CROUCH END JOURNAL

The Show must go on for the Crouch End Festival Chorus - and not even
a crushed foot could stop them being rock n' roll stars.

The choir's collaboration with Britpop pioneers Oasis at the Electric
Proms could have hit a bum note after a microphone stand fell on
conductor David Temple during a sound check. He said: "I have been in
and out of hospital all morning having X-rays. A heavy duty stand fell
on my foot but I battled on. I would never have missed it."

The 50-strong group have now hinted the closing performance at the
event on Sunday could just be a taste of things to come. "Musically it
was so fantastic but also such fun. Noel is one of the most charming
people I've ever worked with," he said. "There aren't any firm plans
for future collaborations but we are getting nice vibes.

"We respect each other and the choral music works well with rock
music. I think of ourselves as their Wonderwall."

The Manchester five-piece revealed they wanted to play with the choir
after plans for the pairing to feature on new album Dig Out Your Soul
fell through. Noel Gallagher said on BBC 6 Music: "Out of all the
songs on the album there are two that didn't make it that have got a
50-piece choir. The original idea for this album was to record it with
this choir in Abbey Road and for whatever reason it didn't happen. "So
when we got offered the Proms, we called them up and said 'I know we
let you down but do you fancy doing a few tunes?'"

Mr Temple said they were in talks with the band over the album but it
never happened after the group decided to record the album in America.
He added: "I didn't know much about Oasis when they first came out,
but me and Noel chatted about his family and had a good banter about
football. "They have this reputation but from our collaboration it's
just unrecognisable."

The gig saw the choir play six hits with the group including
Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger at the Camden Roundhouse.