This Friday marked our fourth balcony concert, and it has been a real joy to sing to my neighbours and friends online alongside George. Despite being limited to our own home for a few weeks now, it has been a breath of fresh air to feel close to the lovely people who live near me. I feel connected to a bigger community, a neighbourly relationship that reminded me of my childhood as we grew up with lovely neighbours and were in and out of each others homes, George also grew up in a really close community where all the neighbours knew each other
As a musician, who practises at home, I was nervous about upsetting my neighbours during the lockdown. I limited my singing hours to be conscious of those around me and I made adaptations to my home such as hanging homemade sound panels (created by George!) above our electric piano. After our first concert, we were overjoyed to feel the support and encouragement from our neighbours and the request for more music. We even received some chocolates, flowers and even beautiful drawings from our little neighbour upstairs.
On one of her art pieces, she told us that her favourite song was ‘Baby Shark’. So as our encore to four American Songs by Aaron Copland and Glitter and Be Gay by Bernstein George and I sang, (with all the actions) ‘Baby Shark’ for our little friend above us.
Unfortunately, our live stream dropped out during the concert cutting the recording short but one of our new friends filmed the encore on their phone. I hope you enjoy the clip.
The full program:
Four American Songs by Aaron Copland:
The Boatmen’s Dance
Little Horses
Long Time Ago
Ching-a-ring-Chaw!
Glitter and Be Gay – Bernstein
Encore – Baby Shark – PinkFong
Here is what was recorded from the concert 🙂
You have set a high goal…… Stay safe and sing more……
Best Wishes, from Darlene
Dear Darlene, these weekly concerts are brilliant short term goals, especially whilst the future is a mystery. I hope you enjoy our next instalment.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Thank you Charlotte……Darlene
Baby Shark! How cute. I love your program. Be Gay is one of my favorite tunes. Thank you for sharing, so kind of you two!
It was a very cheerful addition! George and I enjoyed our neighbours joining in, a happy surprise.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
I’ve loved all your balcony concerts and look forward to more!🤗 you’ve both done really well and look as though your the highlight of the week for your neighbours 👏👏👏😘
Hello Gill, I am so glad that I can share our concerts with you. Thank you for joining us live each week – it makes it even more special to know that you are listening.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Delightful, Charlotte. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it John, a little light-hearted fun. By the way, I have started reading Contract in my down time, I am really enjoying it at the moment. You have such a talent for writing dialogue.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte. Dialog is one thing I had to learn to write. It used to be a weakness until I forced myself to make it a strength. 😀
It’s a bit cheeky given I’m at the other end of the country from you, but if you’d consider trying it, I’d love to hear you sing Pete Atkin’s ‘Canoe’ – no gestures required!
This is a wonderful suggestion! Thank you for sending it to me. I sadly haven’t sung this before, but I shall add it to my list to listen to whilst I am cooking. 🙂
Best Wishes
Charlotte
The Baby Shark is great and you were adorable performing it. A wonderful selection of music for BC #4. Those are wonderful drawings from your neighbors.
BTW I’m posting a new parody this afternoon called “Society Broken by Germs”.
Thank you Timothy, I was a little nervous – with how it would go down and was surprised that everyone loved it. A personal highlight of the balcony concerts so far.
I enjoyed your recent parody of the Green Day song – brilliant work!
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Hi Charlotte. I look forward to your balcony concerts. I recommended your blog and concerts to Cosmic Holly in Arizona. She and her partner have been doing Isolation Songs. They are singers/songwriters locked-down and out of work like most musicians and performers.
Recent critters on my blog that you might like to see are the baby owls, and a beautiful peacock that came knocking at our sunroom door.
What a lovely gift you are extending to your neighbors. Our neighbor who lives in the house in back of us is a concert violinist . Some days she practices on her outdoor balcony and treats us all to a professional performance. People, like you, blessed with talent are contributing to the pleasure we all need so vitally at this time. Thank you.
