The St Mungo Singers had their annual dinner and party recently in St Leo’s Hall. At one time, many years ago, it took place near Christmas but as the choir events between the beginning of November and the end of January each year increased it became quite impossible to have it then. So, this year, after the choir trip to Rome and Orvieto in October, St Agnes’ Lambhill Requiem and the Feast of St Andrew in November, then the Blessing of the Crib, the Carols for Peace in December, the 3 events of the St Mungo Festival, the Mass of our Celtic Roots in January, and the annual St Mungo Singers Requiem in early February we enjoyed a festive dinner and party in late February.

 

 

 

 

(The choir at the Scots College, Rome)

At the party, there was a new song by Helen Healy – standing in for Fran Archer who has a whole series of them marking choir events – and hopefully we will have a sample of it available as a taster below. Our new Olympus recording unit was introduced to get little clips of the entertainment so we should be able to include them below – eventually!

St. Mungo Singers’ Ruby Jubilee Song

St. Mungo Singers 40th Birthday wasn’t looking Glam,
So one day our Great Leader and his helpers had a plan.
They said ‘Let’s go to Romeand Orvieto, that’s the key,
to celebrate the Mungo Singers’ Ruby Jubilee.

 

Chorus

We got excited, saved our cash and gave it to Catrine,
We learned new hymns and Mass parts, checked our choir dress was pristine,
Grace gave us our flight times, we were happy full of glee,
To celebrate the Mungo singers Ruby Jubilee!!

 

Now Gillian on the reserve list, we thought was nice and quiet,
Until we got to Heathrow where she proved she was a riot,
She bought a fancy hat and ordered voddie on the rocks,
and did you know she has a bag that’s able to dry socks?

 

We got toRometo our hotel, the bus had such a squeeze,
Our Fr. Gerry said we’ll find a restaurant that will please.
Fifty all squeezed in to a wee tally place in town,
We ate some pasta, pizza, chips, with wine we washed it down.

 

We missed our Ann Marie and Ellen they’d been on a cruise,
With Helen and wee Anne – we didn’t drink a lot of booze –
But – the barman knew our names, lined up our cocktails every night,
That’s all you need to know, our lips are sealed and mouths shut tight!!!

 

At our visit to the Vaticanwe had a lovely Mass,
then some said ‘Let’s climb to the top, it will be such a gas’.
But Tommy said ‘Nae fear – who’s coming with me in the lift?’
So only me and Jim walked up cos we are super fit!!!

 

We visited Scots college and we wondered would it rain?
The wind blew hats and coats but we held tight to our champagne!!
We later used our tickets to explore the rest of Rome,
we saw the sights then packed our bags – was time to move our home.

At Orvieto – what a shock- our home was up a cliff,
the bus would only go so far, we had to use the lift.
We queued and queued then queued some more and when we reached the top,
we waited for our room keys, we were nearly fit to drop.

 

The rooms were up and down, of different sizes, shapes and styles.
The Healy’s room had such a view- well we could see for miles,
Gerry didn’t like the beasties used the spray to keep things neat,
The Millers’ beds were round the bend, the McGarry’s had a suite

 

Bob the Bass, complete with pipe, he films the choir events,
In Rome and Orvieto, he was there recording gents
and ladies eating dinner ‘til the poor man came to grief,
He sat to eat but couldn’t chew because he broke his teeth!!

 

When in Sienna, Fr Gerry said ‘Just follow me’,
he then took off, and we were lost, oh where on earth was he?
We found the church at last and started Mass so very late,
poor David had to climb so high, the organ wasn’t great.

 

We started on the first hymn, and it sounded very strange,
then Mary Johnston sang the psalm, it seemed outwith her range,
she coped so well and didn’t stop – the organ was it live?
Well no would you believe it was transposed a third too high!!

 

Joanna’s sister Mary came with her on this choir trip,
she joined with all the ventures and was ready with a quip,
They were walking when she stumbled, Johanna couldn’t grab or hold her,
Poor Mary fell, her arm went out and dislocated her shoulder.

 

Well Robert, Eamon, Josephine and Elspeth came to help,
Got Mary to the hospital, she didn’t even yelp,
they fixed her up she got back to her room so very late,
she didn’t wake the Healys next door- and we think she’s just great.

 

A few choir members found a pub that let us sing some songs,
we had a laugh and more joined in and then before too long,
The pub ran out of wine and beer, well what’s a choir to do?
We changed our drinks and carried on I’m sure that you would too!!

 

Now that’s a little tale of some events while on our tour,
there’s more we could have said, but time is pressing and we’re sure,
there’s lots of entertainers here just waiting for the chance
to take part in this party with a song or rhyme or dance.

 

Chorus

We had a lovely time but we were glad to be back home,
to see our friends and family and tell them about Romeand Orvieto
and the lovely things we saw for free
that helped us celebrate St. Mungo’s Ruby Jubilee.