QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL
AUTUMN 2006
HARMONY RAG BUSKING & BELLS When a group from Lincoln Sounds a shady corner under a tree on Steep decided to take part in the 2006 City of Lincoln Annual Busking Festival, we were looking forward to a couple of hours singing to residents and visitors in our beautiful and historic uphill Lincoln (yes, we do have a hill in Lincoln!). What we hadn’t anticipated was the ‘heavenly’ competition. The weather was glorious (maybe a little too hot with temperatures well over 30°) when some of us met up in a rooftop café near the Cathedral for a light lunch. We got a flavour of the busking festival which was already underway, in the form of Morris Dancers who were performing in a nearby square which we could see from where we sat. We gathered in Castle Square to collect our official busking bucket, list of timings and allocated sites before moving on to our first ‘busk’ in the small St Mary Magdalene Church, right on Castle Square itself, in the heart of the historic area. We thought we’d be singing on the pavement outside the church but found that we were expected inside. We placed the bucket near the door, stacked, and started singing ‘Under the Boardwalk’ – not the usual sort of music for that venue. Inquisitive passers-by paused to listen and came in, filling the pews until we were singing to a fairly full, appreciative ‘congregation’. At the end of the session, we moved on to our next location, passing other would-be buskers en route. We selected
stopped to listen. It was at this point Hill. (Being able to stand in height order that a chorus member said – ‘We might have to pause for a minute as the Cathedral bells will ring the quarter hour’’. And sure enough they did. We waited, they rang . . . and rang – not just the quarter hour, but the full peal of bells ringing heavenward to celebrate a wedding which had just taken place. We, and our audience, waited for them to finish - even barbershop can’t compete with Cathedral bells. After five minutes, they fell silent and we started singing again – only to have them restart. (We have been assured it had nothing to do with the quality of our singing!) Ten minutes passed and we realised that we were running out of time and would have to finish. Eventually the bells fell silent and we had just enough time to sing a final song before the next buskers were scheduled to take over our spot (sans bells). It was definitely a unique ‘singout’ experience, allowing us to to compensate for the steep slope would give some pleasure to visitors to the city, have made stacking much easier). As raise the profile of barbershop in the we sang through our repertoire we area and have an afternoon singing in realised we’d been followed by some the sunshine in the picturesque setting ‘groupies’ from the church who wanted to hear more. Our local MP stopped to listen after hearing what she described as ‘angelic music’ drifting up the hill. After a break for cold drinks, ice creams and a light snack, we reassembled for our final burst of singing in Minster Yard, right in front of our glorious Norman Cathedral – a stunning setting. We waited for the ‘The Ploughman’s Bunch’ to finish their set and then prepared to sing. A small of Uphill Lincoln. There was also the crowd formed as we began, but the added bonus of having money dropped effect was spoiled by a large coach into our busking bucket for chorus full of tourists driving slowly across the funds. What more could you ask, square between us and our audience other than maybe less of a Quasimodo – ah, the joys of live performances and experience . . . ‘The bells, Esmeralda, tourism. the bells” ! Unperturbed we continued singing Jan Moore to an increasing number of people who Lincoln Sounds