How wonderful that you can hear live music played by your neighbour! It is wonderful that people are reaching out to their local communities to share love and good will. Thank you for your sweet comment – it keeps me motivated to practise the repertoire ready for Friday.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Charlotte & George.
You are wonderful, keeping all of your neighbors entertained Friday evening.
It was such a shame your Wifi went down half way through..
Baby shark was such fun, the little girl upstairs really enjoyed it .
We look forward to next friday.xx
Hello Nana, Thank you for your sweet comment. I was gutted when I realised that the internet stopped during the concert as it was a particularly electric atmosphere between us all here at home.
Fingers crossed for better wifi this week – If not I plan to record on another device as a back-up.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Glitter and be gay, Charlotte, and continue to sing us though these times. Stay safe, and when everything is different, give that little artist a big hug for all of us.
I shall aspire to remain bright and cheerful! Thank you for your sweet wishes, I hope you stay strong and healthy.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Your neighbors are fortunate to have you and George nearby, Charlotte. Those are beautiful drawings from your young fan upstairs; they are priceless! I thoroughly enjoyed your balcony concert, too. It has brightened my afternoon.
The drawings are so sweet and full of happiness! I enjoy looking at them. Thank you for tuning in and I am over the moon that you enjoyed the performance.
I hope that you have a lovely week.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Love it! And, such wonderful serendipity that your neighbor across the way caught ‘Baby Shark’ on their phone. That’s priceless.
It was so lucky! I am so glad to have had this memory captured on film.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
I’m glad you guys had it as well, and shared it. It was all kinds of good in so many ways.
Best wishes as well, and I look forward to experiencing your continued eConcerts,
Jordan
What a lovely tradition! Thanks for sharing.
I like the idea of the balcony concerts becoming a tradition – it is a very sweet idea and fills me with hope.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Good morning my dear hoather
I hope you have a week filled with happiness and kind gestures.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
from the sublime to the surreal, utterly brilliant!
Hehe! Thank you for your wonderful comment! I am glad that your enjoyed it.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Bravo et merci beaucoups. !!!! C’était triste d’être resté sur la coupure de transmission, c’est un plaisir de vous revoir !!! Meilleurs pensée, bon courage, à très vite ! vous êtes magnifiques tout les deux !
Merci de tu joindre à nous en live! Les doigts se sont croisés pour une meilleure connexion Internet cette semaine.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Oui, la connexion était bonne ! juste 1 rechargement de quelques seconde !!!! BRAVOOOOOOOOOO
Charlotte, your Baby Shark was adorable and the little one upstairs kept up with your animations pretty well!! Your neighbors must be so grateful to have you and George in their community – especially at this time!!
It was a delight to perform this joyful little song – a real contrast to some Gounod but just as pleasurable! I am glad it made you smile too.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
I did watch the concert live until it cut out. Still, it was a great 10 minutes! And don’t worry, i hear that Paul McCartney had problems getting his phone camera in landscape mode as well, so you weren’t alone in that 😉 I hope you continue doing these balcony concerts and hopefully I’ll get a chance to see another one, and maybe all of the way through!
Hello Trent, I hope the live will work better this week! I have had a couple of practise runs at home and have planned to record the performance on a back-up camera so that I can share it on the blog if needed. I am glad to have something in common with Paul McCartney – a great person to be similar to! Tune in this Friday at 18:00 BST
Best Wishes
Charlotte
I missed it live, but am watching it now. I also went back and watched one of the earlier ones – I loved the little girl dancing to Julie Andrews songs 🙂
Me too she’s adorable.
That little kid was loving you!!!
Hello Michael, our little neighbour is such a delight and a joy to sing to.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Bravo and brava! You are bringing joy to your neighbors. And hopefully a devoted following!
It has been a real joy to make music for my community! There has even been talk of holding a concert, once we can all mingle again – and have a street party but in the courtyard!
