The Visit
Dear Cecilians
I write after a full week back in Valencia, having been (as some of you
know) in Scotland for two weeks. It was lovely to spend time with many of my
old friends, whether going to the cinema (Tony, Laura and Rachael), drinking
whisky and watching West Side Story (Tony), Cheesy Popping (Tony, Gregor,
Nicky, Marianne, Anne, Ewan, Gillian, and Tony's friends), or merely
receiving smug emails about not being in the country (Adele) or not actually
seeing you, but hearing you snoring through the wall (Mark). It was also
nice to get to know some of the new members, whether very briefly (Richard)
or more extensively (Karen).
I have been requested to publish a retraction from last month's entry. Let
me clear up (once again) that the Clone discussed last month was Scary only
in the fact that she was so like Adele. The clone herself was I'm sure
perfectly nice, and as we all know Adele is wonderful. The scariness
developed from the Cloneness in and of itself, regardless of the subject of
said cloning. I apologise for any confusion that may have resulted
therefrom, and hope that no other Cecilian is ever exposed to the full
extent of Adele's wrath, which (even from a few thousand miles away by
phone) is quite terrifying.
This very minute I have just finished booking my flights to come and see
Anything Goes! I fly home on Thursday night, and come back here on Monday
morning. Am very much looking forward to seeing you all, though it will be
odd to be in the audience. I will do my utmost not to sing along, though it
will be hard. (But at least there won't be any need to enforce silence on
audience members who laugh at inappropriate moments).
I have been working hard studying for the exams which loom at the start of
February. Happily they are quite well-spaced (now that I have had one of the
two which were on the 8th moved) and with a little bit of luck (aaagh no!)
things will go well.
Can anyone believe the fact that there is a musical based on "Dad's Army"??
Last night saw our first rehearsal with our newly-extended choir... a little
history is needed here.
Until early December, the choir was nominally the
Orfeon of the CEU (CEU being the university), though of its 30-odd members
only 6 were students of the CEU (including myself). The CEU suddenly decided
that this state of affairs had to change, and announced that if there
weren't 25 CEU members by the 22nd of December they would withdraw funding
(I was merely surprised by the fact that they are funded in the first place,
but that was before discovering that all of our concerts are free entry...).
Enter Rosa, a vetinary lecturer, who promptly inducted half of her classes
into the choir! So last night we had our first rehearsal with 60 instead of
30 choristers. The section balance is a little fairer now (there are twice
as many altos as tenors, instead of the other way round), and we have
started a fairly promising programme of African spirituals which sound
great.
More excitingly, the CEU in Madrid is having a big celebratory concert on
the 26th of January (St Paul's day?) and has asked the choirs from the
Valencia and Barcelona CEUs to send some extra singers. To this end I will
be travelling to Madrid and staying in a hotel for two nights to sing, all
paid for by the university! Don't know what we're singing yet but those who
have been in previous years assure me that they've always sung good stuff
before.
That won't be the only trip I make before I come to visit you in February.
After the exams I'm planning to go and visit Teresa (who you may remember
from Hallowe'en's exertions) in Leon. Apparently Leon is very dull in
comparison to Valencia so I have been charged with shaking things up a
little, a task that I feel confident I can easily undertake.
Not any more news, I don't think. Oh, Collette (my Scottish flatmate who has
attended Lunch With Duthie in its former guise as Lunch With Dunky, and who
has spent 2 1/2 years promising to join the Cecilians) is upset that I
haven't mentioned her in any of my diaries yet, so what can I say about her?
It'll have to be something nice or I'll be given a "John PAU-l!" and a
severe look and told I'm sleeping on the couch tonight. There are many many
nice things I could tell you about her but perhaps I should leave her as a
mystery - somewhat akin to Maris in Frasier. Yes, that's probably best.
Until next time (after the exams...) and walk tall. (We always walk tall.
We're Jets! The greatest!)
JP
P.S.
How could I have forgotten to make mention of my sensational sideburns? For
those who have been exposed, I hope that you are spreading the news
properly. For the rest, I hope that they haven't got itchy and annoying and
shaved off by February.
