Expecting

Darren from next door at the street party I note in my diaries several times tiredness and being off with a headache! I also do not record the glad tidings that Liz was expecting! Dr Duffy asked if he could tell Juliet so she knew before I did! Of course we were thrilled. In the summer we went to Boscombe again and lots of Proms. It being the Silver Jubilee we ha d a memorable street party. The chorus went to Orange to sing Fidelio and Liz came but did not sing. This was the first time we sang an opera and of course it had to be from memory. A marvellous bass from Singapore Yao (who we later tried to contact in Singapore - he became the chorus director) literally carried me across the stage. The producer had has under the stage and there we were feet away from Jon Vickers and Gundula Janowitz! Israel philharmonic conducted by Mehta. Their cellos were left in the sun and cellos had to be borrowed. There was a coach collision and I was standing up. As soon as we got off Jean said Liz is fine. Germaine moved us from a hotel on top of the station which was great and we enjoyed the swimming. The ladies had little to do but we had lots of rehearsals. The marching was awful - only Ron Archer knew what to do. He got thumped by the extras from the Foreign legion "I saw stars I definitely saw stars!" I had a woman rushing up to me on stage with a fishnet shawl in which I got entangled. Get off I've got a top G coming!! The whole thing was absolutely incredible and Paul Jennings wrote afterwards that Beethoven 9 would never be the same again. The feeling of liberation was amazing. Liz commented "It was alright" which has to be biggest understatement ever. This was the performance above all others!

 Simon Johnson and Ron Archer thank the kitchen staff

 In costume with Liz

Jean Taylor

I am being carried by Yao in the middle