UKC Chamber Choir sing Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater"

Friday 1st June, 2018
Canterbury Cathedral Crypt

Thanks to Katrina for motivating this musical outing with myself, Dave and her uncle Rob. Our view was largely blocked by a pillar, but the sound was celestial. The first half was all a cappella, with some Thomas Tallis (who sang in the same cathedral "back in the day") and Russell Heppelwhite among other things.

I went to get some chips afterwards, and minutes later Lapis Lazuli's madcap guitarist Dan Lander spotted me lurking beneath the vegetation outside The Parrot eating them, persuaded me to come to Struan's monthly open mic at The Penny Theatre, where he was headed. We arrived to three blokes doing some Oasis-y stuff, then a 'versatile' young rapper/singer with an acoustic guitar (a bit X-Factor, though undoubtedly talented), then the evening's prize money being awarded: £75 to Turlough, a cheerful Irishman who went on to sung "Stand By Me". Dan was told he could play in October! Then on to The Cricketers to check a DJ collective I'd seen on a poster — "cosmic / disco / post-punk / whatever", it had said, promisingly. Passing the Bell and Crown, I picked up Lapis's Neil Sullivan and Harry Hayes (Dreamweaver, Bearded Sphynx) in my wake. It turned out that the DJs had hired Neil's PA, but the sounds were pretty disappointing...just 80s retro kitch and some weak techno-pop. Oh well.