forest. We went through the pronunciation and sang it through a couple of times and it sounded perfectly acceptable by the end.
And, of course, no Wednesday night would be complete without a bit of Tormis, so Lulling it was. Now this piece has a wordy alto part and everyone else can relax into a sway by singing 'By you' (phonetic spelling for those stupid people who don't speak Estonian) over and over again. We all sounded beautiful, especially the altos (another point of alto encouragement). The only potential danger with this one is that you just carry on singing 'By you' ignoring entirely the panicked waving hand of Maestro Boy and the glares of choir members. You just get into the rhythm - like press-ups, but slightly less painful, at least for us if not for our audience.
Heads up to Blogger-in-waiting Claire 2 who left early as she was feeling a little poorly. Hope you are better now lovely lady. Quite a bit of sickness around the Rudsambee-lets recently so get well all. I'm off to listen to the Buggles' classic hit Elstree after Geoff played it so brilliantly last Saturday. Genius!
Until next week: friends, Romans and countrymen, you need not lend me your ears (or eyes) any longer.
CSW
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment