Melodia Monday

What a wet Saturday we had!  The snow/hail/sleet pellets started about 9:30, just as I was attempting to locate the pumping holes in the septic tank at the rental house.  Within a couple of minutes it turned to icy rain, which promptly numbed my fingers and froze my bare head.  But I persisted and was able to bare the trap doors enough for the pumper to deal with this on Monday.  I knew it was going to rain, so I keep asking myself, "why did you not get at it earlier?" (the king of procrastination speaking to himself).

Then whilst the rain pelted out of doors, we went back in the rental house and installed laminate flooring in the master bedroom, a suitable job to test the strength of marriage.  It should be so easy, cut the pieces to size, click together and move on.  And most of the strips did, but every so often, you run into a snag, which causes the blood to simmer.  Fortunately, my beloved is long of patience, a calming contrast to my short of temper!

Home, shower and off with my friend Malcolm to a sing out, with one of the choirs, with which I am a member.  Malcolm and I discovered our mornings had been of the same ilk - installing flooring- he hardwood in his living room, and mine - aforesaid click flooring.  Knees, backs and general constitutions weary, before a concert,  are not conducive to enthusiasm.


We arrived at the nursing home, set up our equipment (just how much equipment does a basically acapella group really need?)  This was our first venue out this season, complete with our new ensemble look, black everything with coloured ties and scarves.  It was also a warm up to three larger concerts in the next couple months.

Our fearless leader doing his best.

A good number of residents gathered in the large lobby.  This is a new facility, and boasts quite a magnificent lobby area.  It has two gorgeous water features, which while most attractive, do limit the space for any larger group of entertainers.  Seventeen of us tucked ourselves in between retaining walls and under pagodas.


From the opening warm up, it was obviously going to be difficult to hear other parts, not a great thing for a group so reliant on careful tuning amongst neighbours and parts.

Nora, soloist extraordinaire, belting out Stand Still.

However, we made the best of it.  We sang a number of rousing spirituals, and then a selection of jazz pieces, interspersed with several solo efforts.  It was great to see smiles on the faces of the residents, and a few even mouthing the words as we sang.  It was also humbling to see where we need work -- nothing like the first dress performance to bring out the weak spots.  I was also minus my baritone counterpart, who was off bicycling in the California sun, as the Canadian rain poured on relentlessly.

Our fearless leader, Doug Routledge, forged ahead as best he could with us, cheerfully lying and mouthing "good job" after each performance.  Actually we are probably too self-deprecating, the audience seemed to have a good time, and were so appreciative of our efforts. 

Yours truly behind the pillar.

Thanks to Deb Jozefowics (alto), whose sister snapped the candid shots, while we performed.  Sorry there is no audio (I keep promising myself to buy a little digital recorder, but then we're back to that procrastination thing).  

Men's ensemble, note all heads immersed in books.

And that is about all I have to say for today.


Musings and meanderings from the Musical Gardener.