Positively Patsy Part 35

The band members looked at me in amazement and one reporter said “Drake I have heard of, he beat the Spanish Armada, but who is this Reece.” I told them that Richard Reece was a mate aboard one of Drakes ships when Drake was a privateer.

They had to ask “What’s a privateer?” so I told them that in the late fifteen hundreds, several English captains were ordered by the queen to attack and plunder Spanish ships off of South America. They were called privateers but were actually government sponsored pirates, a bit like the US contractors in Afghanistan some years back. I told them that Richard Reece also sailed with Drake with only the second crew to circumnavigate the globe and that, if they were interested, if they looked on the British Museum website they would see pictures of the loot he saved for himself.

I said that I was a direct descendant of Richard Reece and that Greg lived in the house that Richard built in the early sixteen hundreds. I said it would be a story of high seas, high adventure and lots of singing because that’s what you do in an operetta. “However” I added,” I can’t tell you any more about it because I have not yet written a word.” I did point out that I hope to get Justin Smith on board as he was the one instrumental in making our finale last night so memorable. One of the final questions was “How long have you been planning the operetta?” and I looked at my watch and said “About twenty three hours, but I have been rather busy during that time.”

We ushered them out and Joanne said that I kept things close to my chest. I told her to blame Simon, who looked all innocent. Riordan and Nina came over and asked if they could play dusky native maidens and we all laughed and hugged before they, and Julia, left to go home. All of our stars came to say goodbye and they all told me to write them in, maybe as tavern girls so they could show lots of bosom. I told them I would keep it in mind. They went off to pack so they could leave after lunch. The Nashville choir was flying out as well, as was Jake and the band. Greg and Peggy were flying back to England on Monday with the Cotswolds choir so Joanne and I stayed in New York to see them off.

After lunch and all the ones leaving had done so, we were sitting in the lounge just relaxing Greg said that he was amazed at how I moved to the next thing without thought, as if it would all be all right. He said that he had never met someone who would publically announce a future show before a word had been written. I told him that I had told the TV guys the name of our finale last night before I even had a tune. I said that this way meant that I had to write it now, or else lose face and added that if it had not come up in the press conference, I may have well let it slide because of other things but now I had a good excuse to not get drawn into other big projects for a while. He sat and thought for a while and then said “If it gets to the stage before I die, can I be Drake?” I gave him a hug and told him that I would write it with him in mind.

During that afternoon, Annette and Maxine came to the hotel and we had a group hug. They said that the phones were running hot and it was still a Sunday and that they had really enjoyed the show. They had some proofs of the photo shoot and we had the Cotswolds choir gathered round as we looked at the pictures. They were amazed at how they looked and the sisters said that their friend in London wanted them to be her models for the London Fashion Week and that she would be in touch. Our usual girl said that her mother was going to have kittens and that I had better be prepared for a stern letter – make-up, orgasms and now a modelling career. The sisters said, in unison, “Orgasms?” I told them it was a usual happening to new female singers when performing to big and friendly crowds. One of the boys piped up “Not just to girls, either.”

We all had a laugh and I told them I would take them out to dinner. I rang the Italian Restaurant that Angela and Mary had taken me to and booked a table for forty. Maxine said that this called for some loan outfits and rang her office to tell them to expect twenty – odd choristers for outfitting for dinner, plus Patsy and Joanne, Greg and Peggy.

We went up to our rooms to freshen up and gathered in the foyer as our bus arrived. The sisters had taken Lucy in their limo and we were in high spirits as we went to the fashion studio. Once there we were again primped and preened and the boys got flash suits while the girls got cocktail dresses and suitable evening make-up. We walked into the restaurant looking like a million dollars and the manager greeted us warmly, congratulating us on the show last night. He said that he had put a big TV in the restaurant so the patrons could watch it while eating and that everyone enjoyed it. He asked us if it would be all right if he called a professional photographer friend to take our picture tonight so he could put it up by the entrance and we all said it would be good. We had a good meal with a lively atmosphere and the said photos were taken. Some of the patrons came over and asked for autographs and a couple of elegant ladies asked who made our dresses so Maxine gave them her card, telling them that they were looking at half the models in the next two catalogues.

