Two more performances at the bijou Bridewell Theatre on Friday and Saturday afternoon were splendid fun!
...forgot to mention on the last blog the tremendous contribution of the squeaky floorboard (sited between Mike & I on stage) which filled many pieces - both serious and comedy! - with a frisson of excitement.
Enthusiastic responses from the people to squeaks and music alike.
Long may our relationship with the St. Bride Foundation continue...
Then a quick jaunt up to Warwick Avenue for a private party at Clifton Nurseries - a fine venue & now available for Weddings!
Joined by wonderful pianist Chris Hatt, we celebrated Penny Levinson's birthday with her friends and family in fine style... singing many of her favourite songs... Let's Do It, Night & Day, The Way You Look Tonight, Mad Dogs & Englishmen, Tea for Two, As Time Goes By, A Fine Romance, & Honeysuckle Rose... as well as renditions of Cricket Tea Towel, Strangers in the Night and (altogether now) The Lambeth Walk...
Delightful to be invited to her celebrations...
A busy and enjoyable day...
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Friday, 5 September 2014
Bridewell Theatre #1 & #2
First two Bridewell Theatre shows for this September... marvellous.
Still tonight and Saturday afternoon to come....
We enjoyed going Over the Top! for our first two nights in the splendid Bridewell Theatre off Fleet Street... As we are Artists in Residence at the Bridewell Institute, we have performed here many times...
Still a joy - lovely audiences have enjoyed all our nonsense with great aplomb...
Thanks to Mikey and all at the Bridewell for their tremendous support throughout the year.
Still tonight and Saturday afternoon to come....
We enjoyed going Over the Top! for our first two nights in the splendid Bridewell Theatre off Fleet Street... As we are Artists in Residence at the Bridewell Institute, we have performed here many times...
Still a joy - lovely audiences have enjoyed all our nonsense with great aplomb...
Thanks to Mikey and all at the Bridewell for their tremendous support throughout the year.
Sunday, 31 August 2014
This week at the Bridewell & beautiful Belgium under the stars
Do come to the Bridewell theatre this week! It'll be great fun...
Weds. 3rd - Fri. 5th at 7.30
Sat. 6th at 2.30
Box Office: 0207 427 4742
All other details here - Over the Top!
We had two wonderful evenings (apart from one 30 minute downpour which was less so) at the excellent Nuits des Choeurs 2014 - an evening of multi-entertainment on six separate stages in the ruins of an old Monastry at Abbaye de Villers, about an hour from Brussels.
As well as us, there was the choir of the French Foreign Legion, The choir of St Petersburg, the lovely franco-israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naim, the energetic and vibrant French cast of Sister Act & the backing group for James Brown.
All the acts perform on six separate stages... three at a time, a set of 20 minutes four times during the evening, so the vast crowds (many thousands) can wander about and watch everything...(including two of them twice if they like) as well as drink and eat... It is sponsored by many, but the eye-catching one for me was Leffe... lovely beer!
It ends on the biggest stage (where the Foreign Legion were at home) with us all doing one more song and ending with fireworks...
Fantastic, and the hardy Belgians laughed at the rain and the muddy fields... brilliant!
One of the amazing six stages:
Weds. 3rd - Fri. 5th at 7.30
Sat. 6th at 2.30
Box Office: 0207 427 4742
All other details here - Over the Top!
We had two wonderful evenings (apart from one 30 minute downpour which was less so) at the excellent Nuits des Choeurs 2014 - an evening of multi-entertainment on six separate stages in the ruins of an old Monastry at Abbaye de Villers, about an hour from Brussels.
As well as us, there was the choir of the French Foreign Legion, The choir of St Petersburg, the lovely franco-israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naim, the energetic and vibrant French cast of Sister Act & the backing group for James Brown.
All the acts perform on six separate stages... three at a time, a set of 20 minutes four times during the evening, so the vast crowds (many thousands) can wander about and watch everything...(including two of them twice if they like) as well as drink and eat... It is sponsored by many, but the eye-catching one for me was Leffe... lovely beer!
It ends on the biggest stage (where the Foreign Legion were at home) with us all doing one more song and ending with fireworks...
Fantastic, and the hardy Belgians laughed at the rain and the muddy fields... brilliant!
One of the amazing six stages:
Thursday, 21 August 2014
Mike Smith's funeral
A very moving and sad occasion yesterday.
Mike Smith's funeral.
In glorious Summer sunshine we joined friends and family of the broadcaster & helicopter pilot to celebrate the far-too-early demise of Smithy.
