John Gibson: Get down there and get singing!

Stop me if I’ve told you this before. I come off a musical family. My father was a conductor. On the Leith/Corstorphine trams. And he had drums in his ears.

So, naturally, Edinburgh Music Lessons sent me a flyer headed “Singers Wanted. The EML Rock Choir starts Thursday night at Pilrig St Paul’s Church from 7-8.30. First of a ten-week session.

“All welcome,” it says. “Meet other singers, sing contemporary repertoire, build towards forming as a group, no musical experience necessary, no need to read music.”

Ten pounds per session or £80 for a block booking. More info at edinburghmusiclessons.co.uk/rock-choir. Go for it. You and your choir might, in time, end up on telly.

What’s mildly disconcerting is that the singers on the flyer are all women. Some guys would be welcomed by the gals, I’m sure. Useless info, I fancied my self as something of a balladeer. My favourite song was, and it still is, The Impossible Dream, theme song for every Hibs fan.

Shaw thing

She’s no puppet, Sandie Shaw, talk of every town when she topped the charts. Knows what she’s talking about and, as chairman of the Featured Artists Coalition, she told a capacity audience of MPs: “An artist is really, really lucky if they have three years. They’re a living legend if they get ten, the money comes in fits and starts. I can talk from experience.

“If you’re a young, slim girl you can get lots of branding. If you happen to be big or not so young, it’s stopping people from being who they are. Why do they have to be clothes dollies?”

Don’t ask me, ask Adele. Sandie, at 66, will forever be the barefoot contessa.