211075 Downing Record 07 - Downing College - University of ...

sailors’ attempts to steer in a straight line. One of the boats – Friendly Fox, crewedby the Billings and Dickinsons – encounters particular difficulties and before weknow it the vessel is aground.A rousing chorus of the “Song of the Volga Boatmen”from the other two boats accompanies the crew’s efforts to refloat, and amongst thecries of encouragement the occasional ribald comment can be heard. The scenecloses as Captains Dickinson and Billing abandon ship and from the vantage pointof (more or less) dry land try to push the boat into open water.An old timer is heardto mutter “I’ve been sailing narrowboats for years and I’d never have been underwayin a wind like that…..!” Dramatic passages from the score of “Titanic” and “ThePoseidon Adventure” punctuate the entire scene.Scene 2: Ely Cathedral, later the same dayWe are treated to a moving scene where the gathered crews, clearly now saved fromthe potential perils of earlier in the day, are attending Choral Evensong.An elementof thanksgiving is evident as all stand for the prayers and hymns.The scene closes witha rousing rendition of the “Easter Hymn” from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana.Act 3Scene 1: Jesus Lock, CambridgeMuch to-ing and fro-ing is apparent between the three boats as they fill up theirwater tanks to the opening bars of Puccini’s “La Boheme”.This proves a disasterfor two of them when it is realised that they have filled their tanks with nonpotablewater.The third boat’s crew – the Dickinson’s and Billing’s – catch on intime and use the correct water.They recover some of the street cred which theyhad lost in the previous Act, and all shed their nautical clothes to dress for dinnerat High Table in Downing.Scene 2: Downing Senior Common RoomOur ten have now been joined by Trevor and Mary Hewson and Derek Raine, thetwo men bringing to seven the group of 1967 graduates.The bonhomie escalatesrapidly as the thirteen are entertained by Dr Millett and his colleagues over the preprandials.At the invitation of the customary gong all file into Hall and new heights ofcamaraderie are reached over excellent wine and food.Verdi’s “Brindisi” from LaTraviata can again be heard. (In fact this music, together with selections from Orff’s“Carmina Burana”, form something of a leitmotif throughout the entire opera).The cast exit at the behest of a second gong, and the revelry continues for sometime in the SCR. Night gradually falls as all begin in great good humour to wendtheir erratic ways back to nautical rest.38