Laughs at the Gallery.

The real Francie and Josie.

Well, after a very long waking night and an all too brief snooze, we headed off to a Fringe do - a comedy cafe (whatever that is) at the Portrait Gallery.  The 1st act struggled a bit - nerves, a jolt from an early audience response that wasn't malicious (i.e. not heckling - " Remember to breathe, dear." actually) but which did throw her (she was a relatively young comedienne).  No 2 was fairly amusing in a speccy Scottish geek sort of way, no 3, an Aussie with a odd looking musical instrument that looked like a cross between a kazoo and a child's keyboard connected by a hoover tube, was really quite good with a splendid repertoire of 90's hit music (not a patch on the 60's IMHO).  Phil Jupitus was again excellent (saw him last year).  A short break ensued and then a Francie and Josie tribute took the stage.  They were superb. I roared with laughter and totally forgot my sleep deprived grumpiness.  it finished off with a talking heads session between Susan Calman and Forbes Masson (who is a Falkirk Bairn much to my surprise) which was both amusing and intelligent.  My major grump was the wait for the doors opening and the fact the acts started rather later than timetabled, but otherwise it was most enjoyable.

Here beginneth the Festival(s).

Palestrina, this week's composer.

Yes it's that time of year again in Auld Reekie!  Actually, the Film and Jazz Festival have been and gone but the Fringe is now with us and I'm already booked in to hear "Two Old Gits" a dialogue between Tony Benn and Richard Holloway which should be interesting.

It also means a change of musical gear in Church and this morning the choir will hit us with Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli.  The settings are advertised as "Experience mass setting in their original church context" in the Fringe brochure (a slight liberty, as the Palestrina's original context was the St Peter's in Rome but hey!) and the tag line is "Music, liturgy and Incense!"  It's also the current Rector's last Sunday with us as he's going to teach Latin and be Chaplain of a fee paying borstal for the middle classes somewhere in Surrey as of the beginning of September. (Oh joy, an interregnum - a year of the Vestry playing "Hunt the Vicar", whilst the retired and Non Stips run around madly trying to keep the show going).  Pray for us!