Journal Entries
2nd October - Audition time again
Posted Oct 2, 2005
Well, I have returned from the frightening worrisomeness that was my audition for Me and My Girl (amateur production, I'm not going to turn into a full-time waiter who sometimes gets paid to pretend to be someone else). 
It was...OK, I guess, it's very hard to tell. There wasn't all that much in the way of competition for the male roles, and I think I may have been the only auditionee for the part of Gerald who can reach the top notes, which has to be encouraging. The panel seemed to enjoy my singing and acting, but of course they have to smile nicely at everyone, so I'm not sure how much attention I should pay to that. 
The big problem is the dancing. I'm not a dancer. Have you ever seen a dancing owl? Or a dancing librarian for that matter? They got us to learn a couple of routines, one to 'Me and My Girl' which was soft-shoe type stuff and which I managed to do pretty darned well I think, and the other a breif bit of tap to 'he Sun Has Got His Hat On', and this is where I fell apart. I could do the second part of the dance, but not the first part for some reason, so I sort of wobbled around a bit until the second half where I suddenly started doing some actual dancing. As this is Gerald's main song, I think I might have a bit of a problem! I'm hoping that they decide they can either train me or work around my incompetence. 
I really, really, really want the part of Gerald, and even though I enjoy doing chorus work, I think I will be rather gutted if I don't get it. One of the guys auditioning for Bill (the lead role) was fab and I think I'd enjoy working with him if we both get it, but I'm not so sure about the girls I'd potentially be playing opposite, although I'm sure they're not as scary as I think they are. I will hear yay or nay some time this week by post and will be ever so slightly nervous until a short while after I open the envelope (if I can bring myself to do it!). 
End of incoherent audition rambling. I will return to this post with the good or bad news once I know! In the mean time, help yourself to comfort food. 
Discuss this Journal entry [20]
Latest reply: Oct 2, 2005
Vote Hyp!
Posted Sep 26, 2005
Well, the h2g2 presidental elections are upon us, so I thought it would be rather a good idea to declare my support for Hypatia of the Ozark party. The main reasons for this being that she is a very sensible yet fun-loving person, and most importantly that she's a librarian! If you don't believe me, check out the election page at A5889261 and also Hyp's election broadcast at A5853936 - you can check other parties and candidates out as well.
Anyway, vote Hyp!
David
Discuss this Journal entry [4]
Latest reply: Sep 26, 2005
S Club Library Lyrics - Musical Hell?
Posted Jun 3, 2005
The lyrics for S Club Library's debut and farewell concert follow. To explain, for those who don't already know, this was a fundraising concert I did with a trio of colleagues in November 2002, with Children in Need getting the proceeds. We took a number of cheesy pop songs and adapted them for our own purposes. Lots of fun, but very silly indeed. And never, ever to be repeated! We wore colourful t-shirts with our abbreviated e-mail handles on them (in sequins...). Lovely. And I should perhaps explain that we did this to karaoke-style backing tracks.
Anyway, first up was a completely 'straight', full-length version of S Club 7's 'Don't Stop Moving', which I won't post here, as that would violate copyright.
- - - - -
Then, we have 'The Coffee Break Song', to the tune of the Spice Girls' 'Wannabe'. My female colleague A took the lead on this, with backing vocals from the guys (myself, S and P - who can't sing a note, so was very brave to do this). The lyrics were a collaboration between A and myself.
Yo, I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want
(So tell us what you want what you really really want)
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want
(So tell us what you want what you really really want)
I wanna (shh!), I wanna (shh!), I wanna (shh!), I wanna (shh!)
I wanna, really really really wanna coffee break, ah!
A - If you want refuelling, it won’t be long
P - If you wanna fill your tum, better hold on tight
S - Now don’t go wasting time doing work
Me - Get your wallet ready or you’ll go beserk
Yo, I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want
(So tell us what you want what you really really want)
I wanna (shh!), I wanna (shh!), I wanna (shh!), I wanna (shh!)
I wanna, really really really wanna coffee break, ah!
ALL - If you wanna go on coffee, you better wait ‘til half ten
Make it last forever, last one until lunch
If you wanna go on coffee, you have got to wait
We know that it’s hard, but that’s the way it is!
