Performances

The concert was a delight to attend and with which to be involved.

However, the venue – the ‘New Music Room’ and part of Rugby School – was in need of a vigorous tidy before we could begin our pre-concert rehearsal. A useful performance room with tiered seating, left in disarray at the end of a working week. Such a pity.

Not enough to thwart us though. Rehearsals complete, the RMU audience began to arrive early, as they always do. The programme started promptly at 7.30pm with three young singers who each sang three songs, by a diverse collection of composers to include Head, Stanford, Blake, Dunhill, Lotti and Reger. One of the singers in particular reminded me of myself at that age; her voice was I thought most interesting and promising, with its clear, pretty tone, good diction and perfect musical delivery, if rather shyly given.

Just before the interval we were treated to a complete contrast by way of an early Burns Night celebration with Quigley’s Favourites, a local folk band. Their infectious enthusiasm and spontaneity got feet tapping and people smiling. Lovely to see a group of people so well used to playing together and having fun.

During the interval, my singing colleagues Ruth Hanson, Bill Griffiths and Henry Herford and I got ready for our performance of the Brahms Liebeslieder. It had been decided that we should dress UP rather than DOWN for this performance, to give an air of the romance of the period. We looked a treat, complete with tails for the men, feather boas and even a fascinator for the women. The piece went well, with Rosemary Robinson and Jo Foote providing a very competent four-hand delivery of the rich and luscious piano accompaniment.

Brahms wrote such beautiful, glorious music – but such a hard sing, as was generally agreed.