The choir I go to on a Monday night are lovely people. Very sociable and very supportive. Just the sort of people you'd want sitting in the audience for your first recital.......

So last night, I took to the rehearsal a poster for my first recital (which is coming up rather soon - PM me for details ). I left it on the notice board, where a number of the choir members studied it very carefully.

In particular, three of the altos, ladies well blessed with years all of them, looked at the poster. Then they drew away for a brief confabulation. Then they looked at the poster again. And then one of them came to speak to me.

"That poster...that's you, isn't it dear?"
"Yes, that's me" I replied.
"And you're singing a recital?"
"Yes, that's right."
"On that day and at that time?"
"Yes"
"Twentieth century songs?"
"Yes."
"Do you mind if I ask you a question about it?"
"No, of course not."

A brief pause, as she tried to think of the way to ask the burning query that had galvanised her and her friends...

"Well, we were just wondering - what are you going to wear?"

Have you already decided what you are going to wear?

*laughs* and what are you going to wear?

Isn't that why we go to concerts - to see what the artist has in his/her wardrobe?

It's a choral society thing. Most of our members (particularly the more mature altos) ask more questions at the AGM about concert dress than about repertoire or our finances.

katyjay - can you e-mail me an electronic copy of the flyer? If I do odd things to my working hours I may be able to escape to your part of Surrey for some fine song at lunchtime.

benjaminja - I've been to some concerts where the artist's attire has made more of an impression than their performance.

True enough!

Not telling yet - those who live near enough can come and find out for themselves



Sure, I'll send it over.

I am sorry... but you know be well enough to know that I mean no offence when I say this ....

But I so knew they were going to ask that!!!

Just two questions......

Can you bring the details with you tomorrow please, you never know I might be able to find myself in deepest Surrey at that time

What are you going to wear?



Ambs
x

It's strange but when I told people in our Amateur Musical Society I was going to play at the first adult learner's concert the question that came straight back was......

"..what are you going to wear???"

I think we should all wear academic dress to the next one

But which set? BA or HonFBCM?

Oh HonFBCM of course...anyone know what colour the hood is?

Liverpool red?

Anyhow, Jane, we still have our little arrangement .

I did once play the piano in academic dress - in New zealand of all places!

Although Kiwi's casual dress sense is famous the world over, I ended up staying in Knox college, the oldest academic institution in NZ and a place that models itself on Oxford / Cambridge.

I was a "visting fellow in residence" and had my meals on high table wearing a borrowed gown as I didn't pack mine (well I don't actually own one). Formal meals were rounded off by a "musical entertainment" which I provided during the last week of my stay there.

Stumac - I never knew you were an honourary scarfie...

Oh us too - what's that about? but for us it's the sopranos. Very concerned about the effect of dark colours close to their face... Bizarre, cause realistically, noone looks that closely at what you're wearing in a choir, do they?

Absolutely and here's the proof!!!!

Dunedin's a great place!!

Neither do I but now I work in academia it might be worth my while. Graduation day is tomorrow and we are all supposed to dress up....as I'm new and have no students actually graduating this time I'm not attending, but may have to for future events. Maybe I need to check the cost of hiring vs the cost of buying.



Yes, not forgotten However (as you now know) I am unlikely to be at the Leicster concert. So will prob be Staleybridge in July (unless you are going to Egham??)

I think the gown would look good in Liverpool red...with green Anfield turf trim on the hood

StuMac, I'm sure I'd be impressed by that abstract if I had any idea what it was about!

The "what to wear" debate puts me in mind of a few people I know who are involved in transport preservation. Once they've decided what to restore, the next question at least one person will ask is "what colour shall we paint it", rather than any sensible discussion over how to proceed, how much it will cost, how to raise funds, or anything else.

Assuming I've guessed correctly the A.D. you'd want:

Cost of hiring - £45 plus £7 P&P from them to you, plus whatever it costs you to send it back, so something in the region of £59.

Purchase cost - £205.

So, if you plan to use it more than 3 times, it's worth buying it . And it's tax deductible .

YAY...well I plan to wear it for all the concerts (well most anyway ), UoD graduation ceremonies, weddings and Bah-Mitvahs, and hoovering and dusting.

And of course when I tutor my OU students, and ABRSM exams. Should certainly get my money's worth then.

Thanks for the IR link...I might invest in some gymnastic attire too now I see its deductable (but before anyone gets any ideas, NOT for wearing at concerts!)