Wagnerian pigtails

Several of us felt the urge to put our hair in pigtails for tonight's gig. (Sadly the audience never got to see this, because we were offstage throughout. But I feel it must've added to the vibe :p ) However, someone asked why pigtails are associated with Wagner women, and I found that I didn't know! Rachel has since emailed me this interesting link about the Valkyries, but I feel more investigation is still needed. And while we're on the subject, I'm sure I've read somewhere that Brunnhilde is the origin of the saying "the opera ain't over till the fat lady sings", as in one of the Ring Cycle operas she doesn't appear at all until the very end. However, last time I tried to find some evidence for this, I didn't get very far. Anyone know more than me?

The gig went fine (review here - thanks Graham), although there was a lot of discontent at the start of the rehearsal because we'd been called for 6.30 (which was a real struggle for a lot of people) yet the warm-up didn't actually start till 6.45. I went to mention this to Jamie (in my role as alto rep) and discovered that he'd thought we'd been called for 6.45, which is why he hadn't apologised. He was mortified! Unfortunately he didn't really have a chance to address everyone after that, but I'm sure he'll say something at the next rehearsal.

(Oh, and I hope, for Jamie's sake, that the phonecam video filmed by Dicky of him doing his facial exercises at the start of the warm-up doesn't make it online :p )

No rehearsal next week, so we won't meet again till 8th June (and I'm delighted that it's at the RNCM; I really, really, REALLY hate going to WHGS, so much so that whenever we're there - which is most of the time - it generally takes me at least half an hour before the enjoyment of the rehearsal wipes out my grumpiness at having to go there). I've been meaning to do a series of posts on "most memorable choir gigs EVER", though, so maybe I'll get round to that in the next week.