Ethel ROCKS...

Tonight was the orchestra rehearsal for Carmina Burana, and it sounded (from where I stood anyway) truly marvelous. In fact, much better than the recording I have! Its fabulous to sing with the extra voices from the Phil Youth Choir and various school choirs too, and the orchestra is also... enormous. Including two pianos and a harmonium - will anyone HEAR the harmonium?? I think its also nice to have both Gail and Stephen performing in the orchestra.

And much as the Altos DO sound delicious, the men have been so impressive,  I think we can safely say the entire concert is relying on their performance alone...

It's so interesting hearing the different conductors approach to getting what they want from us, the various ways they explain the meaning of words or phrases that we need to convey. There is one particularly 'come-hither' phrase in the Alto line in Carmina, and when he came to rehearse with us last month, Nick tried to bring out the inner Goddess from the Altos by asking them to make him feel Cuddled. Then after a seconds of reflection he added, er, Cuddled, but not Voluptuously cuddled. Then he blushed! Greg Beardsell, however, hasn't blushed once, and is going for the full-on Voluptous. Which is obviously not a problem for the Altos. I won't mention his requests for the sopranos to flirt and mince. We'll see how it goes!

On the right is Adrian, who can't make the performance as he has his paintings in an Art Exhibition at The Culloden Hotel. Hope its a sell-out. 

And a soprano told me tonight about a conversation she had recently with her son, who is in the Phil Youth choir. 

He said - "Mum, where's Ethel, I MISS Ethel, has she left?"... "No, she's singing in the Phil but has changed her duties, and Tom is now Chair"... "oh", he said "it's just that Ethel ROCKS" !!! 

There's something very special about people who bring that out of a child. 

Phil bike group, after (purely medicinal) cake.. This was our first day out, in April, and it really set the standard. Maureen and John have not only taken us on the most lovely (flat) routes, (well, except for a couple of times when ONE person in particular had to get off and push...) but they have introduced us to lots of delightful eateries and have our culinary interests at heart. Its a gourmet tour. 

 Another bike day out, the usual decision making torture - which ice cream (also medicinal) flavour??

(the answer - if you get a bug tub, they can cram in three flavours - sop, tenor and bass!) (the Altos? Well, they're the sauce, obviously!)