I'm at an ICA meeting. For those of you who have no idea what ICA
means, it stands for the Irish Countrywoman's Association. It's a
meeting, a bit like an AA meeting, with cake! (And only women).
I'm surrounded by women with permed grey hair wearing pearls, lilac cardigans and sensible shoes. I forgot mine. I'm drinking tea out of a cup with pink roses on it. I never drink tea. Especially out of cups with roses on them. I was afraid to say no. Imagine being in a room with 20 Mrs Doyles? You trying saying no, these women are formidable!! One of them was even wearing a chain around her neck akin to one a Mayor would wear. I think she was in charge.
Also, I was afraid that if I said no to the tea, I wouldn't get any cake. There's a whole table full of cake, homemade cake, like your granny used to make, wrapped in tin foil, on paper plates...
No, this is not my new "Monday night out" for the winter. Tonight I'm part of a double act. I'm the silent part. I'm also the technical expert. Stop laughing, I'm with my Dad, so that qualifies me as the expert. Normally this is Kevin's gig, but he had to work, so tonight the understudy (me!) gets to play the part. I get all the good gigs...
Anyway, what am I doing here, in this classroom, surrounded by chattering old women? I'm helping my Dad with one of his musical nights. An Opera musical night. This is the second time I have helped with one of these evenings of music. I really enjoyed the first time and this is already shaping up to be a better night than the last one. Because there's cake! These ICA women really know how to make a great cake.
We set up our equipment and it was on with the show.
Don't you just love the tragedy of Opera! Dad, while taking command of the room full of chattering women (brave man!), had a great opening line. It was quote from a film where an old opera singer explains the meaning of Opera to a young rock star:
"Opera is a play where a fella gets stabbed then sings all the way to the floor as he falls to his death."
I'm surrounded by women with permed grey hair wearing pearls, lilac cardigans and sensible shoes. I forgot mine. I'm drinking tea out of a cup with pink roses on it. I never drink tea. Especially out of cups with roses on them. I was afraid to say no. Imagine being in a room with 20 Mrs Doyles? You trying saying no, these women are formidable!! One of them was even wearing a chain around her neck akin to one a Mayor would wear. I think she was in charge.
Also, I was afraid that if I said no to the tea, I wouldn't get any cake. There's a whole table full of cake, homemade cake, like your granny used to make, wrapped in tin foil, on paper plates...
No, this is not my new "Monday night out" for the winter. Tonight I'm part of a double act. I'm the silent part. I'm also the technical expert. Stop laughing, I'm with my Dad, so that qualifies me as the expert. Normally this is Kevin's gig, but he had to work, so tonight the understudy (me!) gets to play the part. I get all the good gigs...
Anyway, what am I doing here, in this classroom, surrounded by chattering old women? I'm helping my Dad with one of his musical nights. An Opera musical night. This is the second time I have helped with one of these evenings of music. I really enjoyed the first time and this is already shaping up to be a better night than the last one. Because there's cake! These ICA women really know how to make a great cake.
We set up our equipment and it was on with the show.
Don't you just love the tragedy of Opera! Dad, while taking command of the room full of chattering women (brave man!), had a great opening line. It was quote from a film where an old opera singer explains the meaning of Opera to a young rock star:
"Opera is a play where a fella gets stabbed then sings all the way to the floor as he falls to his death."
Very tragic.
But it got them interested and they stopped talking and sat down.
And speaking of tragic, they also cleared the table of cake, before I got a chance to get second helpings.
I suppose I should really be telling you about the music.
Well, Dad compiles the tracks from various Operas, makes a playlist, then speaks for a couple of minutes between each track about the singers or the composer. He does have notes with him, but he doesn't read them, just refers to them occasionally and ad-lib's the rest. He has some very interesting an amusing quips for each track. It's very Impressive! And the ladies laughed in all the appropriate places. They listened eyes open, while he spoke and then listened eyes closed, while I played the music.
I do like Opera music, and I have been to a couple of Operas, but I know nothing about it. I prefer a bit of Coldplay myself. But I can appreciate the musical talent and vocal prowess of the artists. For instance, you wouldn't want to leave your best champagne glasses out while Maria Callas was practicing her scales, cos when she hits those high notes it would shatter Waterford crystal and leave dogs running for cover. I did recognize some of the tracks, but I couldn't name the singers or the Operas that they are from. But half way down the play list, I did see one that I knew.
The hour went by very quickly and we even did an encore. The lady with the chain approached with an official looking envelope and a request for another performance in November. Jeez... This could become a habit! I'll have to invest in the proper uniform of a cardigan and pearls and brush up on my cake eating skills!
The track that I recognized, and my favorite from this evenings performance, is this track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f1k14GQmNE
And my favorite cake was the coffee one!
And speaking of tragic, they also cleared the table of cake, before I got a chance to get second helpings.
I suppose I should really be telling you about the music.
Well, Dad compiles the tracks from various Operas, makes a playlist, then speaks for a couple of minutes between each track about the singers or the composer. He does have notes with him, but he doesn't read them, just refers to them occasionally and ad-lib's the rest. He has some very interesting an amusing quips for each track. It's very Impressive! And the ladies laughed in all the appropriate places. They listened eyes open, while he spoke and then listened eyes closed, while I played the music.
I do like Opera music, and I have been to a couple of Operas, but I know nothing about it. I prefer a bit of Coldplay myself. But I can appreciate the musical talent and vocal prowess of the artists. For instance, you wouldn't want to leave your best champagne glasses out while Maria Callas was practicing her scales, cos when she hits those high notes it would shatter Waterford crystal and leave dogs running for cover. I did recognize some of the tracks, but I couldn't name the singers or the Operas that they are from. But half way down the play list, I did see one that I knew.
The hour went by very quickly and we even did an encore. The lady with the chain approached with an official looking envelope and a request for another performance in November. Jeez... This could become a habit! I'll have to invest in the proper uniform of a cardigan and pearls and brush up on my cake eating skills!
The track that I recognized, and my favorite from this evenings performance, is this track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f1k14GQmNE
And my favorite cake was the coffee one!
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