Billy's House

Our final appearance this year was at Bottesford Village Hall near Grantham, together with KLEA Vision ladies quartet at a fund raising show for the Billy's House charity.

Billy's House aims to provide a house in Nottingham where parents can stay when their children are in hospital. Special Blend are very proud and privileged to have been able to support this very worthwhile cause.

KLEA Vision were exceptionally good and we created our usual mayhem, with people crying with laughter at Mick's antics with a lion puppet during "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".

A fitting end to an exceptionally busy and really fun 2008 season.

Retirement Home

This afternoon we did a short spot for the residents and staff at a retirement home in Nottingham.
As Mick, out tenor was in London for a family committment, our good friend Paul Jeffrey stood in for him and did a sterling job. Many thanks Paul.

It's really nice to be able to do something like this, the staff and especially the residents appreciate it so much and the reception we got really reflected this. The staff plied us with Tea, Coffee and cakes, and Chris got three offers of marriage (from residents)!!!!

Cancer Research Event - Nottingham

Still recovering from last night's Cancer Research fund raising dinner at the Council House in Nottingham City Centre.

Because of the Friday evening traffic, only Mick and Ron and Mandy from KLEA vision were there on time, so we entertained the guests as they arrived with a selection of Christmas Carols, then breathed a huge sigh of relief when Chris and Rob walked through the doors about 30minutes later!!

The evening went extremely well, with our friend Nigel dressed up as Santa, and the aforementioned Mandy joining us in a couple of songs as well as acting as our official photographer.



The highlight would have to be the 12 days of Christmas, with the guests jumping up and miming all the actions - six geese a-laying doesn't bear thinking about!!!!

We were priviliged to be able to use the Lord Mayor's parlour as a changing/warm-up room and were treated by the organisers to as much food and drink as we wanted - perhaps it's a good thing we were all driving.

All in all a very good evening and a certain satisfaction in knowing that we were able to support this very worthwhile cause.

Sound Celebration Show with the Major Oak Chorus

Copies of the above photos can be purchased from the photographer's website
Here as both members of the Major Oak Chorus and as Special Blend, we had a very busy evening, but what a wonderful evening it was.

Sometimes, everything just seems to click into place, and this was one of those times. The Chorus was magnificent, 4 Blokes Singin' and Blush were superb and wow -what a reception we got from the audience! We performed our new Christmas set for the first time as well as our regular songs to a huge round of applause. Mick's antics with his Christmas hat had to been seen to believed. There was a professional photographer at the show, so as soon as I get some photo's, I'll upload them.

Now it's back to the grind rehearsing for the Cancer Reseach Charity show on Friday 5th December at the Council House in Nottingham.

Gedling Homes at the Lakeside

We had a great time at the stunning Lakeside in Arnold on Friday Evening, the staff were really helpful and allowed us to use one of the rooms in the sports centre side as a dressing/warmup room.

The performance itself went well, and we had great fun when a couple of the guests - who were also singers - got up and "helped" us sing "Under The Boardwalk" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". We also suprised one lady sat a table when we left the stage area and sang "Sweet And Lovely" to her. We were in a playful mood!

Although we were contracted for a 30 minute performance, we actually sang for about an hour to fit in with the Gedling Homes evening schedule.

This afternoon it's back to the grindstone polishing up our Christmas package ready for the Major Oak Show on the 29th.

Forthcoming appearances 2008

On Friday the 21st November we are singing at the Lakeside Conference Centre Arnold, for the newly formed Gedling Homes.

Friday the 29th we are performing at the Sound Celebration show in Carlton (see poster elsewhere on this page) with The Major Oak Chorus, and a host of other singers.

Friday 5th December we are at the Council House Nottingham for a Cancer Research charity Christmas event.

Saturday 6th we are singing in a suprise performance at a senior citizen's rest home "somewhere in Nottingham"!!!

On December 12th we are singing at a private party in Mansfield.



13th of December we are appearing in another Charity Show at Bottesford, near Grantham with our good friends, ladies quartet KLEA Vision.

Rob and Mick proudly wearing their hats, and Chris on the left who's mind was apparently closed at the time !!

The Blenders singing for Janina and her mother Yanina and guests at the Ania Polish Restaurant in Nottingham.

I must say the food looked fantastic, and it was very difficult to resist the temptation to snaffle some as the waiter carried it by us.

We were very well received and picked up another booking from one of the guests.

Incidentally, the hats are optional!!!!

Birthday Parties and Workshops

Another busy weekend for the Blenders.
Saturday Rob and I are participating in the Northern Barbershop Alliance workshop day in Sheffield along with members of most of the Barbershop Choruses in the area, to be followed by an afterglow (an evening of ad-hoc singing, eating and drinking ) at a social club in Sheffield.

On Sunday we are rehearsing our Christmas package plus singing at a birthday party in a Polish restaurant in Nottingham. Back to work on Monday and a Chorus rehearsal on Tuesday - if any of us have a voice left!!!

Sound Celebration Show

November 29th Sees us at the "Sound Celebration " show, which celebrates the first 5 years of the Major Oak Chorus.

Along with the Chorus itself, there are three quartets appearing. Special Blend, 4 Blokes Singin' and a ladies quartet from Nottingham, Blush.

The show is free but there is limited seating for 200 people.

A chance for people to enjoy quality singing for nowt.

Wedding Anniversaries

A wonderful evening at the Emerald Wedding Anniversary, surrounded by Dukes and Duchess's, Cruella De-ville (complete with baby dressed as puppy), Austin Powers, and Buddy Holly et al. (It was fancy dress). The quartet went as James Bond, A monk with a dirty habit, A confederate army officer (occifer later on!) and a gangster.

