18th Birthday Opera Gala - warning "Adult" content

Last I was rehearsing with the fabulous LGSO for our upcoming Gala Concert.   This is something a landmark occasion, this concert marks the Orchestra's eighteenth birthday - a sort of coming of age - and is the final event in Pride London.   We will also be playing in a new larger hall than we usually have so will need to sell a lot more tickets, but should have a much better atmosphere.   As a Gala concert we will be joined by the Pink Singers and some lovely solo singers as we trawl through some opera.




For me the highlight looks like being the William Tell Overture, not for the horrendous trombone parts, but for the beautiful Cor Anglais and Cello solos.   For me (apart from William Tell) this is a fairly quite concert as I am not involved in the bulk for the program and where I am it is mostly just the odd vulgar interjection.   We will be doing a couple of extracts from Bernstein's Candid, normally I would not be playing in these as there are two trombone parts and tuba - no bass trombone - but last night we only had two of us there as the first trombone was busy elsewhere so I played the first trombone parts while the second trombone rehearsed the part he will be playing on the night.  First we played "Glitter and be Gay" this of course led to all sorts of comments, my favorite was "Well it looks like it is up to Jo. to Glitter" addressed to Joanna one of our first violins and one of the members who self identifies as straight.   At the end I observed to the other trombone player that it felt really odd playing first as "I was not used to being on top" almost as I said this I realised my mistake and much puerile giggling ensued.

Later in the Pub, I suggested that the "Gentlemen" smartened up their appearance for this Gala y adding a bit of colour instead of our usual rather dull and boring all black.   The only men who look really good in all black are New Zealand Rugby Players.   Unfortunately my ideas didn't get a lot of serious enthusiasm, more suggestions that they would all wear ball gowns and / or sequins; to be honest I' not sure I could stand the competition.