Concert in the garden

It's now Tuesday morning and it is raining. But luckily last week we managed to avoid the rain and all our events went well. Almost 50 members of the Boothferry History society enjoyed an evening of history here last Monday and then descended like very pleasant locusts on Gloria's buffet which, judging by the comments and empty trays they thoroughly appreciated. The following afternoon we replayed the event for a smaller group from the Reedness and Swinefleet area.

On Wednesday I was at Saltmarshe Hall to talk to the Historic Houses Association whose members had come from as far afield as South Lincolnshire and the Lake District to look round this hidden gem of East Yorkshire.

And then it was time to prepare for a private concert and party here in our garden given by the Saltmarshe Duo.

Preparations involved power washing our yard, fetching very heavy tables in the pouring rain, sellotaping paper cloths which persisted in blowing away onto them, stringing up bunting and setting up the sound system.

But it all worked out well. In true Yorkshire fashion everyone brought plates of food to share and laid them out on two long tables. There was everything from quiches to samosas, Bakewell tarts and gateaux to trifles. And lots too to drink. We began the evening with Pimms and worked through to wine and soft drinks as well as tea and coffee.

Family and friends gathered and the concert began. Steven has been singing professionally for many years and we were treated to a wide range of repertoire ranging from Andrew Lloyd Webber hits, including Love Changes Everything and Music of the Night, to folk song arrangements such as The Lincolnshire Poacher and The Plough Boy.

Perhaps most impressive, however, were the operatic arias which included La donna e mobile, Nessun Dorma and O Sole Mio. I think the sheep in the nearby field and the ships on the river must have heard and wondered.

Amy accompanied Steven as well as playing solos ranging from Gershwin to Glenn Miller and then we ended the evening with a Last Night of the Proms where we all sang along to Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia.

It was a lovely evening and I wish The Saltmarshe Duo well. They are busy getting ready for a concert for the Eric Coates Society, a flower-themed concert in Ellerker church, Songs of the Redcoats for a Waterloo dinner, a Dickens evening and two First World War concerts to a 70th birthday party and music for a fashion show.

Read more about them or book them on  www.saltmarsheduo.co.uk

Find The Saltmarshe Duo on Facebook  www.facebook.com/TheSaltmarsheDuo

The buffet where everyone went round several times!!
[picture by Gilbert Tawn, without whose hard work there would have been no museum,  archive
 or concert space]