At Catherine's Palace we had music five ways. First: a flautist was playing flute in one of the rooms. Second: a pianist was playing harpsichord in another room. Third: in the Grand Ballroom was a chamber music ensemble. Two violins a cello and a viola. Fourth: a group of five players. A man playing accordion, a man playing the triangular guitar. Two women singing and playing the Russian version of maracas. Another man would sing and whistle repeatedly throughout each song.
All the time they were singing and dancing. Fifth: a marching band which played on our entrance and when we were outside as we were exiting they played again. There was dancing in the ballroom, dancing while we were having dinner with the folk singing group and as we exited the dancers from the ballroom change costumes and danced out in the courtyard.
The harpsichord player
The Ensemble of chamber music
the largest Ballroom in the world
Oh my who is this, our Tsar?
Indeed it is and his lady
Dancing for their dinner
Me and my lady
Shall we dance
time to March
A fine accordion player
Your guitar is triangular sir
Whistlers whistling uncle
She sang but played some russian-style maracas
Also a Maraca player
They served a shot of vodka with our dinner but neither Leslie nor I drink the poison
no it is not Anderson Cooper
Hoi hoi hoi hoi
hitting the high notes
Hitting the higher notes
Oi, even I have a headache
swing your partner round and round
Coming in for the grab
Grabbing on to the waist
Lifting under the arms
And she is Airborne
Little too much going on here
And back down safely
That's how you swing her around
