-
Opening tonight -Orpheus and Eurydice
Playing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday this week. Platform Theatre, Central St Martins, Kings Cross N1C 4AA. Box Office We’re singing in the chorus Thursday evening, and both performances Saturday and Sunday.
-
The Historical Birthday-Tea Party 19th January
Sorry this is a bit late, I’ve been putting in new skirtingboard in the kitchen in preparation for the new flooring. The kitchen is already warmer – no gaps between wall and floor for draughts. Anyway, back to the party. There are still two birthday girls left for today, after yesterday’s early aperitif, but let’s…
-
The Historical Birthday-Tea Party 5th January
No convenient birthday for 5th January so the first of the ‘who knows?’ BIERIS (Biatritz) DE ROMANS Thirteenth Century Trobairitz (Female Troubadour – writer of songs) from Romans-Sur-Isère. Writing from around 1200-1235. Probably nobility since she could read and write. The tune does not survive. During and following the Albigensian Crusade, troubadours were treated with…
-
Singing and ringing and feeling like christmas
So: Saturday was a singing day, 3 hours or so, rehearsing, performing, singing with the audience, interspersed with beer at the lovely Ivy House. We like to have a theme or a project for Vocal Chords, in the summer it was love songs for the planet, this autumn it has been folk carols, learnt from…
-
Singing for water
There are only ten days to go before Sing for Water, at the Mayor’s Thames Festival. Preparation chez nous has been a bit sporadic, as we’ve only been able to get to two of Vocal Chords rehearsals. However, we had an impromptu practice with a couple of friends on Tuesday, and might gatecrash a Nunhead…
-
Oh the weeping and the wailing
The trouble with having a brilliant time at Blackheath Halls prancing about singing is that inevitably it comes to an end. The party helps make the break, and it was good to hear from orchestra members how much they enjoyed the process too, and either wanted to know what on earth we did to Macbeth…
-
More Macbeth Reviews and more unsung heroes
The Independent have reviewed Macbeth as have Classical Source they both really liked it, and the chorus get special mention. I would just like to mention another set of unsung heroes – the stage managers. Managing sixty amateur chorus members thirty children and all the principles, to say nothing of guns, knives, glasses, trays, beer…
-
Macbeth does Murder Sleep
Being part of an opera plays havoc with your sleep (and eating) patterns. I’m a bit of a homebody normally (although running a publishing venture has changed that a bit – schlepping about with a suitcase full of books to readings of an evening has meant my normal bedtime is now nearer midnight than it…
-
The performing bug
It’s the last performance of Macbeth on Sunday and from previous experience I know we will have withdrawal symptoms. I think it was after Elixir of Love that we bumped into fellow chorus members at the Maritime Museum and practical had a keening session on the subject of how bereft we felt. Years ago I…
-
Musical storytelling
Last night, before the performance Chris Rolls (director) reminded us that it is easy at a second performance to think, right I’ve done that now, and to slacken off a bit. Don’t let it get comfortable, he said. Good advice. We didn’t. However the advantage of having done a full performance with audience was that…
Cherry Potts, Writer 