The start of term always coincides with Epiphany, a fitting time to think about journeys, beginnings and ends.
A recent journey: At the end of last term I took a cast of eight to London to perform a truncated version of ‘Twelfth Night’ in the wonderful banqueting hall at Middle Temple, where the play was (as far as we know) premiered. Shakespeare may even have been in the cast… The occasion was a retirement dinner for Lord Chief Justice Munby, an old boy of MCS, and we were to provide during-dinner entertainment in the form of a few fun scenes from the play. Catching the train straight after school we had but twenty minutes to rehearse in situ, before the curtain went up: the guests trooped in and the cast went boldly into action. As they burst on from various corners of the hall the guests looked variously bemused, enchanted and downright alarmed, but the cast brought it off with aplomb, as ever. This term sees our usual flurry of thespian activity, with ‘The Browning Version’, ‘Bull’ and a version of ‘Lord of the Flies’ on offer.
A beginning: Manouche Etcetera has got the year off to a fun start, with another sell-out concert at Wytham Hall. We were back at Kazbar last week for a lively couple of sets, and are about to try a recording/video session to refresh the website. We’ve worked up some interesting new numbers: ‘Bei mir bist to schoen’ (a German cabaret classic), ‘Armando’s Rumba’ and a fun Klezmer piece called ‘Son’, which features Robin on the spoons! We think we might look into the festival scene this summer, so get in touch if you’re looking for an act…
An end almost in sight: Our house is currently being demolished/extended/re-built (however one sees it). This is by turns exciting/boring/intriguing/worrying, especially when one sees the flimsy internal structures that apparently hold up a house. It’s great fun seeing walls get bashed through, and we’re beginning to get a sense of the finished product. April seems a way off, and we’re down to two bedrooms and half a bathroom as the functioning bit of the house, but it’s been rather fun hunkering down for the winter. The children have learned various new card games, we’ve all eaten and drunk rather more moderately than usual, and the only thing I’m really missing is my piano, which is sitting forlornly under dustsheets in the remains of our kitchen. I might suggest we make our music video in the downstairs building site as something suitably edgy and modern…
Alex Thomas 