Night out with the Sugar Daddy

I went out tonight with my official Sugar Daddy (an old friend of the family - same age as my dad, but without the unfortunate and eccentric beard that my father current sports.  Or should that be sprouts?).  He's a singer - well, he's actually a gold trader in the city, but in his spare time he's an excellent bass - so he found a choral concert at St Martin in the Fields for us to go to this evening.

The programme included the premier of a new commission.  I can't tell you what it is as John took the programme home with him and I can't be bothered to look it up, but I do remember that it was a requiem.  Although following the modern fashion it threw in a bit of poetry (Walt Whitman - good) and other writing (Native American wisdom - bad) alongside the traditional latin text.

I'm reserving judgement on the piece.  There were some interesting bits, some charming bits, some familiar-sounding bits and some slightly odd bits.  Including one section where most of the choir were repeating "Weep-weeeeee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-heep" underneath some other goings on.  I'm not certain if the effect was supposed to sound like sobbing, but because they were using the "hee" sound, it was rather more like laughing.  But then I suppose laughter and tears are very close at times...  Well, that would be the composer's argument, anyway, I presume..?

The choir were pretty good, although there was one strident soprano who kind of steamrollered all before her, which was a bit of a shame.   

But on balance, as with all these things, it is always better to go than not to go.  Although it did mean that I missed the opportunity to dep for an orchestra rehearsal.  And they're doing Sibelius 7 at the moment.  Grrr.