Rain Rain Beautiful Rain

Accapella is a really difficult word for me to spell, so let me try again.

Acapella?

No, apparently not.

Of course I could activate spell check here and save myself a lot of embarrassment, but where would the fun be in that?

Acappela.

Accappella, I don’t think so.

No.

Accapela. Accappela. Acapela?

Ok, I’m getting desperate and you are probably getting bored so..

Aacaapela.

Anyway… difficult though it is for me to spell, it was even harder for me to do.

I had accepted a three-month contract to perform in a Pantomime at Christmas (more on that here), this was many snows ago, and also hired for the extravaganza was Brian who, along with his former group, had reached number one in the English music charts with a non musical instrument version of “Only You”.

The director of the show thought it would be a good idea to have the cast provide the vocal backing for Brian in the middle of a fairly anarchic version of the traditional tale Aladdin.

The cast included an 80-year old former music hall star – Mr Ben Warris, and when the various parts were handed out he and I were given the base line.

Do wop, di di bi di bi di wop, di bi bi di bi do wop, di di bi do bi do wop ……. etc etc

I panicked. This was the first time I had sung in public since I had growled through a version of “It’s the poor that get the blame” whilst portraying a diseased beggar returning from the Holy Wars.

Borris.

I sought out the musical director after rehearsals and he kindly consented to recording himself singing the line so that I could take a cassette home and practice.

Which I did all weekend.

On stage the next week I worked as hard as I could to perfect it, I was often seen in the wings with a headset humming to myself, and in rehearsals I stood with both fingers in my ears so that I wouldn’t be seduced by any of the other voices to change tune.

I got it.

Show time came and when the number started I was in full flow when I suddenly realised that Ben, who was standing next to me in the glorious costume of the Chinese Emperor, was simply moving his lips and nothing was coming out.

I looked at him astonished.

He smiled and whispered – “Do you think this is important?”

A cappella.