- - - -
Then, 'The Fine is High', sung to the Atomic Kitten version. In unison, mostly. Lyrics by A.
The fine is high but I’m holding on
You’re gonna pay this one
She’s not the kind of girl who’ll waive fines just like that, oh no!
It’s not the things you do that make your fines so big,
But it’s the fact you don’t renew your library books,
I’m not the kind of girl who’ll waive fines just like that, oh no!
The fine is high but I’m holding on
You’re gonna pay this one
The fine is high but I’m holding on
You’re gonna pay this one
You’re to pay, you’re to pay
Every student wants to have a clean slate,
But that means your books can’t be a day late
I’m not the kind of girl who’ll waive fines just like that, oh no!
The fine is high but I’m holding on
You’re gonna pay this one
The fine is high but I’m holding on
You’re gonna pay this one
You’re to pay, you’re to pay
- - - - -
A little bit of Elvis vs JXL came next, with lyrics written by me. We hand-jived to much of this!
A little less conversation, a little more reading, baby
All this mobile texting, ain’t satisfactioning me
A little more sense, a little less fines
A little less rude, a little more smiles
Close your mouth and open up your mind,
That’ll satisfy me
Satisfy me
Baby, close your mouth and listen to the silence
Perfect when ya wanna read
Searching on the OPAC – show ya how to use it
Come along and let me put your mind at ease
A little less conversation, a little more reading
All this mobile texting, ain’t satisfactioning me
A little more sense, a little less fines
A little less rude, a little more smiles
Close your mouth and open up your mind,
That’ll satisfy me (satisfy me)
Satisfy me (satisfy me)
Come on baby, I’m tired of talking
Grab your books, and let’s start studying
Come on, come on (come on, come on)
Come on, come on (come on, come on)
Come on, come on (come on, come on)
Ahhhhhhhhhhh
A little less conversation, a little more reading
All this mobile texting, ain’t satisfactioning me
A little more sense, a little less fines
A little less rude, a little more smiles
Close your mouth and open up your mind,
That’ll satisfy me
Satisfy me
- - - - -
Another one of my songs (I took the lead vocal on this one), this was performed to the Will and Gareth version of the Beatles classic.
It’s a long and lonely night, when we’re here to half nine
We never disappear; neither does the time
Don’t leave us sitting here
‘Til we lock that door
On a wild and windy night, with the rain pouring down
You always stay at home
Waiting for the day
You leave us sitting here,
While you watch The Bill
Many times we’ve tried to help
Many times we’ve smiled
Ooh anyway you never stop, to talk and laugh a while
And still we always know
That there’s no-one else here
Don’t leave us sitting here
We just wanna help
Ohh...
Don’t leave us sitting here
‘Til we lock that door...
- - - - -
Then a song to the tune of Steps' cover version of 'Tragedy'. Lyrics written collaboratively by all four of us:
Here we lie, in a lost and lonely part of college
Held in time, we sit and wait here patiently
Going on, we just can’t make it all alone
We really should be helping you, helping you
Assisting you, assisting you….
Library! When you feel you need to do some work
It’s the library! It’s the place to be to study
It’s full of books, just waiting to help you, they’re going nowhere
Library! With a friendly face it’s a real cool place
It’s the library! With it’s peace and calm, it’ll do no harm
It’s full of books, just waiting to help you, they’re going nowhere
- - - - -
And the grand finale, with lyrics by yours truly. We managed to get several senior members of library staff to join in with the dancing for this one...
When the world, leaves you feeling blue
All those messy shelves, starting to get to you
When it seems, all your hopes and dreams
Of a tidy place, are a grand delusion
We’ve got to all stick together
Good friends there for each other
Never ever forget that I’ve got you and you’ve got me, lets
Reach for the shelves, and put books in their places
Reach for the shelves, with smiles on our faces
Reach for the shelves
And with old Dewey smiling over you,
That’s when your dreams will all come true
There’s a shelf, waiting just for you
It’s a special shelf, and the books will go there
Walk that way, run or skip or crawl
Push the trolley there, moving to the music
Don’t stop, gotta keep moving
Gotta keep, keep on improving
Never ever forget that I’ve got you and you’ve got me, so
Reach for the shelves, and put books in their places
Reach for the shelves, with smiles on our faces
Reach for the shelves
And with old Dewey smiling over you,
That’s when your dreams will all come true
Don’t believe in all that you’ve been told
The sky’s the limit, you can reach you’re goal
No-one knows just what the future holds
There ain’t nothing you can’t be, with a library at your feet!
