Very, very happy time. One of the excellent weddings of the year, because we love Jessica and Chris so much, because smiling so much is fun, because singing awesome hymns is fun, and they both love Jesus and love each other so much I do my big grin lots. It was such a fun group of friends and family as well, with a super reception and party, and lovely and also funny speeches. I was mucho happy, and so were they.
Next weekMon & Tues: PMS concert, stacks of rehearsals, some meetings I think, a couple of garden parties perhaps? The first few days seemed busy, anyway. The concert was OK, and I sort of sang acceptably, but not really well. I just left it all too late to do Nigel proud in that one.
Weds: Eden punting in the evening. Great show. Bantertastic (“All games are eventually improved by the addition of full contact”). Cream tea, EMcL, wide games in meadow, all fixtures as usual. Disgraced myself my losing on every bridge. Chickened out of Fen Causeway, and Matt “Speedy-Gonzales” Wells managed to punt quicker than I could climb on the remaining two. Nap-time during Thursday morning.
Thurs (which was kind-of also Wednesday for us): Meat day! 24 day! Met for breakfast in the early afternoon and began a day of meat, meat, and almost nothing but meat (we allowed ourselves in addition: ketchup, salt, fruit juice, piri-piri sauce, sausages, and hamburger). We also watched a whole season of 24. Clemo, Braden, Bradshaw, some Andrew Holt and Harry Cameron, some David Robertson and Daniel, some Piggy Will and some Hemmings, and perhaps more I’m forgetting. I had a few hours out in the middle for choir dinner, and took the hit for the team by eating only meat there.
Choir was great, with the annual nostalgia, pictures, speeches, and looking back. It’s been a good year folks! I don’t know how we fitted it in, but I seem to have recorded that we actually performed the Tosca that evening as well, having rehearsed it during the last two days.
More 24 followed. We had to stop at about 8.30am for the maths results ceremony with two episodes to go. (Maths was fine: emotionally numb, as usual; happiness standing next to Cornelia Strauss; just a good way to get results together.) A brief nap.
Fri (which was still kind-of Wednesday): Two big plates of chips for lunch! Needed fibre. Chores in the afternoon, then St Peter’s Feast. More choir love, with some dashing out of the dinner between service and grace and once even between courses to catch the last two 24 episodes. Returned to dinner finally for port. So many wet cycles back and forth to Newnham, and so little sleep. Feeling of slightly not well creeping up on me.
Perhaps I spent too much time with Christian friends, but it was one of the best weeks I’ve even had. All that time at Clemo’s was peak bonding (including Wolverine Sunday before).
DepartureWe did it all again the next day and left for Sheringham on Saturday! Very good as usual. Christopher Ash on the conscience. Came back on 6.30 train Tuesday for choir rehearsals.
Choir weekCrashed Tuesday afternoon.
Wednesday: rehearsed, polished shoes, went to Commencement dinner with dad (old Petreans get to come to graduation dinner with their children). Commencement service was very loud and sung rather well (Dyson in D, Bainton, Stanford Ps. 100).
Thursday: graduated. Nice shiny blue hood. Masters went at the very front of the procession, which was rather fun. Good day all round. It’s all a show for the parents really, because the emotional day for us is the Senate House reading, but they enjoyed it. Somehow packed during the day as well in little gaps. Crashed in the evening.
Friday: more choir. Josie Price’s wedding gig.
Saturday: final day before tour. Peterhouse alumni gathering gig with madrigals.
TourWe will leave tonight for London, take a train on Sunday morning to Haverfordwest, sing in Wales, then cross to Ireland and sing over there, and fly back at the end of the week. Much excitement awaits!