Friday, April 28, 2006

Say goodbye to your afternoon and click on Noel's Face....

posted by Freddy @ Friday, April 28, 2006 Comments: 5

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Today's caption competition - and there is a spot prize today!!

posted by Freddy @ Thursday, April 27, 2006 Comments: 5

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

"Have you got the Pot Noodle Horn?"


I found this on the BBC site - ASA the Advertising Standards agency received 620 complaints for this Pot Noodle Advert... I loved the ad and I wonder if I should contact the ASA to tell them how much I enjoyed it? Do you think one "compliment" cancels out one complaint?

'Irresponsible' ad withdrawn'

The latest in a controversial series of ads from the Unilever-owned convenience food brand sees a man join friends in a bar while trying to conceal a large brass horn he has in his trousers.

A struggle ensues and the protruding horn knocks a female companion in the face.
The advert ends with the slogan "Have you got the Pot Noodle horn?".

Unilever had been dragged in front of the watchdogs before, seeing a poster with the slogan "hurt me, you slag" withdrawn, and a TV commercial with the tagline "the slag of all snacks" banned before the watershed.

The ASA considered its latest effort suitable for showing after the 9pm watershed, despite the complaints that it was tasteless and offensive.

posted by Freddy @ Wednesday, April 26, 2006 Comments: 1

Monday, April 24, 2006

We brought our music forward....


Monday morning and I'm sure you are all delighted to be back at work.

We had quite a weekend here and I thought you would like to know the details.

A choir I am a member of called "The Ecclesium Choir" was recording a CD in St Anne's Cathedral Belfast. (I always like to give it it's full official title as the current management there insist on calling it Belfast Cathedral which does not seem altogether correct - there is also a Catholic Cathedral in Belfast so how can it be Belfast Cathedral?? St George's High Street should start calling itself "Belfast Parish Church" by that logic)

Anyway I took the day off work on Saturday and we started rehearsing at 12.15pm or so. Then we went away to the Dirty Duck Pub in Holywood for lunch and started recording sessions at 4.00pm

The music for the CD is entirely Choral music with organ accompaniment in most cases, all by Richard Shepherd who is (correct me if this is wrong someone) Headmaster of the Song School at York Minster and a composer. The organ playing was admirably shared and executed beautifully by Richard and Stephen. We also had a trumpeter from the Ulster Orchestra.
The musical director of the CD was Phillip, Director of Music at St Anne's Cathedral Belfast.

Richard and Stephen - Good friends who have a large organ in common

Earlier in this blog I published links to two of the pieces that we recorded - these links don't actually lead to our versions of the pieces - they are earlier recordings - but they will let you hear what we were up against - there was some very challenging stuff and he is not an easy composer to sight read - but the music is so rich and so beautiful - I came away an avid fan.

Anyway there you go - the recording all went well and we will have the discs ready in the not too distant future (let's hope) I should point out that they are being published by Priory Records under their ongoing series of British Church Composer Series.

Susan looks tiny next to this huge Organ.

Labels: , ,

posted by Freddy @ Monday, April 24, 2006 Comments: 4

Today's caption competition


This picture was submitted by the other Fred. I am not sure but perhaps he is trying to tell us all something. Is this secretly a picture of you Freddy?

posted by Freddy @ Monday, April 24, 2006 Comments: 4

Friday, April 21, 2006

Happy Birthday Mrs Saxe-Coburg-Gotha!!!

posted by Freddy @ Friday, April 21, 2006 Comments: 1

Thursday, April 20, 2006

An incredible likeness

Some of you may find THIS CHAP'S services useful???

posted by Freddy @ Thursday, April 20, 2006 Comments: 1

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Bird Flu

posted by Freddy @ Wednesday, April 19, 2006 Comments: 3

Friday, April 14, 2006

Music for the Ecclesium Disc

This one is a bit of an in-thing so I apologise but the links to recordings of the two hardest pieces that we are recording in the CD next week are below for those who are involved. Let me know if you have any trouble downloading them - and it's "well worth doing" so as these pieces are extremely HARD ...

Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem

And When the Builders

posted by Freddy @ Friday, April 14, 2006 Comments: 4

Today's caption competition...

posted by Freddy @ Friday, April 14, 2006 Comments: 5

I wish I was back in Barcelona instead of sat here at this desk....

Labels:

posted by Freddy @ Friday, April 14, 2006 Comments: 6

Lynda's Joke of the day!!