Colds mostly gone now (except mine), but we were helped by using the groups' microphones and amplifiers so we didn't have to project the sound quite as much as usual.

We also led a bit of community sea shanty singing (it was that kind of evening) so it was heave-ho me hearties and Maggie May down Lime Street - a bit of a departure for us, but highly enjoyable nonetheless!

A couple of the girls from Klea Vision ladies quartet were there so they joined us for the ever popular "Lion Sleeps Tonight" that we finished our set off with.

Our next appearance is a joint venture with our fellow quartet 4 Blokes Singin' at a WI meeting in Nottinghamshire, then it's noses to the grindstone to get our Christmas package up to performance standards. We are really excited by this package as it contains a couple of hauntingly beautiful arrangements - pity they can only be sung for a limited time each year, but hey ho - or should that be Ho Ho Ho (groan).

On Stage in Coventry, October 2008

The day after the day

After a heart stopping moment when we nearly withdrew from the competition when three of us could hardly talk because of our colds, we decided that the show must go on and we competed as planned. Ironically, even though we were all singing at reduced levels and Rob our bass had virtually no voice at all, we finished midway in the rankings with a much improved sound score.

Unfortunately our colds cost us several places in the ranks and lots of marks, but given the circumstances we were reasonably happy with the result, and called at a pub for a de-brief.

On the way back home we were stopped by the police for a "routine check", but when they couldn't smell alcohol on my breath (as the des. driver, all I had drunk was diet coke) we were allowed home.

We've now got the rest of the week to recover before our next gig which is an emerald Wedding Anniversary, on Saturday next.

We've all told our wives that we need lots of TLC, and that man flu is the worst disease in the world, but for some reason they all laughed - funny, that!!

The day before the day

Not only do I have a cold, but Chris and Rob are also suffering! This practice was more like an episode of Holby City than a rehearsal. Still we are sounding pretty good even if I say it myself, and if we can hold it together for 6 minutes on stage without coughing, sneezing or snuffling we should be in with a good chance of qualifying for the semi- finals at Llandudno next year.

Our thanks go again to our beautiful Blendette Mandy who let us use her flat for this final rehearsal, and also to the wonderful members of the Major Oak Chorus who have supported us throughout. Big thanks also to 4 Blokes Singin', KLEA Vision Ladies Quartet, Rob Barber & Ellie Mills for their help, support and encouragement.

It's early to bed for me, so we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Nightmare

Arrrgghh!
What a time to catch Man Flu! Two days before the competition, and I'm coughing, sneezing and spluttering.

Another fortune spent on Day Nurse, Night Nurse, Hacks, Tunes, Brandy (that's the only good bit) and I'm hoping I'll be able to sing on Sunday at the competition.

Apart from my cold, I think we've done everything we can to prepare, so here's hoping!

The singout enquiries are rolling in. Unfortunately, because of existing commitments we have to disappoint some people, but where we can sing, we will.

Maybe we ought to be called the Martini quartet..................

Anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

We are currently very excited about competing in the National Quartet Competition at Coventry in a couple of weeks. Traditionally we are a show quartet rather than a competition one, so we'll have to see how it turns out, but we hope all the extra hours of rehearsal and the excellent coaching we are receiving will help us through to the semi-final.

Yet More Coaching

Another Session with Rob Barber, and wow! The difference this guy is making to our sound is just amazing. Can't wait for next week, when we are hoping to rehearse with Rob, and the potential next Ladies World Champions Storm, who's next competition is in Hawaii - ours is in Coventry :-(

Coaching (2)

Many thanks to Ellie Mills for a very enjoyable and instructive coaching session in an industrial unit "somewhere in Nottingham".

The brilliant thing about rehearsing there is that we have a full stage environment, and of course, as it is a large space, a totally different sound. Ellie had us practising our stage craft and helped us immensely with several other aspects of our visual performance techniques.

Many many thanks Ellie, and of course good luck with your transatlantic quartet Luminous.

Coaching

We're still reeling from our first coaching session with Rob Barber, one of the finest (and most entertaining) coaches the association has.

After a very enjoyable session, we went down to the local pub and sang a couple of songs - the response was absolutely overwhelming, with comments like " The best you have ever sung", and "expanded sound", and "it's your round!"

We can't wait for more of the same.

Newark Wedding

Just got back from another wedding - two weddings in two days - Pheww!!

This one was at Claypole near Newark.

We sang in the Church at this one, while the bride and groom signed the register. A lovely service, then on to the reception at Norton Disney where we entertained the guests until it was time for the wedding breakfast.

Once again, as is fast becoming a tradition for the quartet, we sang "The Story Of The Rose" to the bride(Kim) on behalf of her new husband (John).

Kim and John had the photographer take pictures of us so I suppose we'll be enshrined in their wedding album for all time - fame at last.

As we were leaving, several of the guests took the time to come over and compliment us on our performances, which is always nice.

We love singing at weddings!

Foxton Wedding

A superb day at David and Georgina's wedding reception, held in a marquee and surrounding field about a mile from Gartree prison. Luckily the weather was very kind and we entertained the guests, an eclectic party of 250 people, whilst they enjoyed champagne and sack racing (never seen that before at a wedding)!

A special mention must go to the party of French guests who just couldn't get enough of us, and the lovely lady who gave the whole quartet the traditional French kisses!!

When the wedding party were finally seated, we sang the beautiful "Story Of The Rose" to the equally beautiful bride, which was a fitting end to a marvellous day.