May 14, 2020
Opera concert at Ushaw St Cuthbert’s chapel went well – but the brass band, although good technically is too loud for size of the choir. The Berlioz aria and chorus for dido and chorus of Cathaginians from ‘Les Troyens’ was the best and most difficult number we did. The soloists were good enough. I still […]
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May 14, 2020
It is good to get back to my usual busy routine. Mon – Silver choir at Stanley; this is good for me singing without reading music and relying more on what I hear. Tues – Male voice choir practice – Matt is energising choir as to repertoire and precision – Johnhad made sound good. Wed […]
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May 14, 2020
This is a month, in which normal social activities, activities cease so apart from Hospital Communions, I take time out. We had a couple of further “Shortbreaks’ to take any way. Again we went to Cumbria – Kirby Lonsdale (Pheasant Hotel was a family run place and very welcoming) and to Cleator ( not so […]
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May 14, 2020
Lanchester Choral Society I rehearsed for last 3-4 months for a semi-staged version of Pirates of Penzance. It was good to encounter Sullivan’s music against is wonderfully varied from pseudo -Verdi through musichall patter songs to Mendelssohnian Praise of Poetry. I wasn’t there for the actual performance as we had booked a ‘Shortbreak’ in Cumbria. […]
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May 14, 2020
Pilgrimage to Walsingham We joined the bus at Hartlepool as we had doe in the last few years to visit from Monday to Thursday 22 to 23 July the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. This is doubly pleasant. We meet pilgrims we had come to know from other years and make new friends each […]
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May 14, 2020
Show Boat -I-movie. I had 2 bookings to give this. I have used as a basis the 1936 Paul Robeson a, Irene Dunn and Allan Jones.( black and white version). The clarity of the filming is amazing, the sound track less so. To this I have added snippets from other shows (not included in 1936 version). […]
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