Wednesday 26 September 2018
We started the day with a rehearsal with Ayşe taking the warm-up instead of Tom. A welcome change and with it coming from a professional singer – even more valuable. After rehearsal I realised I needed to learn/relearn several of the items in our concert program as well as a number of the tricky Welsh songs for the Royal Albert Hall performance. While I spent most of the day inside working on my music, I did take the opportunity for a few photos along the quay side – including the one of the bridge that all Australians would recognise at once – except it’s about a third the size! It was built around the same time as Sydney’s bridge.
In the afternoon we made our way to the venue for the joint concert with the Backworth Male Voice Choir. We realised straight way we would have our work cut out for us in that the room was not the best for singing and the fact that we were not on risers but three rows flat on the stage with each of the two back rows singing into the bloke in front! Also, the Backworth choir had almost 60 choristers to our twenty-six!
The high-light of the night was our first public performance of a joint number with our Soprano Ayşe. She has already added a sparkle and professional edge to our tour, but she learnt a welsh piece in under 40 hours word and tone perfect and it was a delight to sing Anfonaf Angel with her. At the afterglow presentation its was ironic for the Backworth choir to make a presentation to us of a kangaroo and joey – given we were in Newcastle. Just as well we didn’t have a lump of coal to give in return. Given the difficulties of the venue it turned out to be a wonderful evening and again the audience seemed to really enjoy the concert. Tomorrow we make our way to York via Durham and Whitby.
Father Shane's Observations and Travels 