Rain never stops play at Cambridge Riverside!

Isn’t it funny how you can be enjoying the most glorious stretch of summer, and then—just when you want the weather to stay fine and warm—it threatens a thunderstorm instead? But as any Riversider knows, a few dark clouds won’t dampen our spirits.

That was exactly the case last Sunday, as we prepared for the first of our two musical afternoons this summer. The original plan was to gather on our lovely little amphitheatre on Midsummer Lawn. But in the end, the weather nudged us to relocate under the welcoming entrance of Darwin House—and what a happy discovery that turned out to be. Not only did it keep us dry, but the acoustics were unexpectedly good.

Planning for the event began with Mark’s infectious enthusiasm. He quickly pulled together a ten-strong group of choir friends to form an informal ensemble, The Jolly Warblers. Their 30-minute set charmed us all, drawing on words from Shakespeare, Nash, Browne and others, set to music spanning four centuries—a beautiful mix of English part songs that felt perfectly suited to the occasion.

After a short interval (and a quick shuffle of chairs as the skies let loose), we moved into the second part of the programme, which had come together thanks to Gill’s tireless efforts at very short notice.

The second half opened with some truly inspiring performances from our younger Riversiders. Sisters Alicia (15) and Felicia (11) played the first movement of Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata and Mariage d’amour by Paul de Senneville. They were followed by Grace (also 15), who offered a moving rendition of Ludovico Einaudi’s Nuvole Bianche (“White Clouds”). They even coped admirably with the wind doing its best to scatter their sheet music.

Rounding off the afternoon, Rob Levy (whose father, Mike, we hope will treat us to a history tour of the Kite district this autumn) gave us a lovely trio of songs. Accompanying himself on guitar and piano—after Gill valiantly untangled the amp cables—Rob serenaded us with Sinead O’Connor’s haunting Nothing Compares to U and It Must Have Been Love by Roxette, then finished with Pray by Take That.

A huge thank you to everyone who made the afternoon happen: our talented performers, our gallant organiser (pun intended), all who helped set up chairs and tables or provided food, and of course everyone who came along to support and enjoy the music.

Our second musical afternoon takes place on Saturday, 9 August at 4 pm. Fingers crossed we’ll be back on Midsummer Lawn, where a local jazz band will play for a couple of hours—perfect for a picnic and something summery to sip. But even if the weather has other plans, we now know we have a great back-up venue under the Darwin overhang!