I was at a rehearsal last night for Come Together, The Music of the Beatles, featuring the Peterborough Singers. The big show is set for this Saturday, 2pm at Calvary Church on Lansdowne Street.
I was chatting with a few of the choir members about their memories of first seeing and/or hearing the Beatles. It seems every story I've heard from fans has a common theme. Whether it was after seeing the 1964 Ed Sullivan show or hearing the Beatles on radio, within days if not hours everyone was singing or doing an airband version of All My Loving and She Loves You. My wife said she remembers banging a stick on a garbage can and singing She Loves You afte seeing the Fab Four. She was 4.
Maybe I'm wrong, or biased, but I can't think of another entertainment act since the Beatles that has had such an immediate and widespread effect on a generation. Plus, it soon became evident that it wasn't just about the music. Their style, their clothes, their wit, and their views changed us as a society.
For me, while I love the music, it's the story of the Beatles I find most fascinating. Think about all the variables involved in their story. What if Paul hadn't met John or what if John hadn't liked Paul's pal George? What if George Martin had balked at producing the novelty act's first album? What if they hadn't met Brian Epstein? What if John hadn't met Yoko? (Ok, that's another story.) It is an amazing account of how all of the stars lined up at just the right time...and our lives were never the same.
Do yourself a favour and try to catch Saturday's show at Calvary featuring The Peterborough Singers. It's a 2pm performance. Tickets are available at Titles, Emmaus Family Books, Graingers Cleaners, Pammett's Flower Shop and Happenstance Books and Yarns.
See you there! I've always wanted to wear a skinny tie.