Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows join Grand Union Orchestra at City Varieties

I have had the great honour to work with Tony Haynes and the Grand Union Orchestra [GUO] twice before, once at Leeds Town Hall [Dr Carnival], once at West Yorkshire Playhouse [On Liberation Street], so when opportunity arose again, we took it [Trading Roots]. And it was lovely.

A couple of weeks ago Peter, Millie and Amy, and me went to the Sikh Temple, Ladypit Lane, Beeston [Leeds] to learn 'Ol Lady, The Homecoming, African Market and another. Millie arrived dressed Millie-style. Whereas some of us just needed a headscarf, Millie needed, leg scarves as well!

Over the following two Sparrows practices we learnt the tunes properly; sadly Peter nipped off a Caribbean cruise [well, I don't think Peter was sad!], and Danielle joined us for the day itself.




We rehearsed in the morning; went home [where I watched the remarkable Wimbledon Ladies singles winner, Marion Bartoli] went back for a final rehearsal, then, stroking genius, the ice cream parlour on Upper Briggate.

Bex, Laura and Vicky came to the show. It was ace. It was music; this is writing with pictures, so here's some pictures. Especially of the mind-blowing, sax blowing, clarinet wielding Australian woodwind player. She had disappeared before Bex could tell her just how wonderful . . . .

We got some new notes to play in one of the tunes. I wrote them on Millie's neck. Doesn't show up on the pic above but she went through agony to be our music stand.






After the show Trish took Millie's and my pan home; we stacked the rest up on the stage; Amy and I went drinking with Bex, Vicky and Laura.

Of course, eventually it was Monday, and the small matter of rescuing the pans from the City Varieties. The short straw fell to colleague Mark S, here posing in Dortmund Square where we finally decided I should go and get my car.

Top man, indeed!