Once again typing on my knees with lowered head. I’m doing this even though, having had to miss choir on Wednesday due to a dose of shingles (there’s something very humiliating about admitting that, I don’t know why), I have no Rudsambee chat, gossip or revelations to submit for your delectation. I do have an anti-viral drug-induced headache of quite monumental proportions so I hope you all appreciate my endeavours. I say ‘all’ though I have little doubt that ‘all’ gave up on this blog long ago, it having become so erratic and unreliable but if there is one solitary, loyal and forgiving reader left out there then I address you, Sir/Madam and thank you, too, for perseverance beyond the call of duty.
What I can tell you is that we had our first concert with the new material on Thursday of last week at the National Gallery of Scotland – a strange place to sing where each member of the choir can hear their own dulcet tones perfectly but has no idea at all what anyone else is singing. This is a little disconcerting; particularly when pesky Olde French words one knew perfectly well go waltzing off to look at the paintings when they are required to be present in one’s head with a view to leaving one’s mouth and entering the consciousness of the audience in an order which makes some sort of sense – or at the very least matches that coming out of the mouths of fellow Rudsambeeites. We were divided into two choirs for the performance of ‘Une Puce’ and Choir 1, in which I wasn’t, sounded as if they did just fine – dare I say, very well indeed. Choir 2, in which I was, may have sounded just as good for all I know but I am painfully aware that my second half of verse 4 was upstairs gawping at the Impressionists when it was supposed to be meeting the gathered throng and I sang complete gobbledegook probably far too loudly. As for the others in Choir 2, who knows? Couldn’t hear ‘em.
The first performance of the year, with new songs (some of which are undeniably tricky) was bound to be scary. Some things went very well and others not so; some things went very fast, Ollie, didn’t they? but it’s always good to get concert #1 out of the way because it becomes (sometimes all too-)clear what needs work and what we can feel confidence in. The people who came to listen – of whom there was a very respectable number – seemed to enjoy themselves which is the main thing and for us, well, onwards and upwards. We have a busy year ahead and by the end of it will be quite brilliant, as usual.
I’d like to say here that this was Luke’s first concert with us so congratulations to him and lots of pats on the back which I’m not sure he received post-concert due to the complicated and protracted ‘where to go drinking’ discussions which took place in the foyer while a very polite doorman began to look rather pained at having to extend his working hours well beyond what was reasonable. Apologies to both doorman and Luke but priorities are, after all, priorities.
Next we have a trip to Cranshaws on May Day which should be fun – they always make us very welcome. We missed our usual Christmas concert there having tried and failed to make our way through the snow. I believe there is to be a barbeque beforehand (yum) instead of our usual mulled wine and mince-pies and it will be interesting to see the village in daylight and – dare I say, sunshine? Fingers crossed….
After that we have Douglas’s wedding to look forward to. I have just seen our song list and there are one or two titles there that mean absolutely nothing to me – ah, well, I suppose we must pay for our pleasures! Better get learning.
Sunday, 25 April 2010
Friday, 16 April 2010
Art for music's sake
Those of us who had sung in the National Gallery before were a little hesitant about it, as we remembered the acoustics as being rather unhelpful. Robin, Rachael and Chris remarked that their last time there was also their first concert, which led to a few moments reminiscing pre-concert.
We went on to find an excellent turnout - it's surprising how many people one can fit into half a room in a gallery! After a jolly introduction from Maestro Boy we launched into Bogoroditsye Dyevo and before we knew it we had finished. Thirty minute concerts are a breeze, even when some of the music is a mite challenging to perform or listen to.
Much praise from the punters, as we are (humbly) accustomed to. One last-minute attendee later commented that she had, "... her mood lifted by a gorgeous concert by Rudsambee (Company of Singers) with a backdrop of Velasquez. Cheered me up enough that I'm going to crack on and do another hour of work..." Apparently she had been impressed that we were singing in front of her favourite painting, only to discover that there was going to be a talk about tha very painting in a few days time. Excellent coincidence!
Jenny then led a hungry coterie to find some garlic-laden foodstuffs post-performance, as her garlicphobe hubby is away for a few days. Hopefully the smell will abate in time...
We've now got two rehearsals before our trip to Cranshaws, which is to replace the Christmas concert which was called off due to snow. Saturday 1st May, if anyone is in the area and not too worn out after Beltane the previous night. And then another fortnight before we sing for Douglas and Jean's wedding! Busy spring, huh?
We went on to find an excellent turnout - it's surprising how many people one can fit into half a room in a gallery! After a jolly introduction from Maestro Boy we launched into Bogoroditsye Dyevo and before we knew it we had finished. Thirty minute concerts are a breeze, even when some of the music is a mite challenging to perform or listen to.
Much praise from the punters, as we are (humbly) accustomed to. One last-minute attendee later commented that she had, "... her mood lifted by a gorgeous concert by Rudsambee (Company of Singers) with a backdrop of Velasquez. Cheered me up enough that I'm going to crack on and do another hour of work..." Apparently she had been impressed that we were singing in front of her favourite painting, only to discover that there was going to be a talk about tha very painting in a few days time. Excellent coincidence!
Jenny then led a hungry coterie to find some garlic-laden foodstuffs post-performance, as her garlicphobe hubby is away for a few days. Hopefully the smell will abate in time...
We've now got two rehearsals before our trip to Cranshaws, which is to replace the Christmas concert which was called off due to snow. Saturday 1st May, if anyone is in the area and not too worn out after Beltane the previous night. And then another fortnight before we sing for Douglas and Jean's wedding! Busy spring, huh?