The next morning we all had breakfast together and we all hugged as the choir, plus Greg and Peggy, left in the bus for the airport. We then had a look at the papers to see a picture of me at the press conference with the caption ‘Patsy plays with a Pirate Project’. One paper called me ‘Pirate Patsy’. I nearly dissolved giggling as I thought of what people in Nashville will call me now. I will have to practise my aaarrrhhh. “Joanne” I said “Do you think we should buy a monkey or a parrot. We could teach it to say ‘Pieces of Eight’ and hang its cage in the café.” “Don’t you dare!” she exclaimed “I won’t have a parrot in the café. You can put it in the music store and teach it to say ‘nice riff, matey.’”

We were smiling as the pressure was now off of us and we could just be ourselves for a while. We went up to our room and packed to go home and, after I settled the account, we ordered a limo to take us to the airport. We had a flight to Nashville just after lunch so ate at the airport first class lounge and then flew home. I had asked one of the security guys to pick us up in my SUV and he drove us back to the ranch. On the way he told us how good the show was and that everyone he knew had watched it. “By the way” he said with a smile “if you need a pirate crew there’s a bunch of us guys that would look good in breeches.”

Back at the ranch Mary told me that the phone had gone crazy and that I had lots of people to call back. She did tell me that I do have to ring Justin as soon as I got in. I rang him and when he answered I immediately apologised for mentioning him in relation to the announcement about the operetta and he said that no apology was needed as it was something he had thought about but had no idea for a story line. He wanted to come over and talk about it so we made an appointment for the next day. All I really wanted to do this afternoon was to have a long bubble bath and an even longer sleep. And that’s what I did.

Next morning he came around and we sat in the lounge. I told him the story of Richard Reece with Drake and then showed him the British Museum catalogue of the Reece Trove. I pointed out that the costumes found was genuine sailor wear and that the Spanish costumes and armour were also genuine. I said that I could probably get access to all of the items we would need to recreate lightweight copies for stage work. I wanted the look to be authentic even if the story wasn’t. He asked if I had any idea of the story and I said that it should open on board ship, off the South American coast and the first song should set the scene about the loneliness of a sailors’ life; contrasted with periods of sheer terror when attacking another ship. I said that they circumnavigated the world so we could add songs from their ports of call after we get a list. I told him that we already had Drake, two dusky maidens and five tavern girls from our show cast.

Part 36

“Tavern girls! What tavern girls?” he asked. I laughed and said that the five stars had put their names forward and that Riordan and Nina wanted to be the ‘dusky maidens’. I wanted to know what he thought of the show in the end. He said it got better every time he saw it and the TV broadcast was good, but he thought it was probably better live. I told him it was, particularly at the higher volume. I was actually feeling sorry he had not been there but if I had pulled him from the wings to take a bow, no-one would know who he was. He did get a special mention in the credits though.

I told him I would contact my friend at English Heritage and ask him to send me the known route of Drakes journeys and we may get more ideas from that. I said that the final scene should be Drake and Reece standing together on the ship as England came into sight with them singing about their adventures and the life before them. We had an opening idea and a closing idea and just needed the two or three hours in between.

After he had left I emailed Kevin at English Heritage to ask him about the route that Drake sailed during his privateer days and the circumnavigation. Joanne and I then went into the city to see what was going on at the music store and café. The store staff were all now back at work but the stand and left-over stock was on its way back by road. Jake was busy looking at the books and said that he had banked several thousand dollars in cash and the bank statement showed some more thousands in electronic deals. He thought we had done well. He then asked me who I had cast for my operetta. I laughed and asked him who he wanted to be, seeing that Drake was already taken. He said he thought he would make a good Reece and I had to agree with him. Damn show not written yet and we already had the main characters in place. Just what is happening!

Joanne was happy with the café and with the lass she had left in place. I went in and sat with a coffee and we chatted about how we would work things. I said that Jake was perfectly able to run the music store and seemed to enjoy it and the manager could do his usual good job in his absence. Joanne said she could stay back from the café now unless something came up that needed executive decisions. I mentioned that there was a music school coming up in September for three months but we could leave that to the crew at the Manor. This left us free to do our thing. I said we should go to England and properly research Drake and his voyages before sixteen hundred and the go to the various places he visited to gain the atmosphere of the locations. The operetta would have to all take place on the ship unless we could make some details disappear and add some scenery to allow the audience to think it was somewhere else. We would have to have each side of the stage look like the raised parts front and rear of a sailing ship. We could have a prop that looks like a hatch in the middle of the stage that can be removed between scenes. I thought that it would work with a minimum of fuss.

