Back in the saddle... Boot Camp time again

With our first gig of 2019 literally hours away now, it's back in the saddle for the Blokes to re-visit their finest works from 2018 getting them honed for the New Year.

To start with, we have our Boot Camp on Sunday 6th in the Ashton Keynes School Hall starting for 10:30am till later.  Blokes to bring their own refreshments and enthusiasm for a flying start to the New Year!

Back in harness for Boot Camp

Drill Sergeant: I don't know but I've been told...

Blokes: I don't know but I've been told

Drill Sergeant: The AK blokes sing deep and bold
Blokes: The AK blokes sing deep and bold

Drill Sergeant: Some of them are big and strong

Blokes: Some of them are big and strong

Drill Sergeant: Some even remember the words of their songs

Blokes: Some never, erm, [mumble] worms of their gongs

All: Sound-off; 1 - 2; Sound-off; 3 - 4; Sound off; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4; 1 - 2, 3 - 4!

Helping the blokes get in to peak form for their upcoming planned recording of a 2nd LP's worth of material, those without sick notes or those feeling just about well enough, will be gathering in Ashton Keynes School Hall from 10:00 onwards for what promises to be an interesting day learning what they don't know about the songs they have been singing for the last few months.

And tired eyelids slowly drop

The title of this posting is a quote from an upcoming addition to our performance repertoire and many readers will be able to "name that tune" immediately, others might take a moment of two, but either way, it sums up how most of the gang felt this afternoon.  

This after a gruelling day locked in the Bradstone Pavilion at the sports ground just on the edge of our lovely village.  Here the blokes undertook an intense 6 hour "Boot Camp" led by our belovéd ChoirMeister that involved a good deal of honing pieces we have been performing for a while and today gave us a chance to finally tidy them up and also nail a couple of newies.

These new pieces that have finally passed the various "quality thresholds" (such as the majority of the blokes remembering the majority of the words the majority of the time) and are due to be unleashed on the world in less than a week's time at our gig at The Convent.  Who knows, by then, the extra practice everyone will be doing by themselves this week might mean they can even do the dance steps!

As you can see from the studied concentration of the fellows in the photo (borderline exhaustion of some) it is an indication of how serious the blokes are taking current preparations, in particular that we held the session in the Pavilion rather than our usual haunt of The White Hart Back Room.  No half time pints of frothing ale for (most of) the blokes today - too much that required much concentration.

Another really good day spent on another one of our adventures as we prepare for the next Big Gig, live and streaming across the internet.

For full details of the gig to buy tickets so you can actually be there CLICK HERE, if you simply can't be there then you still have no excuses to miss out and can view the gig live or later via the internet if you CLICK HERE and sign up.