Friday, 2 April 2010
Making up for lost blogs...
How efficient is this? Go me!
We had some people missing last night due to the snow. SNOW? AGAIN?? What’s that all about, then? And then today the sun was shining really very warmly when I left home and I was quite hot when I got into town but at 4.30, the sun still shining, it was HAILING in Marchmont. I am confused. And obviously far too English if I am discussing the weather.
Anyway, the numbers were better than last week which, considering the imminence of the next concert, was something of a relief. We even had new dad Angus there, who has been rather tied to home recently with the advent of young Maxwell. It was great to have him back and looking remarkably well-rested considering. But I think I heard him say that the baby wakes up twice a night; is this possible? Only twice? What happened to every hour on the hour like my own little darlings? No wonder he looks OK: 'e don't know 'e's born. (Ha). We gave him (for Max, of course) a musical caterpillar (oh, he will bless us for that in a few months time!).
We spent a long time trying to memorise one of the Armenian songs which was harder work than it should have been – for everyone except the basses who don’t sing it so had nothing to do (but wonder at the slowness of others, I suppose). Somehow those words just wouldn’t sink in. There aren’t even that many of them; they’re just sort of almost the same but not quite in places which is very confusing. I’m sure we’ll get there eventually. Sadly, I thought I had before we started rehearsing – then I realised all the work (ahem...) I’d done during the week had been for nought. Ah, well! C’est la vie.
Which brings me neatly to:
The lovely Debussy, Dieu! Qu’il la fait bon regarder (see what that’s done to my computer – there’s green and red squiggles all over the place) is back on the programme so we had to do a fair bit of work on that, though it was pretty well-remembered on the whole. Luke has never sung it before so it was only reasonable to give him a chance to learn it and a refresher course is never wasted on the rest of us. Inevitably there was discussion as to French pronunciation – a perennial favourite with the linguists (and those who think they are) amongst us. We will never all agree. Just as we all speak English with a marvellous variety of accents and vowel sounds we will always have problems coming to a consensus on the proper way to speak (sing) French [or other languages, for that matter] which is, after all, not the first language of any of us. Trouble is, enough of us have made a fist of learning it in the past and think we know what we're talking about (in theory, anyway, even if we can’t quite put it into practice!) whereas give us Armenian or Gaelic or Norwegian and we haven’t a clue so we can’t argue [although we usually do]. What larks, as our former Blogstress might have said.
Another stab at By Falsehood and, by George I think she’s got it! Well, very nearly. Concentration is the answer. A bit of counting helps but we’re not supposed to do too much of that, apparently. We have to listen to the sopranos and go with them. That’s all right then. Sorted.
Happy Easter, Everyone. May you eat much chocolate but not be sick. Adieu.
We had some people missing last night due to the snow. SNOW? AGAIN?? What’s that all about, then? And then today the sun was shining really very warmly when I left home and I was quite hot when I got into town but at 4.30, the sun still shining, it was HAILING in Marchmont. I am confused. And obviously far too English if I am discussing the weather.
Anyway, the numbers were better than last week which, considering the imminence of the next concert, was something of a relief. We even had new dad Angus there, who has been rather tied to home recently with the advent of young Maxwell. It was great to have him back and looking remarkably well-rested considering. But I think I heard him say that the baby wakes up twice a night; is this possible? Only twice? What happened to every hour on the hour like my own little darlings? No wonder he looks OK: 'e don't know 'e's born. (Ha). We gave him (for Max, of course) a musical caterpillar (oh, he will bless us for that in a few months time!).
We spent a long time trying to memorise one of the Armenian songs which was harder work than it should have been – for everyone except the basses who don’t sing it so had nothing to do (but wonder at the slowness of others, I suppose). Somehow those words just wouldn’t sink in. There aren’t even that many of them; they’re just sort of almost the same but not quite in places which is very confusing. I’m sure we’ll get there eventually. Sadly, I thought I had before we started rehearsing – then I realised all the work (ahem...) I’d done during the week had been for nought. Ah, well! C’est la vie.
Which brings me neatly to:
The lovely Debussy, Dieu! Qu’il la fait bon regarder (see what that’s done to my computer – there’s green and red squiggles all over the place) is back on the programme so we had to do a fair bit of work on that, though it was pretty well-remembered on the whole. Luke has never sung it before so it was only reasonable to give him a chance to learn it and a refresher course is never wasted on the rest of us. Inevitably there was discussion as to French pronunciation – a perennial favourite with the linguists (and those who think they are) amongst us. We will never all agree. Just as we all speak English with a marvellous variety of accents and vowel sounds we will always have problems coming to a consensus on the proper way to speak (sing) French [or other languages, for that matter] which is, after all, not the first language of any of us. Trouble is, enough of us have made a fist of learning it in the past and think we know what we're talking about (in theory, anyway, even if we can’t quite put it into practice!) whereas give us Armenian or Gaelic or Norwegian and we haven’t a clue so we can’t argue [although we usually do]. What larks, as our former Blogstress might have said.
Another stab at By Falsehood and, by George I think she’s got it! Well, very nearly. Concentration is the answer. A bit of counting helps but we’re not supposed to do too much of that, apparently. We have to listen to the sopranos and go with them. That’s all right then. Sorted.
Happy Easter, Everyone. May you eat much chocolate but not be sick. Adieu.
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