We've done The Planets twice, once in Manchester and once in Leeds. Both performances went well, although they were very different from each other. In Manchester, we stood in the choir assembly area in a big group facing away from the doors (which were opened just before we sang and closed gradually at the end, as instructed in the score). We (well, the altos at least) were instructed to sing as loudly as we possibly could. In Leeds, there were far fewer people singing, and we stood in a curved, narrow corridor just outside one of the doors to the auditorium; unlike in Manchester, there were audience members sitting right by the door, and we could see into the hall when the door was open. So when we sang as we'd been instructed in Manchester, of course it was far too loud, so some rapid adjustment was required.
(Apparently, after the Manchester concert, an audience member was heard to say "that was really good, but it's a pity they used a recording for the ladies' voices!" I hope that at least the Leeds audience was convinced we were really there...)
Actually, it was very odd singing The Planets without moving! I don't recall ever doing that before. We seem to have done the fadeout differently each time, although each time we've usually stood still until the actual fadeout bar. Let's see how many ways I can remember of doing that last bar:
• gradually turn through 180 degrees so we're facing away from the door
• gradually raise our music to cover our faces
• both of the above, one after the other
• walk backwards away from the stage
• gradually turn and then walk FORWARDS away from the stage (our favourite example of this was the time (at the Bridgewater Hall) that we sang from the side of the stage and then walked along the corridor to the bar)
Anyone remember any others?
We also had our first Mendelssohn 2 gig last Sunday (this is the only performance in Manchester, but we'll also be doing it in Spain and London). It went well, although I've only seen one review so far, in The Times, who said that "time and again [the choir] plunged us into a luxurious warm bath, scented with emollient harmonies". Not bad, although given that we were going for lightness and clarity, maybe not the review we might have hoped for! I think we DID achieve lightness and clarity, though, so maybe the reviewer just didn't have enough words to say that too...
I must admit that, although I really enjoyed the concert (as I always do), I'm feeling very demotivated about choir at the moment, and my self-esteem as a singer is at an all-time low. This is more to do with me (and the way my mind works) than with the choir, but I've been thinking about whether this summer might be a good point to leave. It has a certain symmetry - as I've mentioned before, Mendelssohn 2 is the first thing I ever sang with the choir, so it'd be fitting if it was the last thing as well. I haven't decided yet though - and maybe the trip to Spain will reinspire me and give me back some self-belief. I hope so, as I can't imagine life without choir!
Anyway, there are a LOT of links I need to share with you. Oh, and if you're looking for mp3s to practise with, my mp3 page doesn't yet have any Wagner, but it will as soon as I have the relevant mp3s (I have a source who has promised to send them). The Mendelssohn is still there, and I've just added the Barber Agnus Dei (I know we won't be doing that for a while, but it's hard so I thought I'd put it up while I remembered!)
(The Guardian included the Wagner gig on their list of top 50 things to see this spring, by the way. I think it's unlikely I'll be there, though, because the Manchester derby (i.e. United v City) has just been rescheduled to the afternoon of Sunday 10th May. Oh, and in case you haven't heard it, there's a very interesting interview about the project which you can download from the orchestra's website.)
The 2009 BBC Proms season has finally been unveiled, with the highlight of course being Prom 19 on 30th July (although I see that the Youth Choir get to go twice - they'll also be there on 6th September for Messiah). Advance booking (limited online and postal only) opens on Monday 20th April and general booking opens on Tuesday 26th May. In the Guardian, Charlotte Higgins lists her potential highlights; Tom Service does the same; and Stephen Hough (who was a couple of years about me at school - I wonder if he'd remember me?) talks about his Tchaikovsky proms.
From the Front of the Choir has a great post (although a slightly depressing one!) about the difficulties of hosting an English sing-along.
Norman Lebrecht writes about the Messiah tradition (there have also been a few TV programmes this weekend about the same topic, but I haven't seen any yet, although Sky+ has them for me!)
