New songs and other esses

It’s been a very busy day. I was up with the lark to sing at shul. It’s the festival of Shavuot, which is a double celebration of the wheat harvest in Israel and the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. Most excitingly, it’s a festival which people celebrate with the eating of cheese, so I intend to eat my body weight in halloumi this evening!

There’s always half a ream of new musical material to learn for the festivals. As with Christianity, each holiday has its own set of traditional songs, so there’s always something new to sink one’s teeth into... and to scare the living daylights out of us!

As a choir, there can be a slight sense that we’re flying by the seat of our collective pants on occasions like this. We have limited rehearsal time, so the emphasis is on being as prepared as possible. I think we got away with it!

This afternoon, I went to the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, to attend the Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Competition. Against the Tide from Em had been selected as one of the twelve finalists. The third year in a row I’ve had a song in there. The event is coupled with the Stephen Sondheim Student Singer of the Year award. (And try saying that drunk and with a lisp!) Essentially, each of the twelve songs is sung by an emerging singing or acting talent in their final year of drama school training. Each of them also gets to sing a Sondheim song.

My song was performed, wonderfully well, by Ahmed Hamad, who’s just graduated from Arts Ed. I was terribly proud to see a number of former NYMT kids in the line-up of performers as well, proving what a great early training that organisation provides.

Against the Tide didn’t win. This year’s prize went to a brave, angst-ridden piece. I was a little disappointed to note that the judging panel, though hugely eminent, comprised of two lyric specialists m and two actors. I would have liked to have seen a couple of composers there for overall balance and a result which may have favoured some of the songs which were melodically stronger.

The event was organised brilliantly well and presented with panache by the incomparable Joanna Riding, who moved me to tears with a special performance of Losing My Mind. Also deeply moving was the sight of Anthony Drewe having to stand and present the award on his own without his partner, George Stiles, who had a stroke very recently and is still being rehabilitated in the US.

A hearty congratulations to all of my fellow writers and chag sameach to all of my Jewish friends.