I reached over and took Joannes’ hands and said “Joanne, how is it that a few months ago we were singers and players in a band, today we are stars from a TV spectacular and tomorrow we could be producers of an operetta for TV. It makes me wonder what will be happening in a year from now.” She told me that it was the serendipity at work and that she was happy to support me as we went further on. She said that we had something to think about that would take us to lots of nice places. So the path opened up for us. We would need to secure our businesses in Nashville and then go to London to research where we go to next.

We went to K Beat to have a chat with Sarah and when we were in her office I told her about Simons’ challenge and my reaction to it. She asked me if this was the rumour that I was writing an operetta and I told her that nothing had been written but ideas had been thought of. I said that Joanne and I were going to the UK first and then would try a follow the route of Drakes voyage around the world. She said she would keep us in the loop if anything happened that we needed to know about. She wished us luck and we hugged and left.

We popped into the house that Minh was now the lessee of and had a chat with her. She had been very busy with her tours and signing sessions and was busy writing for a new album. I said I would be tidying up my workings for a week or so and will send her anything I had that may be suitable. She said that she had watched the Seattle show the week before and was very glad she did not have to play at that volume and with that intensity any more. She said she watched the show on Saturday night and was totally awed at my production; it was seamless and made such good TV. I said that it had taken a while to put together but I was glad we did it as it seemed to have opened more doors for us. She asked me if the Drake and Reece idea was going forward and I said that it was now our main project and I asked her if she wanted to be in it. I did say that Drake went around the world and that there may be a scene set in Asia. She said she would be in it if I would write a song that suited her.

When we left we went to see our ‘support crew’ who seemed to be shrinking as time went on. Jim was still in command and we had a long chat about the TV show. He told me that I was brilliant at my production values and that the final song was going to reverberate around the world. I told him that the rumour about Drake was true and I even had a cast but nothing written yet. He asked me the one question that no-one had before. “Patsy, what part will you be playing?” I had a thought and told him that I would not be on stage as the only part I could take was Lady Reece and she did not figure in the time scale we were talking about. He nodded at that and told me that I was metamorphosing into a writer and producer. I told him I was a writer first and foremost and, as for the second part, maybe I was just bossy.

On our way out Kay told me that she thought the show had been magnificent and she was so glad she had seen it twice as she knew what to look out for. I was glad everyone liked it but was getting a bit past it now. We went back to the ranch and told Mary we would be travelling a bit for a few months and asked her to look after the day to day business with the properties. If Bruce contacted her about any properties she was to inspect the site and send me her thoughts.

Joanne and I then spent several days in the studio going through all of my undeveloped songs and finalised about ten that we thought would suit Minh and emailed her the wave files with a note. We also worked on some ‘Amazon’ songs and sent them to Riordan with a note telling her of our intentions. I thought that a new ‘Amazon’ album was a year or so away so wasn’t fussed about writing any more. I emailed Peggy to say we were coming to England and asked if our rooms were vacant and she replied that everything would be ready for us and that she was looking forward to our arrival.

Kevin had emailed me with a list of places that were known ports in Drakes voyage and I answered him with thanks and told him I was coming to England and would get in touch again. We then booked our flights and packed our bags for the trip to London again. We flew to Boston for the flight to London. Whenever the airline staff saw our names we were treated very well, several commenting on the TV show. Back in London Peggy picked us up at Heathrow and drove us to the Manor where they were having a break before the music school starting in September. Peggy said it was to be a group from London who were learning African and West Indian drumming styles so we were certainly not needed for that one. We sat down with Greg and I explained what I was aiming for. The next day I went to see the vicar to ask what he knew of the earlier life of Reece but he didn’t know much at all. He did say, however, that he thought that Reece was not well schooled but a good sailor. His wife was a good reader and writer and was the brains of the family. He said that, of their five children, two sons went to America to better themselves while their three daughters all married well but died childless. It seems that I was part of the luckier side of the family.

Marianne G 2020