Chicoutimi - Vienna - London

Amazing few days In Québec, Austria & London - sorry general busyness & internet connection in Vienna, would not allow me to write till now!

Hooray - 2nd concert as delightful as the first in Québec... this time in Chicoutimi, where we performed our first ever Canadian gig 10 years ago.... Lovely to be back!
...and of course just like the first, fabulous to be accompanied by a great Symphony Orchestra...
Very many splendours, and a full-house cheering all the way... what joys...
Thank you to Jacques and all the musicians for making us feel so very welcome...
The choir said they were happier as they could hear us better in the concert hall, but they sounded excellent both nights...  Great fun!

We achieved our short hop flight to Montréal easily (thank you, Pierre-Paul for stalwart driving)... although there was a great deal of snow about... and got back to London on Monday AM, full of the joys of spring... 26 and a half hours in UK is clearly plenty...

...so Tuesday, on to the lovely Theater am Spittelberg, Vienna, where we have been twice a year for the last two years... thank you, Nusschi for inviting us... lovely as snow is, it was terrific to be in Vienna at Christmas without having to wade through the stuff! Very fine temperatures.... until the day we left.  Carole had joined us on the trip, and her company was gorgeous of course... but when we left early to get back for the Bridewell... she was left cope with the Vienna newly-appearing sleet and snow... good timing for us at least!
Other old friends we saw there were Elizabeth & Harald, Regula, and Lotti.... wonderful to see them all... and of course the splendid Chinese restaurant just around the corner from the hotel & theatre which keeps a glorious buffet ready at all times!
Sleigh Ride key jangling was very fine - especially on the second night for some reason!
Marvellous...

So a quick hop back to London & another regular haunt, the St Bride Institute, off Fleet Street.... a very splendid hall in which to sing...
Lovely atmosphere - all had worked hard to make the hall look very festive... well done to Mikey and the team... and for Glyn struggling around with his busted leg...
Lovely to have old friends David Cullen & Peter Knight in the audience with their wives (well, one each...); and we sang one song arranged by David, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire and one by Peter's Dad, 12 Days of Christmas...
In these last three concerts, we dusted off Yodel in German and English, as apropos, to the delight of ourselves at least... and the audiences also seemed to enjoy it too!
Our other friend called Carol appeared at the Bridewell with some chocolate lollipops with our image on them... a great surprise! Will these be a start to merchandising heaven to come?!

Our pre-Christmas season has drawn to a close... our post-Christmas dash is in Germany from 27th-31st... Then after a week off - it is to Minsk for the first time...
Hooray!
...and of course, Happy Christmas!