Notwithstanding the reality of earning a crust by appearing on television daily, I remain a shy soul. My wife, by contrast, loves to show off. This is especially true at this time of year, when carol concerts and choral society shows reach peak season. Earlier this month there was a rehearsal every evening. She sings for three choirs, including one based in our village, whose big night was on Saturday.
Her show-stopping number was Tom Lehrer’s Christmas Carol, done with a flamboyance that is best characterised as “brassy”. By her own admission, her voice is not “pure”, but it is part of a performance that goes down easily with an audience lubricated by lashings of mulled wine.
