Fun In The Sun...

...or rather the lack thereof!

Given the amazing weather we have been having, I was quite surprised at how well attended yesterday's rehearsal was, particularly since it was in the recital room, buried in the bowels of the Royal Academy of Music. At least it wasn't hot!

Then again, given that we have had a fortnight's hiatus - what with the weekend away followed in quick succession by the bank holiday - I know I certainly missed our weekly sing-song.

We attacked Big Band Bash which is one of my absolute favourite pieces we have ever sung. I remember first learning it three or four years ago, and just what a hard slog it was with the rhythms and clashing harmonies. Now we have the hang of it though, it is great to really get into the swing of it. And this time round we are doing the whole kaboodle, including Don't Get Around Much Anymore and In A Sentimental Mood which we cut last time due to our smaller soprano and alto sections back then. Yesterday the girls sounded really, really good.

The other surprise for me was how okay (we're not quite there yet) This Woman's Work sounds. Andy has worked his magic with the melodies there, but it is very hard to sing owing to the rather difficult rhythms. As Andrew D was saying, it could well become the next Angels.

Something Fishy also gave us their a capella rendition of Only You - a kind of a taster really, for their free gig at Central Station on Tuesday. Given how great they sound it should be a blast! A whole bunch of us will be heading down there. What I really love is how they have alter egos. You go Lara Montagne!

Finally, a sneak peak at Winter 2007's repertoire. It is obviously not yet fixed, but in addition to the rest of Jenkins' Requiem, Liang managed to track down an SATB version of Come What May from Moulin Rouge. He bought the sheet music from the States, and Mladen has looked at and approved it, so that's something to look forward to. A few years ago I managed to cajole Stefan into singing the duet version (AT arrangement with the 'A' transposed down to 'B' for Stefan) with me. It never materialized, and I am glad it didn't because we would have made an utter hash of it.

Simon, ever the Babs Streisand fan, has put forward People, and which may also get through. I am personally hoping that When I Fall In Love eventually gets done by the big choir, given how successful it was with the small group. Still waiting with bated breath to see what the rest of the choir suggests!

When I Fall In Love, It Will Be Forever

Nat King Cole - the classic version.

Natalie Cole with her father - the slightly morbid version.

Don't need to say much about these videos. We performed a four-part harmony version for Lynne and Annie's wedding. They certainly don't write them (or sing them) like this any more.

You Can See Something Fishy!

At Lynne and Annie's wedding a select four of the Pinkies (going by the stage names of Eliza, Lara, Vinnie and Fingers) performed an a capella version of Yazoo's Only You. Needless to say they were fab! Now's your chance to see Something Fishy perform a full set, and for free too!

Here are the deets:

Tuesday 17th April
On stage sometime between 9-9.30pm
Free Entry
Club Wotever
Central Station
37 Wharfdale Road,
Kings Cross N1 9SE

Pikachu - I Choose You!

I do wonder sometimes whether I have a touch of Asperger's. When I was a kid I was obsessed with Star Wars figurines, and with much cajoling and whining, and a very generous aunt, managed to collect nearly the whole set. Then again, perhaps it is simply human nature to seek completeness - witness the success of Pokémon which tells kids, not so subtly, that they "gotta catch 'em all!".

I now have a new hobby though - instead of R2D2s or Pikachus I am collecting Pink Singers. So, if you know of any Pinkies, new, old, current or dormant, who have a blog/ website/ MySpace then please send the link my way. It always surprises me when people turn out to have lives outside of choir, and it is great to have that little window into them. Also, if you're a Pinkie and run a commercial website, hell, I'd be interested in that too! Who knows, this little blog might be able to send a little business in your direction.

Have a look at what I've already picked up in Pinkie Friends in the right hand column.

Wedding Bell Goes Ding! Ding! Ding!

What an absolutely fantastic evening I had last night. It was Annie and Lynne's civil partnership, and for me at least, the highlight of this season. It is a major logistical issue to plan an organize a wedding, let alone invite along virtually the entire current choir, plus a number of dormant Pinkies, but they both pulled it off with panache.

