Natural Forces

Today was the choir concert, entitled Natural Forces. When we (well, Nick, our conductor) planned the programme of pieces predominantly about the weather (full programme at www.micklegatesingers.org.uk) we had no idea how apt it would be! As it was, we sang about Cloudbursts, Showers and Storms to a backdrop of rain splattering the windows of the Early Learning (Music) Centre.

But it was a great concert. Karen and I sang the solo in Bushes and Briars - we got the tune (a really nice folk song), whilst the rest of the choir accompanied us with hmms and ohhs and ahhhs. I can't wait to hear how it sounds on the recording. We hadn't really rehearsed it much - it was really easy, note wise, compared to some of the other things - so I think that it probably won't have been our most musically advanced performance. But it still should have sounded nice!

Cloudburst really was the highlight for me. It starts all beautifully in a typcially Whitacre-y style, but then the "rain" starts (hand bells), accompanied by distant thunder (bass drum). Then it all goes mad and the choir click their fingers, slap their thighs, and clap to make the rain noises, with thunder sheets and cymbals in the background. All this whilst singing more Whitacre-y scrunchy music. It was absolutely great! When it finished (with the clicks disappearing off into the distance), there was an audible sigh from the audience! It was such a shame that we didn't finish with it.

Despite us then totally cocking up the Matthias May Magnificat (though I think we pulled off Bob Chilcotts's Weather Report), everyone left on a real high, and we pretty much filled the Spread Eagle with choir members. By closing time, we were still all over excited, and pretty hungry, so ten of us had a late-night curry at The Garden of India. The is nothing better than lamb tikka sag at 11:30 at night!