Serious singing
(The Power Cut Choir in the Partick Burgh Hall: Glasgow, Scotland)
Recently, along with the million other things constantly occurring around me, I have really tried to support my local choir. It was set up by two friends of mine and it specialises in an endearingly oddball brand of group noise. I personally believe that as well as being unique, we also collectively sing rather well. We’ve had a few gigs in the past which I have been present for, but I confess I have been less than reliable for rehearsals. I recall that my first outing with the choir, we sang in front of a full cafe / bar audience and I had a single run through of the songs a few evenings previous. I wouldn’t recommend it. Based on that, and my limited singing ability, I am willing to put in a couple of hours every week to exercise my lungs and feel like I am really part of something. Freelancing often leaves my life feeling fragmentary and inconstant, so it’s possibly a boon to be part of a warm, weird community choir.
I see myself as a very reliable person, usually early for appointments and ready to appear for a friend in crisis. However, I do find it difficult to commit myself to something at the same time and place each week – this is a danger of constant freelancing, I think. Mind you, I have to accept the very real revelation that of late (bathroom et al.) I have been that crisis ridden personage – hence no time to keep you updated.
Anyway, This is not the best image of us all, but a nice candid shot of the choir listening to an LP on a portable record player. We try to familiarise ourselves with the songs before launching directly into them, especially since the song choices are obscure enough that many of us have never heard of the song and even sometimes the original band. For all four out of five of our current repertoire, I recognised only one. If you are very curious, here’s part of our set for a charity gig back in March – remember Oxfem?
If you’re interested in current movements, have a listen to this – one of the songs we’re working on. It’s still a bit loose but we’re getting there!
To update you in general, I have recently had my hair dyed four different colours (don’t panic – it sounds worse than it is), I am drawing frantically every day and today is day number fifty without a bathroom. Still nothing has altered since the last time I told anyone anything about it. Even if it were finished in a week (which it won’t be) it will have run almost ten times over the original time estimate. If I can flush my toilet properly by the end of November, I’ll be beside myself with rapture.
Tomorrow I fly to Berlin for a few days – a little last minute, but I shall try to fill you in when I get there.
– Today Rosie is drawing, preparing some Hallowe’en essentials and packing in Glasgow, Scotland –
