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

My small choir, the Gaudete Singers, (who also feature Recumbentman), are doing a concert tonight - Shakespeare songs set to music, Italian madrigals, and a few modern pieces. It's in Airfield House, with a glass of wine afterwards.

It's usually lovely to stand on the terrace of the house in the June evening sunshine and drink wine, but it's teeming rain today, so we'll have to stay indoors.

I've been sick with a bad flu for the last week, so although I will stand up in front of the audience, I don't know how much singing I'll be able to do.

Somebody must be weeping over most of Europe. It's been raining all day here.

Have a good evening, Gnomon, and take good care of yourself.

Should get gravelly bottom Fs

Break a leg! I'm off to watch my daughter singing and dancing in her stage school show.

I hope you have a lovely evening - it dried up here some time earlier while I was having a doze.

Still raining here. But the concert went well. My voice held out and I was even able to do my poetry reading, although I had an urge to cough at one point and had to mime two entire songs before I overcame it.

Everybody enjoyed the concert and the glass of wine afterwards gave everybody a chance to socialise.

We're repeating the whole concert in Trinity College on Monday at 8 as part of their Shakespeare Festival.

I'm glad it went well. Have you tried some cider vinegar and honey for your cough? My mum swore by that for a quick and effective cure.

Er . . . that's 7.30 on Monday, you know. We are called for a warm-up in the chapel at 7 sharp.

Yes, it went well, less sketchy than usual. And I'm being won around to the sound of people reading pomes (one of my usual pet hates).

Shakespeare songs set to music, reading of poems, glass of wine after... It all goes to explain this quite good, but somewhat cryptic post: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F63419?thread=120392&show=20&skip=2160#pi2173

Oh Gosh - well done. My middle son asked me today if there was any interesting way to do Shakespeare's sonnets - are any of those included in your programme?

Our motett choir (we're looking for a good name - can I suggest yours?) are due to perform for the first time on 26 June. The idea is to expand the programme to a full concert repertoire by the next autumn season. At the moment we have a couple of William Byrd and some Gesualdo da Venosa. We've done a couple of Bach motetts and also some Mendelssohn Lieder - more for light relief for the moment.

What modern works did you sing?

There were three sections to the concert.

The first had Italian madrigals from the 16th Century: the Contrapunto Bestiale; a piece by Orlando di Lasso, and long work by Monteverdi "The Lament of Arianna".

The middle section had the Shakespeare songs: Three songs set to music by Vaughan Williams, Ophelia's Lament by Paul Mealor (2007) and Full Fathom Five by Mäntajärvi.

The last section had Blue Moon and Night and Day in jolly up-beat arrangements from the "Pink Book" and "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" in the ultra-tricky Manhattan Transfer arrangement.

We interspersed some poetry between the numbers to break it up a bit.

Hi again EM!

Your message got me curious, so I googled your group! (That sounds... questionable, doesn't it?)

I found a great picture at:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lkx1uxqTdz0/R0yAFmlKZII/AAAAAAAAB-A/DiEHk-8tkK0/s720/Gaudete%20in%20St%20Patricks.jpg
, but I couldn't be sure that I could pick you out from your various videos.

Perhaps it's an old picture? are their two groups with that name?

Just wondering,
Best Regards,

It's Gnomon's group, I recognise Gnomon, Mrs G, and Recumbentman.

I'm the guy in that photo with the beard and the vertical black stripe coming out of the top of my head.

TC, if you're interested, I have made a setting of a Shakespeare sonnet (no. 60: Like as the waves) for SATB choir. It originated as a solo song with three viols, which I wrote for a dreadful play called Dark Lady that was put on in the Peacock Theatre, Dublin, in 1988. It is easy to sing, totally tonal. We sang it in Gaudete a few years ago, but it's not in our current programme.

I can email the score to you in a Word doc if you are interested. As copyright holder I give you permission to use it as you like. It will be a big file . . .

Thank you, Mr R. That's a very kind offer. I don't have any say in what we sing, but I'll put it to the PTB at the next rehearsal.

Thanks for pointing yourself out!

That was the one I was thinking was you, but I hadn't realized that you've got a beard! I could have sworn that you were clean shaven on at least one of the videos.

Good luck,

No, I have not been clean-shaven for 28 years.

Are you the male in the back row third from the right?

I think that it is you gnoman though the last time I saw you was at the meet in Hyde Park. (I think it was. )

It would be very nice if dRecumbetman indicated who he is, and could you indicate where Mrs. G. is. Are either of the girls in the choir?

I am pleased that you are better. I take it that you cannot be persuaded to come to the South East. I am sure that you will enjoy all the other lovely places in England that you are going to.

Pleased you have got over your cold. Should you like me to I shall offer you some excellent advice as to how to write off colds/flu for the rest of your earthly life. !At least it works for me.

AlsoRan80