"So much of that is so very nearly right!"

(Dapnhis and Chloe on Monday night, that is, at our first rehearsal since July. We don't normally start back on a Monday, but the piano rehearsal, when we meet Gianandrea Noseda for the first time, is tonight!) (I'm supposed to be asleep, but I couldn't get to sleep due to millions of thoughts spinning round in my head, so I thought I'd try to unload some of the non-work-related ones - might help!)

Bits of the Ravel were indeed very nearly right, although of course it didn't sound as good as it did in July. We did sing all of it (although we spent rather more time on the first bit than the rest) and I think it'll be good on the night of the gig, although how impressed Gianandrea will be when he first hears it is less certain. Hopefully he'll take circumstances into account...

Couple of good Jamieisms to welcome us back, of which the one that got the biggest laugh at the time was this:

Jamie (to tenors): Can you sing it like you've got 5 horns? And you can choose which way they go?
Rest of choir: *boggle*
(tenors sing their line again)
Jamie (defiantly, to rest of choir): Does that sound better?
Rest of choir: *nods*
Jamie: Well, there you are.

There was also: "We could do the whole of Daphnis and Chloe as a Laurel and Hardy film!" (the film in question involved them only having 3 drinks for 4 people, and from Jamie's description I suspect it is Men o'War) (no, I didn't know, I looked it up!)

Bit of a fun exercise involving sliding chords, too, but I suspect you had to be there :-)

Must try to sleep again. But first, some things to point out:

1. Make sure you watch tomorrow's Prom (Thu) because it's the RPO, which, last I heard, featured the fabulous Andrew Nicholson on flute.

2. You'll no doubt be aware that Sunday's Prom was cancelled due to a fire, but did you realise it started in the artists' bar? Not sure why that amuses me so much :p Some people were wondering when was the last time a Prom was cancelled - seems it was in 1980 as a result of the Musicians' Union strike. And although now I've been reminded about the strike, I remember it very clearly (I was at Chet's at the time and it affected lots of the staff), I am ashamed to admit that I'd totally forgotten it happened.

3. The BBC is to follow up its Beethoven and Bach weeks with Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky next year.

4. This blog is the top Google result for .............mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm;pp - what I can't work out is what the searcher actually had in mind!