h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello Bels.

I imagine this little episode must have put the kibosh on your singing for time being. Were you scheduled to sing at any Prom concerts this year? And have you ever been involved with The BBC Singers?

Hi Gosho

Yes, I usually do two or three Proms concerts every year. It's always a terrific atmosphere, a bit weird and very British. The prommers are of course totally different from your usual classical music audience. They can get quite noisy and rowdy before the concert and during the interval, but during the performance itself their manners are always absolutely impeccable. And they are a very knowledgable and appreciative lot, and always have an extra cheer for the chorus at the end.

The main problem this year is that I just don't know what my availability is going to be, not just for the concerts but for all the rehearsals leading up to them, so I've had to 'sign out' until further notice.

I've known at least two chorus members who have died of cancer in recent years. One in particular was a tragic case - she was only in her twenties, but she had lymphoedema and her leg got into a terrible state. The other was a middle-aged lady who also died of cancer, though she did return to the chorus for a while during a period in remission.

The BBC Singers is a separate, small, professional (paid) singing ensemble whereas I am strictly amateur. I have been in concerts where they were also involved, yes, and I know some of the chorus directors and accompanists that work with them. The BBC also run several amateur choruses, such as the BBC Symphony Chorus and the BBC Welsh Chorus, who I have also sung with.

My first classical concert was a Prom - The Firebird Suite, and way up in the gallery. Sometime in the mid 70s I think. I've been to a few more since then. Did you ever sing at The Wigmore Hall? Love that venue.

For some reason I figured you were a professional singer . I ask about the BBC singers particularly because I had friend at school whose father was a singer, and I know that he was in the BBC Singers for a while, as well as the chorus at Covent Garden.

He was a music teacher too, and I asked him to clue me in about opera (I was around 16 at the time). He started me off with The Ring and Wagner's leitmotifs Never had much stomach for opera since that time. Wonder why

Poor you!

Actually I can claim to have sung at Covent Garden - then have to explain that it was not in the Royal Opera House but in the piazza outside. It was a charity thing on a Bank Holiday Monday, and there was a succession of musical groups of all kinds, giving free performances in the open air. Including the ROH Chorus.

The Wigmore Hall is one of the world's finest recital rooms, but isn't suitable for a chorus and I've never sung there.

No, I'm not professional but an amateur who gets to sing and record with world-class professional orchestras, soloists, conductors and composers. How is that? I've worked and toured with Leonard Bernstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Jose Carreras (ginormous open air concert in the grounds of Althorp, the Spencer pile), Kiri te Kanawa (concert for her birthday - she gave us each a piece of birthday cake afterwards), Paul McCartney of course (see A1053145) and, as they say, many more, too numerous to mention.

My choir has performed in New York, Florida, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, Jerusalem, Athens, Moscow, and all over Europe. Venues have ranged from the truly ancient (the amphitheatre in Athens near the Acropolis, the famous Arena at Verona - enormous and very scary) to the ultra-modern acoustically-sharp hear-a-pin-drop concert halls of Europe, including the one that used to be the big Fiat factory in Turin.

The occasions of these concerts are sometimes just run-of-the mill but are often associated with prestige music festivals, and a number of them have been glittering gala occasions attended by royalty, heads of state, and suchlike grand folk. When it's an important gig you often have to learn and sing the national anthem (in the original language, of course - one of the hardest is the Welsh!).

But it isn't all fun gigs, there's a lot of hard slog as well, and cherrypickers are not wanted. And at these prestige international events there's a lot of pressure because, like it or not, you are actually carrying the flag, and there are times when a lot can be riding on one performance, and you might well be travel-weary and jet-lagged at the time.