It was a huge honour to be invited...
We helped lead the singing of the excellent music choices; Bring Me Sunshine & Lean on Me & also sang the piece that Cantabile - The London Quartet premiered at Mike and Sarah's wedding 25 years ago... written by Julie Cooper & our old friend Hugh Wooldridge - Pageant!
Many speeches from friends and family were appropriately warm and loving, but Sarah made an especially wonderful speech bringing tears to eyes and lumps to throats... goodness knows how she managed to say it all, but filled with Mike's celebrated joie de vivre, she insisted that life would & could go on.
A beautiful event - as ever with funerals both miserable and life-enhancing.
We can't help but notice that after Mel's last year, this is the second summer during the Edinburgh Festival in which we have sung at the funeral of an M Smith... hoping this does not become a habit...
Mike Smith's funeral.
In glorious Summer sunshine we joined friends and family of the broadcaster & helicopter pilot to celebrate the far-too-early demise of Smithy.
It was a huge honour to be invited...
We helped lead the singing of the excellent music choices; Bring Me Sunshine & Lean on Me & also sang the piece that Cantabile - The London Quartet premiered at Mike and Sarah's wedding 25 years ago... written by Julie Cooper & our old friend Hugh Wooldridge - Pageant!
Many speeches from friends and family were appropriately warm and loving, but Sarah made an especially wonderful speech bringing tears to eyes and lumps to throats... goodness knows how she managed to say it all, but filled with Mike's celebrated joie de vivre, she insisted that life would & could go on.
A beautiful event - as ever with funerals both miserable and life-enhancing.
We can't help but notice that after Mel's last year, this is the second summer during the Edinburgh Festival in which we have sung at the funeral of an M Smith... hoping this does not become a habit...
Friday, 1 August 2014
We break our Aylesbury Duck! ...(and a Wedding)
Ho ho ho... (duck, Aylesbury... geddit?)
Lovely afternoon in the beautiful town of Aylesbury... as part of the Avondale Summer Music Festival... Our first time in the place, I reckon (excellent to look around the place before the concert - perhaps my colleagues might correct me if I am lying & we have been before!) The weather stayed fair and we entertained the assembled masses under sunny skies & our Madrigal to McCartney show was appreciated greatly...
Also lovely to see our friend Irene married to Steve a few days ago - we wish them all the very best in their future together....
Other jolly news.. it remains warm and (mainly) sunny & England have remembered how to play cricket.
Great Commonwealth Games too...
Have a splendid Summer!
Lovely afternoon in the beautiful town of Aylesbury... as part of the Avondale Summer Music Festival... Our first time in the place, I reckon (excellent to look around the place before the concert - perhaps my colleagues might correct me if I am lying & we have been before!) The weather stayed fair and we entertained the assembled masses under sunny skies & our Madrigal to McCartney show was appreciated greatly...
Also lovely to see our friend Irene married to Steve a few days ago - we wish them all the very best in their future together....
Other jolly news.. it remains warm and (mainly) sunny & England have remembered how to play cricket.
Great Commonwealth Games too...
Have a splendid Summer!
Friday, 4 July 2014
BBC Radio 3 - CD Review - Saturday 5th July
Hooray - have just heard that our newest CD, Songs of Love and War will be reviewed on BBC Radio 3 Saturday morning - in the war CDs section from 10:50 - 11:45...
This is course can be listened to live, but also in perpetuity!
Look/listen HERE !
This is course can be listened to live, but also in perpetuity!
Look/listen HERE !
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
Derbyshire delight
A lovely afternoon (despite a sharp downpour for 20 minutes) in Repton, Derbyshire... in the magnificent grounds of Repton School (where the original Goodbye, Mr Chips was filmed)... glorious...
We changed in the pavilion (where else!) & saw from the walls that Harold Abrahams ( 'in' Chariots of Fire) and Bunny Austin (Fred Perry's fellow Brit. tennis rival) were Old Reptonians... as well as plenty cricketing O.R.s including all-rounder Nitish Kumar, who plays for Canada now!
The marvellous lunch was in aid of the Repton Village Hall Appeal - and with so many present, one hopes they are already well on their way! ...as well as the auction...
Before we did anything, the local string quartet, Derventio Quartet entertained with delightful arrangements of jazz standards...
...and after us Electric violinist Pete Hartley entertained around the tables excellently..
But in between, we gave our best, and tried to help the guests forget that we were interrupting their meal...
No-one rioted... and they were very good at singing The Lambeth Walk - hoorah for that!
Great time in a beautiful part of the world...
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