Reading someone else's profile made me wonder who on here has performed in front of someone famous?

As a starter I shall admit to playing the organ at a wedding which included amongst the congregation the ertswhile DJ and TV personality Johnny Vaughan.

On the flute: At the award ceremony for my Duke of Edinburgh in 1988, I had to play for the whole audience of parents etc, but the minor celebrity handing out the awards was one Steve Blackwell, "off kids' telly!!" which I recall us all being really excited about at the time . I have his autograph, on which he wrote "Ta for the flute" and signed "Steve the Blackwell", but I've just googled him for a picture and can't find him, so he obviously wasn't really that famous

And not on the flute: I was in the Royal Variety Performance dressed as a giant clown (also in 1988 I think), so performed for the Queen (don't think anyone needs a picture of her). Also present were loads of other celebs of the time, many of whom watched our dress rehearsal. I've just looked through my autograph book and have signatures from Fred Harris, Paul Daniels (I was in his magic act), Bella Emberg, Russ Abbott, Rick Astley, and all three members of Aha - Bananarama were also there and were really nice, if a little wierdly dressed, although not as wierdly dressed as I was

I haven't played the piano for anyone famous but I did dance for a few well-known names. I was at dance college at the same time as Emma Forbes (she was in the year group below me) and her Mum Nanette Newman came to watch our Open Evening!

It was a great time at college because I met and saw loads of famous people in the Covent Garden/Piazza area. I once just missed Princess Diana who called in at our coffee bar to watch a dance class - I was upstairs in another class and didn't know about it until I was told afterwards!

I am a bit of a country bumpkin now and I rarely go into London anymore. I miss it sometimes!

Not really a "celebrity" but one of my diploma examiners was Paul Harris - does that count?! I also had Ian Denley of "Time Pieces" fame for another diploma

Cliff Richard, Cilla Black, Bobby Davroe, Sarah and Jason from Corrie, Tony and Cherie, Esther Rantzen.

ETC.

Performed for Laurence Llwellyn Bowen, Sally Adams, Paul Harris and Prince of Wales.

According to our priest, I'm famous...

Lawrence (son) sang with Jose Carreras and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, and for Her Majesty The Queen and Prince Philip. He also sang at a Cliff Richard charity do where he collected autographs from Sue Barker, Ainsley Herriot &c.

He was given a Book of Common Prayer dedicated to him by Her Majesty when he retired as a chorister from the Chapel Royal after 6+ years' service.

I (for my sins) sang for Margaret Thatcher and (don't tell anyone but) auditioned for Ultravox when Midge Ure got the gig.

And Lemmy (bass guitarist, Motorhead) nicked my girlfriend (but it was a long time ago and he's forgiven )

Best wishes

barry

I was in the same church choir as Kathy Staff (Norah Batty) for several years and during that time we sang on TV when she was interviewed on the Russell Harty show.

Alan Titchmarsh came to see our am-dram production when I played "Josepha" in White Horse Inn.

Terry Pratchett didn't come to see our Guards, Guards. But it was rumoured that he often does drop in if he has time so we were very exited most of the week just in case...

I'm old enough to have played orchestrally for Sir Adrian Boult and Andre Previn in my student days - both quite an experience for different reasons!

More recently I directed an ensemble which has performed for The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Gloucester.

However, I still reckon playing for a group of pensioners (or similar) who really enjoy your playing is just as rewarding as 5 seconds of fame.....

When I've played for my piano teacher in lessons!!! .......

James Nesbitt. He performed Peter and the Wolf with our Orchestra and sang a few ballads Sinatra style. Does that count??

I've performed for Ronald MacDonald before.

He didn't come to see our school version of Moving Pictures because it had been changed so much! (I don't blame him!!)

Friend of mine played for Yehudi Menuhin.

Tony Blair!!! And Gordon Brown!!!
It was a Scottish Labour Party Conference, Tony Blair's last one. There were hundreds there, and probably some others were famous too.

My singing teacher... Locally famous! Still counts.

Years ago I worked at a small school in Rockfield and had to drop something off at the Rockfield studios on my way home. I was introduced to a guy called Robert Plant and had no idea who he was. Still haven't really! I asked him if he was famous and he said that he was. I told him that if ever I had a pet plant I would name it after him! I felt quite famous at the time as my recorder consort had just won the quartet prize in the SRP Festival.

A few years ago my primary school choir got through to the finals of Music for Youth at the Festival Hall. Our second song was Bob Chilcott's lovely 'Can You Hear Me?' As I turned round to face the audience after our first piece I saw Bob Chilcott slide into a front-row seat...and it was the ONE AND ONLY TIME EVER that the children sang the last line sharp ...

The same choir also performed at a concert compered by Ed Stewart (yes, I know, WHO???).

We performed WITH the Band of the White Russian Army and the Central Band of the RAF several times.

That's such a beautiful Chilcott piece When he was in Aust a few years back he did a workshop on that piece with a choir I was conducting. Pity about the last line of your choir's performance!

Oh I love that piece Makes me cry sometimes.

Yes, I couldn't believe it...ah well, just one of those things!

*BIG SIGH*

oooo, i love the song can you hear me!!
we do it alot in my shcool choir!
i love the sign language too, it really adds to the piece!

I have just noticed an early music thread and it reminded me that I played in a group for a short time with Alison Crum and Emma Kirkby. They didn't throw me out, but the group was just put together for a short series of concerts and then disbanded.

Yes, it's a cracker, isn't it? And quite difficult to do well...we always tried to make it really wistful...

My husband's had lessons from Alison Crum.
I lent a pair of tights to Emma Kirkby when one of her popsocks got lost just before a concert. And I've cooked dinner for Trevor Pinnock a few times - but not played to anyone famous - have only got over the shyness of performing to strangers in the last few years, and still wouldn't have the bottle to demand that any of these people should listen to me....

That is a suitably random claim to fame, I'm impressed!

My youngest daughter played (piano) at a Reception with Helen Mirren ('The Queen') & Terry Gilliam the Film Director. She was the only performer and was required to play for an hour as guests arrived & mingled. She said she struggled to play as people kept coming over and 'interupting' her with compliments. No, I couldnt get in not even as the 'hired help'

The twins off big brother

And I have given them a few lessons on piano .... for free of course, after all...they are close friends.

Played my Violin for Prince Charles and Camilla and 250 VIP Guests at Windsor Castle!!!!
Aunt Petunia (from Harry Potter) was there (she plays the Cello, she told me!!!) and Ian Macmillan (anyone heard of him?) he is on Radio 4 I think?
My friend has played with Nicola Benedetti and Joshua Bell (both seperately)

Dstring

I have sung for the South African soprano Elizabeth Hawes - she was my singing teacher at teachers' training college back in the 1970s!

Angie

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