Rudsambee on their travels again...

Apologies for a quiet week and a bit for Relative Pitch. I have been sunning myself in the heat of Dubai - tough life, eh? In suitable showbiz fashion as you have come to expect of your resident blog queen I flew back just in time for Saturday's concert and swanned in after the first rehearsal.

And so we have returned from visiting our friends of Soon Amore in the beautiful city of York. Thanks to all the groupies who followed us and to Soon Amore and their crowd for welcoming us so warmly. What to tell you... well, the rehearsals all went well and 5.45 saw us relaxing on the steps of our venue, the lovely chapel in York Cemetery, eating amazing hummus, fruit, chocolate cake etc. etc. etc. - a proper picnic was laid on by the good folks of Soon Amore.

In fact so good that Maestro Boy began our set with a warning to the front couple of rows to beware of flying cake - eating so much delicious grub prior to a performance in never a wise idea and a number of Rudsambee-lets felt that a lie down rather than a sing was in order. Our half went well and Maestro Boy's eyebrows looked suitably pleased. Then it was Soon Amore's turn and I think we were particularly struck by the water set (a couple of really nice modern pieces included in this) and their version of Dindirin which we all agreed, being in the original Spanish, was better than ours. We concluded with a jolly encore, with both choirs singing different versions of the Irish Blessing. Rather scarily Soon Amore's conductor invited the Rudsambee-lets to join with them in their version. So we ended the concert by sight-singing a piece of music that none of us had even ever heard before. As Robin said "It was a little like something that happens in a pre-concert nightmare" except that generally you have forgotten to put on any clothes in those dreams. We were, I am happy to report, all fully covered.

So a good trip all in all. Thanks again to everyone who made it happen. I had a jolly time driving a little boat on the Ouse on Sunday. What larks!

More Relative Pitch on Thursday, post-rehearsal

CSW