I said reach!
Climb every kickstool (reach!)
Tidy those shelves (reach!)
Follow the numbers
And your dreams will all come true
Reach for the shelves, and put books in their places
Reach for the shelves, with smiles on our faces
Reach for the shelves
And with old Dewey smiling over you,
That’s when your dreams will all come true
Reach for the shelves, and put books in their places
Reach for the shelves, with smiles on our faces
Reach for the shelves
And with old Dewey smiling over you,
That’s when your dreams will all come true
There, I bet you're glad you don't work here.
David
Discuss this Journal entry [17]
Latest reply: Jun 3, 2005
Musical Heaven
Posted Jun 3, 2005
My next journal entry will be the lyrics for 'S Club Library', a charity concert I did some time ago, so I thought I'd balance that horror with some musings on recent CD releases.
It's no secret that I love musicals, but over the last couple of months, I've been really 
, as several great new releases have arrived, with a few more in the next month or so.
Mary Poppins, Original London Cast. Magical, wonderful, even better than the film. The updates of favourites like 'Step in Time' and 'Supercalif...' are great, and the new songs by the wonderful Stiles and Drewe are equally wonderful. 'Anything Can Happen' is an anthemic song which deserves to enter the public consciousness.
Altar Boyz, Off-Broadway Cast. This one is just silly, but truly wonderful. The concept is that a Christian (specifically Catholic) boyband is about to make its New York debut, and the CD consists of the songs they perform. They are very, very, very funny, but probably most funny if you are a regular churchgoer. The songs include 'Church Rulez', which explains when to stand up, sit down, kneel etc. in catholic mass, 'Epiphany', which is a 'this is who I am, and I'm proud of it' song, and the best of the lot 'Something About You' which is a Christian love song. Given that pop songs tend to focus on lust rather than love, you can imagine that this goes in a very silly direction. Well worth it!
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Original Broadway Cast. One of this year's strongest candidates for Tony awards, this is good fun with witty lyrics and engaging tunes. It's obviously a comedy (it's based on the wonderful film), but it doesn't go down the 'aren't musicals silly' route that The Producers and Spamalot seem to revel in. Great performances from up-and-coming broadway starts Sherie Rene Scott and Nortbert Leo Butz, plus a very droll John Lithgow. Great overture with shades of The Pink Panther.
I've also enjoyed recent purchases of 'A Fine and Private Place' and 'A New Brain', which is more serious than the others. Coming over the next few weeks are other gems which I'll just have to buy, including two other new Broadway shows, 'The Light in the Piazza' and 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'. Then there's a re-release of Sondheim's 'Merrily We Roll Along', which I have neglected to add to my collection in the past. I'm in musical lover's heaven, but might have to give up eating if this continues!
Anyway, I'll stop there, as I'm probably boring most of you (if anyone's even still reading, and if you are, you deserve a 
).
David
Discuss this Journal entry [11]
Latest reply: Jun 3, 2005
Audition Woes
Posted Apr 19, 2005
I'm fretting as I have an audition on Friday and still haven't made up my mind what to sing! I'd like to sing 'She Loves Me', but I've lost the sheet music. I could sing 'Mister Cellophane', as it's my party piece and I know it inside out, but do I really want to sing "you can look right through me...and never know I'm there" at an audition? Or I could sing any number of generic love songs, but I don't like generic. 
Plus I have some sort of lingering cold thingy, so don't want to risk going too near the top of my range. All so frustrating.
David, the scared-of-singing librarian!
Discuss this Journal entry [9]
Latest reply: Apr 19, 2005
Back to David B - Singing Librarian Owl's Personal Space Home
David B - Singing Librarian Owl
Researcher U201818
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."