Summer Lovin' With The Pink Singers

I can't believe what a hectic season it has been, but it was all about to culminate in our summer concert. There was a little trepidation as our home venue, the Royal Academy of Music, was closed for refurbishment and we were compelled to try out a new place; but arriving at the rather grand Britten theatre at the Royal College of Music most of our fears were put to rest.
Singing on a new stage always involves sound checks and modifications to choreography. I thought the audibility was improved both on stage (for the choir) and in the audience, so that was great for everyone. However, the risers on stage were lower than we are used to at the Royal Academy (where you can break a hip if you get off them too quickly), and it didn't help that some of the shortest tenors were standing behind the tallest basses and were playing peek-a-boo with Mladen. Overall though I did like the intimacy of the place which meant we were much closer to the audience than usual.
Claire H rejoined the choir to sing the parts from O Fortuna. She has a simply luminous voice, and gave the notes that effortless colour which made my spine tingle. Then there were the incredible solos from Tom, Sally-Ann, Andrew F, Tanya, Cilla and Alex. If I had to pick a favourite I would say it was Alex's Till There Was You which stole the show. Our own run-through went very well, with just a few nervous errors here and there, so it was particularly interesting to hear just how great we sounded in the actual performance. The Pinkies really upped their game!
It certainly helped that we had a great audience. They laughed when we sang America, clapped along when we did the 70s Dance Party, cheered when we looked vaguely revolutionary in One Day More and applauded heartily when we completed the cycle of Carmina Burana. I am not sure that whether it was in relief (Blaaaaaaniflor et Helena!) or admiration, but it was much appreciated!
Photo credit: Alp
All in all I think we put on quite the show and the audience left the auditorium on a high. But there was more to come as the party continued later at the Student Union bar in Imperial College. We'd hired a karaoke machine, which meant Pinkies like Susan, Daniel really had a chance to shine. Like my friends said, it was like a second concert!
The trite and overused phrase is that we "work hard and play hard", but that really is true with the Pink Singers. We do put in a lot of work to get our performances up to the standard they are, and what we create is something I am very impressed with and proud of. And there was tons of work behind the scenes all season to keep the Pinkies running smoothly as a choir. I am really glad that there was an official recognition for this, and for those members who have committed years of their time to the Pink Singers, by way of a presentation of gifts backstage. But we also have huge amounts of fun together too and that is at least as important.

Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?

The title of this post is a rhetorical question, a song by Rod Stewart, and, most importantly, the name of the Pinkies' social organized by the altos. In the last couple of years the Pinkies' socials have become one of the highlights of the season, usually revolving around a lot of singing. As the choir gets bigger, it is also a great chance to get to know people in other sections as well.

The altos social was no different, but whoever came up with last night's theme deserves an award. I mean, who would have thought a village fête, replete with game stalls and home-cooked food the W.I. would be proud of, would meld so well with karaoke at the downstairs bar of the Black Cap? I had a blast!

To be honest, I nearly didn't make it. Stepping out the front door at work at about a quarter past eight I was greeted with a drenching rain, and I very nearly cycled home. Then I reminded myself how much fun the last few events have been and made the trek up to Camden. Yes, I was soaked by the time I got there, but the party was in full swing when I arrived. I got myself a beer from behind the bar, picked up some of Rachel's mum's flapjacks (so good I ended up buying three!), and a bottle of Claire A's jam. She's been slaving over the stove for the last few days, so you just know it is going to be good!

After that I decided to play a few games like pin-the-member - very much like pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, but with an alternate appendage - and a knock-the-dildo-off-the-perch. Jo C was in her special carnie outfit, and despite having launched about a dozen balls at the dildo it refused to tip over. I was convinced it was stuck down to the stool with blu-tack, until Amy proudly showed me the food hamper she had won. Hmmm. I could say something about her in depth knowledge of such toys, but that would just be rude.

The highlight of the evening, of course, was the karaoke. And it was a chance for members of the choir to strut their stuff. Everyone had a chance. Stand outs for me were Mark and Rachel's Copacabana which, with its five minute instrumental, turned into a conga line around the bar, and Nathalina's rock-chick version of The Winner Takes It All. Even Mladen got on stage! I was really glad to see some of the relative newbies take to the stage as well, with Daniel singing and Lou performing Freedom to a boogieing crowd. This Pink Insider even got on stage with the marvellous Gill P to perform My Baby Just Cares For Me. I think this is actually the first time I have ever gone up to stage to karaoke, so a big thanks to Gill for egging me on!

In the end it was a fabulous evening and I had a really great time. The money raised goes to helping the Pink Singers on their overseas trips, and we have a number coming up including one to Paris in just a few weeks for AIDS awareness, and one to Malta in the summer for their Pride. Thanks altos, and thanks to those of you who came along to support!