Listen and Learn...

... is what I’d told myself I’d do but this is only possible if one is present when new songs are being practised which, on Wednesday, I wasn’t. Why not? Well, simply because I forgot we were rehearsing at Priestfield Church this week rather than in Morningside so I was rather late – doh! Add to this that, once I arrived, there were no spare copies for me to peruse while the others were singing and you will see that my chances of getting acquainted with whatever it’s called were slim indeed.

You will gather from this introduction that I am still unable to join the merry chorus. My voice has returned though it remains somewhat temperamental and liable to disappear into a sulk if overused (three sentences and it’s getting grumpy; four, and it’s stormed off to the bedroom and slammed the door) but singing is out of the question at present, a gentle hum in the shower being all that I can manage and that a little unsteadily. I am hoping that by resting it sufficiently well (if only idle chatter and raucous laughter were not quite so attractive) I will be ready to take my place at our Christmas concerts. There may be a song or two for which I have to sit out but I can’t begin to imagine missing out altogether.

So – again it was rather lovely (most of the time) to sit and listen. The new song, name of which, tune of which I have no idea, sounds great and newbie Harriet does a beautiful solo at the beginning. I don’t think it sounds all that difficult to learn but – famous last words and all that, it’s probably a stinker.
The church was chilly – of course – but thanks to the kind ministrations of Chris who enveloped me in his jacket and then his scarf (I already had two on so no one can say that my throat was neglected) and then his gloves, I did not freeze completely solid. The singers were probably not much better off, though expending energy in thought and action no doubt warmed them a little. I took to mouthing the words of the songs in an effort to generate a little more bodily heat but, really, it’s not much of a solution to numbing toes and goose-pimpled knees so don’t rely on this tactic if you find yourself lost in Arctic wastes at any point in the future. My charging up and down the aisles and waving my arms about may have proved a tad too distracting for the choir, who were working very hard, so I felt obliged to sit still but I do think energetic movement is probably the answer when the ice is setting in.

The Christmas programme is coming together nicely. And for those of you who live nearby and don’t sing with the choir, get your Rosslyn Chapel tickets soon as they are going fast. And if you are planning to attend bring blankets and hot-water bottles because my! is it cold. But so worth it.

This is a very feeble effort, I know but I don’t have much to say for myself this week (ha!) and with a bit of luck both my actual and my cyber voices will be in better shape next time.

Off out to dinner now. Yum.