Concert: Aprile Millo

Tonight, the £3.60 club provided me with a ticket to see Aprile Millo perform at Cadogan Hall. Gotta say, terrific value for something whose official prices started at £35! Had a dicky tummy all afternoon, but mercifully it sorted itself - I cried off the last meeting today, and headed off soon after that meeting started.

Still left it a bit late to take buses, for this venue all the other side of town - so I was on the Tube: stuffy Northern Line, where I at least got a seat, followed by the cooler, airier District Line. Tip: get on at the front, if taking this combo heading westwards - the front of the Northern Line is where you want to be for the District Line, and the exit at Sloane Square is near the front, too. Only a short walk from there to the venue, where I got a good stalls ticket and made my way straight upstairs, as the doors were already open.

I hadn't heard of this singer before, but she obviously had a lot of fans there tonight - the cheering was so prolonged when she came out, in a shimmery lamé cape, that her first words were - "..and now for my NEXT number..". She obviously has a sense of humour, and bantered with the audience all night.

Unfortunately, I didn't recognise any of the classical pieces she performed, which constituted  most of the program. But it was all very pleasant - although to be honest, nothing special to me, and several people around me left at the interval. Naturally enough, what I did recognise formed a highlight for me - and lo, they were four Irish melodies! First up were The Kerry Dances and The Rose of Tralee - appropriately, given that that competition and festival came to its annual conclusion tonight! (That's why I didn't get to blog last night, catching up on the repeat.) These were followed by Bendemeer's Stream, (whose name wasn't familiar to me but whose melody is the same as for The Mountains of Mourne), and Danny Boy. For this section, she brought on a harpist - whose Irish harp is visible to the right of the piano onstage in this picture. She finished with a duet with some singer she hadn't introduced - which was greeted with a standing ovation. When the house lights came up, I was already on my way out, hearing the strains of an encore while I was on the stairs. I wasn't pushed about returning.

I had a choice of two buses on the way back, both of which required a change - I took the 211, which came first and took me to Waterloo. Boy, was I to be glad that was the one that had come.. as I waited for the 243, I had a sudden, desperate need to go to the toilet! Nearest one turned out to be courtesy of the Hole in the Wall pub, well signposted and just around the corner from Tenison Way. I didn't stay for a drink, but can vouch for the convenience of their facilities! (and the strength of their hand dryers.)

Tomorrow, again, off with Up in the Cheap Seats (and the same organiser as yesterday) to the Camden Fringe. We're seeing Secondhand Stories and Whimsy, two short plays at The Lion and Unicorn. I would have been missing an evening with London Literary Walks that day, but he then moved it. And scheduled something else in its place, nuts!