Singing with a chamber orchestra is incredible! But singing with a head cold is less than pleasant. In rehearsal I can’t tell that I’m sick at all. No symptoms seem to exist in the land of solo choir and chamber orchestra. Outside of rehearsal I’m groggy, stuffy, achy, and generally off my game.
It’s interesting to me to see how different I can feel in one day. I started out this morning feeling logy and snotty (literally and figuratively). Slowly waking up, spending time working on the German pronunciation of the pieces I’m singing, trying to get the words to fit with the rhythms and then add the notes in and then pick up speed so that in the end I can sing the lines flawlessly. It’s hard, slogging work, repeat and repeat again. It’s a good thing the kids are at school. They hate when I’ve got head phones on and am singing off key (because it’s impossible to sing with earphones on and stay in tune), repeating the same phrase ad nauseum. They don’t complain much, but they say enough to let me know it’s not pleasant.
Comparing this feeling to the feeling of being on the stage behind the chamber orchestra, in between glorious tenor and glorious soprano. It’s a little slice of heaven. Musical lines dancing back and forth between instrument and voice and from voice to voice. It feels effortless, and then clunk. . . wrong words, messed up rhythm, music halts. Sigh. The director is a generous soul who works with me. He is encouraging.
Then home to a house full of lively teenagers and husband. They’re laughing and talking and folding laundry. I’m wired from singing and exhausted. Can’t sleep, but need to.
I’m headed off to a third night of rehearsal, this time with full chamber orchestra (last night was just the continuo: keyboard, cello, upright bass and bassoon), full choir and solo choir.
ttfn,
songmom
