Author Topic: A random thread for small entertainment things not warranting their own thread..  (Read 284507 times)

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
A friend of David's had a birthday party in a local hostelry.
Friend has just FB'd partygoers singing a Queen song really badly.
Bohemian Agony!

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
"To be able to stand up there in front of everyone and shriek as loud as you could about hatred and love and rage and despair, scream at the top of your lungs and have it come out music. That would be something."
Who wouldn't want to be an opera singer?
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Well I did, from quite an early age; but when I stand up in front of people and shriek as loudly as I can it comes out as a shriek.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
I've never been good enough to sing solo but I could just about get away with being in the school choir, which I enjoyed - especially the time we performed Zadok the Priest at a concert. Belting out the opening bit at the top of your lungs is incredibly spine-tinglingly cathartic and immense fun.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Dave, the pianist in the bar of the Sunnyvale Hilton when I was there in the 80s, was in the choir when the Queen was crowned in 1953, so he presumably had the same experience.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Dave, the pianist in the bar of the Sunnyvale Hilton when I was there in the 80s, was in the choir when the Queen was crowned in 1953, so he presumably had the same experience.

When the BBC are interviewing politicians outside Parliament, Lt. Col. Larrington (retd.) occasionally points at the screen and mutters "That's where I stood for seven hours on Coronation Day.  It pissed down!"

Game, set and match to Dave, I think.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Dave, the pianist in the bar of the Sunnyvale Hilton when I was there in the 80s, was in the choir when the Queen was crowned in 1953, so he presumably had the same experience.

I could probably have overcome my republican tendencies for that kind of opportunity.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

I've sung for Brenda. Somewhere I've got a set of silver 1, 2, 3, & 4p 1990 coins, which was my 'fee' for singing at the Royal Maundy service at Newcastle Cathedral, where I was a chorister. I can't for the life of me remember what we sang though (though it could have been Zadok - I definitely remember doing it as a second treble.)

Though the chamber choir repertoire has its own attractions, there is absolutely nothing like being part of a big ensemble that is tight, in the groove, and just smashing it. I've done the Verdi Requiem with a 200-strong choir than knew it backwards, and it was brilliant.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Poor old Dave, though, reduced after such heady beginnings to bashing out standards in three or four Sunnyvale hotels 6 nights a week. He must be into his 80s now: I hope the 2008 crash passed his pension by.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Oi! Marcus Brigstocke !

There is NO PETTING ZOO IN DIDCOT.  :hand:

Jeez, why can't these people get their facts right - it really undermines ones enjoyment of a lightweight early-evening family radio sitcom.
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

I'm currently binge watching Babylon 5, which I've not seen in it's entirety since C4 repeated the entire series way back when.  The special effects are a bit ropey by todays standards, but they were never the most important part of the show, that was the plot & characters.  I'm up to Season 3 and have just watched "Messages From Earth".  This time the bit that's getting me is the increase in paranoia & the encouragement so spy on friends & colleagues as the Earth government stokes up xenophobia as a prelude to declaring martial law & rounding up its enemies.  The horror of people realising what's happening & bring powerless to stop it.
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Manchester Historian (the uni's student history magazine) have just launched a new podcast. My main interest in this is that my son was instrumental in setting it up and is the presenter - fancies himself as the new Melvyn Bragg...

First episode is an introduction to the magazine itself but the plan is to do In Our Time-style round-table discussions, with Manc Uni history profs and guests.

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-manchester-historian-podcast
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWbXjYC2OoU

That's utter professionalism for you.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSEzk8d3L1k

This lass is a bit good.

I've never really got into Mendelssohn. I recall playing one of his Songs without Words when I was in my teens, the "Spinning Song" as Mendelssohn called it, but has become known as "The Bees' Wedding". And the first work we performed when I joined the choir some 9 years ago was "Elijah", which frankly I regard as a poor relation to Handel's oratorios and Bach's choral works. But just recently I have decided I need some piano lessons and my teacher has set me Mendelssohn op 19 no 5, another song without words. I think it's rather good.

These lessons are being conducted over the internet, by me recording videos of my playing and sending them to my teacher. I stumbled across a recording of Daniel Barenboim playing op 19 no 5 a day or two ago. His recording, with repeats, takes a little over 3 minutes. My effort, after a week's work, takes about 10, and that's without the repeat. I have quite a long way to go.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

https://twitter.com/cstross/status/1109882891897589760   Charles Stross "Laundry Files" optioned for TV.
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

https://twitter.com/cstross/status/1109882891897589760   Charles Stross "Laundry Files" optioned for TV.

Kewl. I hadn't realised that there had been a kludged adaptation set in Leftpondia (which probably killed half of the civil service bureaucracy gags for a start).
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

https://twitter.com/cstross/status/1109882891897589760   Charles Stross "Laundry Files" optioned for TV.

Kewl. I hadn't realised that there had been a kludged adaptation set in Leftpondia (which probably killed half of the civil service bureaucracy gags for a start).


The Leftpondian adaptation never happened. 


Three pieces of news about the Laundry Files
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

After "The Laundry Files" being optioned for TV I've just read that Ben Aaronovitch's "Rivers of London" is getting the same treatment.


https://www.tor.com/2019/04/29/simon-pegg-and-nick-frost-adapting-ben-aaronovitchs-rivers-of-london-for-television/comment-page-1/#comment-802799
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Apropos Mr Aaronovitch, he is doing a personal appearance at Bookseller Crow in Crystal Palace on June 20th to plug the forthcoming novella The October Man.  This is convenient as it's two minutes walk from Miss von Brandenburg's house, as well as being the day before we go on holibobs to the Frozen North.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Just watching the final of Only Connect and was v pleased to see ROT13 featuring as an answer. It's like being back in Ye Shedde.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Just watching the final of Only Connect and was v pleased to see ROT13 featuring as an answer. It's like being back in Ye Shedde.

Mvaq lbh qba'g pngpu lbhefrys ba gung anvy...

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Just listening to The News Quiz. Goodness me, Kemah Bob has a very annoying voice.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Just watching the final of Only Connect and was v pleased to see ROT13 featuring as an answer. It's like being back in Ye Shedde.

Mvaq lbh qba'g pngpu lbhefrys ba gung anvy...

That's easy for you to say.
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche


Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Today we are going to listen to this bloke play in the Southend Council Chamber.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentin_Schiedermair

One thing I will say about Southend is that our people who pull the strings to get top pianists here do a damned good job. We've had John Lill (winner, Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition 1970) in November, and Peter Donahue (joint winner of a later version of the Tchaikovsky) on Friday evening next week.

Sadly, our locally-grown pianistic master, Benjamin Grosvenor, now demands too high a fee to come back and play in his home town.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.