Day 2 – A sobering moment

Day 2 – A sobering moment

I’m on tour with around one hundred members of the London

Gay Men’s Chorus in New York.

Yesterday was our second day in the Big Apple and our first day

of getting down to business, rehearsing for our joint performance with the New

York City Gay Men’s Chorus on Saturday.

We’re doing two other performances here before we move on to

Chicago next week. This evening we’re performing at the British Consulate, but

before that we’re heading for Broadway.

By tomorrow I’ll be able to say I’ve sung on 42nd

Street in New York, New York.

OK, so it’s going to be at Madame Tussauds.

But it’s still Broadway.

Meanwhile, how was the rehearsal?

There are nearly three hundred men in the two Choruses. It’s

been over 30 degrees today (nearly 90 in Fahrenheit) today. At seven o’clock

last night, we were all packed into a large (ish) church hall on Upper East

Side, with two musical directors and a band.

How do you think it went?

As Wallace from Wallace and Gromit might have said: “as well

as can be expected”.

Actually, I think we’re going to blow the socks off our

audience on Saturday. The sound of three hundred male voices singing in close

harmony has enormous power.

To inspire and uplift.

Given everything that’s happening in our world at the

moment, I think we need some inspiring and uplifting.

Earlier in the day, I was humbled by the effect a small

world event had on my life.

I was at the top of number one World Trade Center, when my

cousin in Boston messaged me.

“You OK? Saw an accident in Times Square and thought of you”.

Within moments, other messages from relatives and friends came

in. Then the members of the London chorus began checking round, to see if

everyone was safe.

We were.

I rang my mother to reassure her, and posted a message to

say I was safe.

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and your concern.

It was a wonderful moment, which illustrated the supportive

global community we can be.