Anyway, tonight we sang through almost everything we will be singing tomorrow. Note the ‘almost’. It will be a fine day – and probably the end of the world – when we actually go through the whole programme the day before a performance. That would be far too cosy and safe, wouldn’t it? Can’t be having us cosy and safe.
I arrived a little early for once and was delighted to come upon an intense rehearsal of the musical accompaniment to the Lully pieces. All three of our musicians had turned up and it was sounding really rather good. Tamsin was almost asleep, having had a looooooong day but still managed to pluck her harp strings with extraordinary energy. It was lovely to hear the three of them play together at long last – we’ve had Nikos on his guitar and Sebastian on his cello but never Nikos and Sebastian and never Tamsin at all. Once everyone turned up we spent a fair bit of time putting the whole thing together and it’s going to be fun. The basses – the three that are left (I forgot about Luke last week because he wasn’t there – that’s a bit insulting, isn’t it?) - were a little hesitant at first and they do have a tricky time coming in in the right place bit they were certainly sounding OK by the time we finished. Chris has a solo in the first (second) Entrée (oo! An accent. Thank you) and sings it splendidly. Usually. For some reason, on one of our run-throughs, he went completely and horribly wrong for no discernible reason at all…. one second he was singing merrily away and then came a wrong note and then another one and then…. well, there were no more notes, just the wrong one repeated rather a lot of times. Oh, it was funny. Kay was beside herself and she wasn’t the only one. It is so very hard to sing when killing oneself laughing. There was many a squawk and splutter. Poor Christopher had no idea at all how things went so badly wrong. I think it was a sort of out-of-body experience. Let’s hope he stays well inside his body tomorrow evening. [Poor Christopher realised later that he had mysteriously started singing the next page of the piece]
Abendlied was a bit of a nightmare. I had very little idea what I was doing first time round but had remembered it by the second go, only finding it pretty tricky to sing with any confidence or gusto – gusto isn’t quite what’s required for this one but it does go a long way towards making it sound as if we know what we’re singing. And I’m not sure we do, not really. Ah well. Another practise tomorrow and maybe we’ll get through it without too many nasties. Ah, the wishful-thinking phenomenon…. where would we be without it?
Oh yes, forgot to mention that Ollie’s friend, Andrew, came to beat a drum and tap a tambourine along with us in the Lully pieces. He learns quickly, he does. And he knows Ol well enough to be able to say to him, “I do need to know the difference between…” (hand flap) “And…” (almost imperceptibly different hand flap). Don’t we all? The percussion adds just that little je ne sais what to the proceedings. Good stuff.
Well, I promised you two reports this week and I have delivered numero uno. Short and sweet (uninformative) but very much in evidence. Clever me. How much are you willing to wager against me managing the second? I shall do my best to confound your expectations but
don’t hold your breath waiting….
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