Vamos Arts

Vamos’ Arts Month came to a climactic end! On the Saturday night we had a gala concert consisting of a number of different acts, one of which had me so hysterical I honestly thought I was going to be sick with laughter. I don’t know how or where the sketch originated, having never come across it before, but it was about a radio announcer, an alcoholic, doing a kiddies’ programme “Noddy.” He holds a glass in one trembling hand and a bottle of Gordon’s gin in the other. He starts off by telling the kids Noddy has woken up and is about to wash his face. There is a pause as gin is poured into the glass. ‘Do you hear the water running?’ Then Noddy decides to have a bigger wash – more gin, cleans his teeth and finally takes a bath, more gin. The host gets progressively more pissed, goes on a tour of the Highlands, his car breaks down and the AA Man informs him its because there’s no water in the radiator, glug glug glug, no water in the battery, glug glug glug, no water in the windscreen wash, glug glug glug and I won’t give away the tag that had me practically falling out of my seat. Chris sang two modern songs in the first half and two numbers from Champagne Charlie in the second. Both I’m glad to say went down well. It’s really strange that at an age when the voice is supposed to have given in that he is better and stronger than I have ever heard him. The only downside to the evening g was that Douglas lost his very expensive sunglasses. Someone must have picked them up and now has a pair worth 150euro!

Then Sunday evening at the old school, well in the courtyard of the old school, just along the road from us, we had a concert given by The Concert Orchestra of Rethymno. The Concert Orchestra of Rethymno consists of students and adult musicians. They range in age from very young to well passed middle age and it was a totally enchanting evening. The first half was classical, the second half pop, with vocals. But I am here to tell you that in a Haydn Concerto the pianist was a girl who by the look of her could not have been more than twelve and what a performance! I don’t think brilliant is a too over the top word to use and I really hope she has the opportunity to make a career on a much wider stage – a worldwide stage in fact if she continues on the road she has started. From where we were sitting I couldn’t actually see who the soloist was and when she got up to take her bow I nearly had kniptions! Fantastic.

Then on Monday Chris and Douglas went to a performance of Aristophanes’ ‘The Birds’ in Xania.  I chickened out. This production came from the mainland and, though not understanding the language, they both thoroughly enjoyed it. A friend of ours, Alexei was the musical director. He took charge of the demo disc for La Belle Otero in Athens all those years ago.

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