An Irish daughter had not been home for over 5 years. Upon her return, her father cussed her. "Where have ye been all this time? Why did ye not write to us, not even a line? Why didn't ye call? Can ye not understand what ye put yer old mum thru?"

The girl, crying, replied, "Sniff, sniff.... dad.... I became a prostitute...."

"Ye what!!? Out of here, ye shameless harlot! Sinner! You're a disgrace to this family."

"OK, dad.... as ye wish. I just came back to give mum this luxurious fur coat, title deed to a ten bedroom mansion plus a savings certificate for $5 million. For me little brother this gold Rolex and for ye daddy the sparkling new Mercedes limited edition convertible that's parked outside plus a membership to the country club....(takes a breath).... an invitation for ye all to spend New Years Eve on board my new yacht in the Riviera, and...."

"Now what was it ye said ye had become?" says dad.

Girl, crying again, "Sniff, sniff.... a prostitute dad! Sniff, sniff."

"Oh! Be Jesus!.... Ye scared me half to death, girl! I thought ye said 'a Protestant'. Come here and give yer old man a big hug!"

Thanks Lynder for that!!

Labels: , ,

posted by Freddy @ Friday, April 14, 2006 Comments: 0

Lost Puppy

My friend Angela from work has lost her puppy and is desperate to find him so I thought I would help in any way I could. She is really upset.

Yesterday, she was sitting on the settee watching TV when she realised she hadn't seen her puppy in a while so she started to search for him but has not yet found him. He went missing in the Merville Garden Village of Newtownabbey.

She has been putting up signs everywhere (see this picture) and has spoken to the police. I feel really sorry for her. If you have seen this dog, please let me know and I will notify her. Your help would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

posted by Freddy @ Friday, April 14, 2006 Comments: 0

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Walter Mitty

I am performing a sequence of solos tonight in a concert - a concert involving excerpts from "The Messiah". I will be singing with a group of strings which makes me very nervous indeed.

I have to say that I am not in the habit of passing myself off as this serious type of musician - I'm more your cheesy poof music. If it involves an american accent then I'm your man. However the money was too good to pass it up.

Wish me luck as I sit here all trussed up in a dinner jacket and bow - tie fearing I'll be exposed as a fraud...

posted by Freddy @ Wednesday, April 12, 2006 Comments: 2

Friday, April 07, 2006

Barcelona 2006

Richard and Freddy trying to blend in with the locals at Parc Guell

Well we're back from our trip, refreshed and rejuvinated. Our trip was a complete success and thanks to our support, Barcelona beat them fair and square.

If you click the above picture of me and Richard, you will have COMPLETE access to our trip photographs and you can draw your own conclusions. For those on the trip, it may interest you to know that you can order prints from BT Yahoo from this site ....

"If God is willing we'll meet again someday!!"

Labels: ,

posted by Freddy @ Friday, April 07, 2006 Comments: 2

Fred's Survey

I have got the results (so far) of the survey. I thought I would share them with you. Here they are - you can download them by right clicking and saving if you like!!

Cheers for completing it for me - I think I am going to have to have a rethink on the black background...

posted by Freddy @ Friday, April 07, 2006 Comments: 0

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Fred's online survey


Please take my online survey by clicking my picture above!!

Be assured that the answers you provide will remain completely confidential until I decide otherwise.

posted by Freddy @ Sunday, April 02, 2006 Comments: 2

A few pieces of housekeeping (I hate it when people say that)

I'd like to give you a quick perfunctory catch-up so I'll not be phrasing things here with much thought as I literally have 5 minutes to write this - more will follow later.

First piece of news (at the top of the hour - where you are...)

Mysteriously I was put on to the St George's Select Vestry on Thursday night - as was SMITHY. This is a strange one because for years we have gone down to this church and sung in the choir there and been quietly rumbling on about how it could all be better run and organised. Now we will have a say in that.... It feels quite odd.

Second piece of news is that Fredordead have had their first online bequethal - The above "Barcelona Replica" T-shirt has been earmarked for my possession on the event of the death of Mr R Swipe. I have never before known the contents of a person's will while they are still alive and I am not sure what the etiquette is - but I suppose THANKYOU seems to be what I ought to say. I am not sure I can wait for Mr R Swipe's death however so I am going to make it my business to find one of these garments while in Barcelona and that can keep me going while I wait for R Swipe to shuffle off. I hope to share photos of this event in the near future...

Love on ya Bob...

Labels: ,

posted by Freddy @ Sunday, April 02, 2006 Comments: 0

>