We obviously couldn't show up without belting out a couple - and the small group put together a stage performance of Fields Of Gold, When You Tell Me That You Love Me and When I Fall In Love. The last was to be a surprise for Lynne and Annie, and Michael had worked hard to make the rehearsal tracks available beforehand. Tanya even sorted out an extra rehearsal. But even in warm-up in the mezzanine room, there was something decidedly ropey about it. Of course, being the Pinkies, the actual performance came together beautifully. I felt a pricking behind my eyes, and it moved a number of people in the audience to tears.

Then there was all the spontaneous singing on the dance floor. It reminded me of our trip to Copenhagen - if only they could have slipped Tragedy in there (even if it is a little inappropriate) it would have been identical. We rounded off the evening with a four-part harmony rendition of Angels, and I even got to dance a cheeky waltz with one of the caterers!

Thanks Annie and Lynne for letting us be a part of your wonderful day - I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I am sure that all the Pinkies did too. I really love that we could share in your happiness, and have a whale of a time!

Out In Hornsey Vale

A particularly keen group of Pinkies are rehearsing like mad for Annie and Lynne's civil partnership this Friday. Tanya, thankfully, organized a venue for us to rehearse - at the Hornsey Vale Community Center. So last night after work a bunch of us gathered to run through the music.

It was an intimate venue, and Michael set himself up at one end of the room with his Yamaha. There were a few too many sensitive buttons because every now and then the keyboard would switch from piano to violin, or play a quick rhumba. Perhaps it knew something we didn't?

Abercrombie & Fitch - Bah Humbug!

The first U.K. branch of Abercrombie & Fitch opened in London this month to an orgy of double-decker buses plastered with the rather attractive bum of a nubile young man, barely covered by his jeans. With that kind of enticement, Simon and I went for a walk this bank holiday around town and decided to pop in for a look on the Saturday.

I just visited the A&F on Madison Avenue in New York City last summer, and it felt like Mike Jeffries' (the owner) gay wet dream. He hires nubile young men of the above poster ilk, going under the designation of "greeter" to stand by the entrance and entice people into the store. Actually, the Madison Avenue store had about a half a dozen greeters. London, by comparison, was somewhat tamer. There was just one guy who had the requisite physique, but he also had a rather nasty ponytail which killed the magic: it made him seem vain rather than wholesome.

The shop was nearly completely overrun. The building itself used to house a bank, so it is by no means a small venue, but there were queues to go up the stairs, queues to go down the stairs, queues to try on the clothes, and a tremendous queue to pay for the darn clothes. I blame Ralph Lauren for the sale of a "lifestyle". Yes, we would all like to live in a world of beautiful young things with very little clothing on, but frankly, this is London, not Honolulu, and spending £30 deluding myself that this T-shirt is now going to make me gorgeous, and which blatantly advertises the company, is somewhat galling. The shop was so dark inside, and the music so loud, Simon and I decided we couldn't take it any longer, and after a valiant three minutes decided to escape while we still could.

Bah humbug! All I will say it don't fall for the hype. Just look at Mr. Jeffries, who at 60 odd, has bought into his own dream so much that now he looks decidedly strange.

Far Better Than Expected

Well, for all two of you (okay, one of you) waiting with bated breath for my report on this weekend's shenanigans, I have to say that it really was a lot better than I anticipated. For one, the weather was superb, despite my previous misgivings. Have a look at the photo which, hard to believe, shows even better weather than the tourist brochure!

Streatley itself is a lovely rather fancy town - they have their own Bentley dealership for one! But that also means some lovely pubs, amazing riverside walks and proper tea and cakes. We went for a long stroll by the river bank, finally ending up at a pub for a well-earned lunch. The sunshine was so warm several of us (who remain nameless!) fell asleep at the table afterwards.

The evenings were spent playing mah-jong, courtesy of Annie, or Cluedo, courtesy of the youth hostel. But, for me, the pièce de résistance was Liang and his karaoke machine. Keri, Vicki, Liang, Hester and I sang into the wee hours of the morning. We have decided that with her extensive knowledge of showtunes, Keri is actually a gay man.

It was a bit of a shame more people weren't there, but those of us who did go had a fabulous time. I'm already looking forward to next year!