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Wonderful, Charlotte, and what a way to lift the spirits of your neighbors. Your performance of Baby Shark was adorable too. Stay safe, Lauren
Hello Lauren, thank you for your visit and your lovely comment. I have enjoyed bringing positivity to people using music – I hope you can tune in to our next concert.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Very good!!!
Thank you – good fun had by all!!
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Love – and music – will keep us together. You have both!
You are right Sheila! Together we are stronger and if we can unite through music, let’s do it.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
I have just sent the link to Baby Shark to both our daughters. It is a song I have attempted several times with grandson in groups, but I struggle with the Makaton and the babies are faster than me! We watched concert 4 until transmission broke – looking forward to concert 5. Have you thought of doing the Rusalka Song to the Moon? For a real crowd pleaser there is always Danny Boy.
Hello Hilary, how fantastic that you have shared the link with your daughters! I hope they enjoy watching it, as much as I enjoyed performing it. Fingers crossed we will have better luck this week – we have planned for a just in case back-up camera! Thank you for the suggestions – I will try to incorporate them in the coming weeks, keep an ear out!
Best Wishes
Charlotte
You two are creating rich memories, especially for the children. And how they are doing the same.
The artwork that our little neighbour is creating for us is so sweet and thoughtful. It is nice to concentrate on the positives.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Hi. This is great. Makes me wonder how long it took for you guys to develop such good Chemistry between you.
Hello Eric, so glad that you enjoyed the performance. George and I have been collaborating since we first meeting in 2013. 7 years and counting!
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Oh wow! What a fabulous concert, Charlotte and George! I hope you are both keeping well and coping with this lockdown xx
Thanks Clare, we’re well, we’re both working on new music, and refreshing old songs we’ve previously performed together for our balcony concerts, it’s nice to have an excuse to sing out loud.
Hope you and your lovely family are all keeping safe and well too xx
Best wishes
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte. We are all well, so far though as I am a high-risk patient I am on complete lock-down which is quite frustrating. My poor husband is doing all the shopping and visiting my Mum with her groceries, too.
Take care, my dear
Clare xx
Hello Clare, I am sorry to hear that you have been advised to stay indoors completely. I hope that the concerts bring you a little light relief and a change within your week. Your husband sounds like a champion, I am glad that he is taking care of you at the moment. Stay safe my friend.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
As you did the Baby Shark song it made me cry. Your esteemed discipline in all matters of music makes the frivolity of a piece like that persuasive of the joy you can exude. There is really no criticism for hard work and dedication to your craft. I humbly bow to your success. Thank you for being there. Lovely work!
Aww Mario that makes me happy that it touched you. Thank you for tuning in and listening and giving us such a lovely message I appreciate that 😊. Still working hard on new pieces, stay safe and well,
Best wishes
Charlotte
I loved seeing your rendition of Baby Shark! As a Washington Nationals baseball fan, I really miss hearing it! https://youtu.be/AetTT3d5k70
I absolutely loved that! I wanted to see Parra hit a home run, tell him to invite me over to sing it at the ground for luck 😂, I’d not heard of it until my little neighbour told me it was her favourite song, it got the biggest cheer of the night hehe. I’ve always loved singing to children most of my early work has been in education and outreach and I hope to do more.
All my best wishes
Charlotte 🦈
I hope we get a baseball season this year!
I am enjoying your concerts. Well done to you both in continuing with them x
Hello Christine, thank you for listening to our concert. It has been an enjoyable weekly goal to perform on Fridays for our neighbours. We aim to continue whilst we are indoors.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
This post was so long ago. What’s happening with you now! What’s happening with you wonderful woman?!
Hello Mario, thank you for checking in with me, we’re on a second lockdown at the moment, teaching a little, practicing a lot and some part-time customer services work to pay the bills and stay ‘viable’. Hope you’re doing well?
Best wishes
Charlotte
Isn’t the world amazing? I am fine. working a lot. COVID-19 got me to sing. Couldn’t be happier. Life becomes so very special and fragile.