Graham Palmer, a tenor with RCS, recounts three musical memories and tell of a recent discovery.
Pianos at dawn
As a lad whose voice had just broken, trying to practice with Dad acting as répétiteur while from the other side of the wall another much stronger tenor did a good job of drowning us out!
It’s MAD
Diving out of the way of huge Dalek-like cameras as an audience-member on Top of the Pops while Gillan played Mutually Destroyed Destruction on guitars strung with bungee-cords. (I think it was more in protest at not being allowed to play live, than at the stationing of US nuclear weapons in the UK).
A bit of a Goon
Being the only streaky grass-skirted South Pacific islander in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Utopia Ltd, directed by Harry Secombe’s brother (I had smothered myself in barrier cream before the body paint was applied).
An archeological discovery
Having sung (and completely forgotten) Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal as a solo competitor in the local music festival 40 odd years ago, rediscovering in the last few weeks that I really like Quilter [Roger Quilter, British composer]. I’d have remained ignorant if my current teacher hadn’t given Come Away Death and Fair House of Joy to help develop my reawakening voice.