An interesting new CD release - a four-CD survey of British songwriting. Tom Service tells us more, including the interesting fact that the project is possible due to The Planets!
Paul Johnson writes about Richard Strauss (I'd forgotten it was an anniversary year for him!)
Here's a piece about Kathleen Ferrier's death, discussing what (if anything) she had in common with Jade Goody.
Via On an Overgrown Path: a performance of Cosi Fan Tutte in New York is asking the audience to send texts to choose the ending!
It was on the same blog that I first heard the sad news about the death of Maurice Jarre (do read the comments there too). The Guardian has an obituary.
Have you heard of the Sashimi Tabernacle Choir? No, I hadn't either. You may regret clicking on the link, especially if you watch their video! (And if you HAVE watched their video, the name you're trying to remember is this!)
Good news for opera fans - the BBC is extending its opera coverage - more on TV, and the radio stuff available online (I must admit I hadn't realised it wasn't already!)
If you, like me, knew nothing of the link between Manchester and Abraham Lincoln until recently, you may be interested by a recent MEN article that mentions it. (I can't find a link to our Abraham Lincoln gig - or in fact any of the summer prom concerts - on the orchestra's website - am I being blind?) (EDIT: Sheena points out that it's on the B Hall site.)
The prolific Tom Service has a thought-provoking article about why young people have been driven away from classical music.
A recent Guardian editorial compares Purcell with the Beach Boys.
Gramophone has a list of orchestras that change lives.
From VHK, news of a choral music exhibition at Oxford's Bodleian Library. I wish I could go and see this, but it's very unlikely, so I'll have to make do with living vicariously through VHK.
A great article (not specifically music-related) on the BBC News site, about how a piece of art can change your life.
From ChoralNet: the choices facing the conductor when the performance falls apart.
From the same blog: news of how a Canadian choir is trying to recruit tenors.
And also via the same blog: news of Handel's eating disorder.
An interesting initiative by Sky Arts: a virtual trip to the opera, including backstage camera. I don't have Sky Arts - did any of you see this?
Peter Phillips writes about vibrato.
Charles Hazlewood writes about British classical music - and it looks as if he has a TV series about this starting soon too.
Anthony Sayer, at the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra blog, writes about what conductors are for.
And in today's news, the pianist who has conquered Tourette's.
Finally, a few non-musical links: Rachel Cooke writes about fighting to save libraries. Nostalgic, thought-provoking and depressing.
The Big Picture is always fabulous, but I particularly liked these photos of the recent Earth Hour, in which you can click to see the difference with the lights out.
If you're still a bit baffled by Twitter, here's an article explaining it more thoroughly. And if any other choir people (other than Dr Liz and I) have signed up, let me know!
Here's a handy list of things you may not have realised you can do with Google.
Other things you may not have realised existed: several of my friends are raving about Graze, which I haven't tried but seems like a great service.
TV Catchup is a free LEGAL online service for watching programmes from the most popular UK TV channels.
Couch Surfing is a way to travel very cheaply by staying on people's couches.
And, finally finally, two things that have amused me this week: a recent Dilbert comic, and this incident at the station on Wednesday night:
(The guy on the bench was extremely drunk, and it seems he had created that puddle...)
7 comments:
My favourite Planets fade out was in the Free Trade Hall when we started in the lounge and 'faded' down the fire escape. It meant we were in the car and on the way home before the applause began! My favourite Planets experience though was singing from the back of a lorry at Jodrell bank.
Ooh, I'm jealous of the Jodrell one! Wish I'd been there. I vaguely remember the FTH one. BUt now I've just remembered the most surreal one - the time we went to sing it in a tent at Salford Quays, and we didn't get to sing at all because rain started coming into the tent and the orchestra walked offstage during Saturn!
The BH website has a link to our Abraham Lincoln concert:
http://www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk/performance/13911.aspx
So it does! Thank you.
Here's the link we've been waiting for:
http://www.halle.co.uk/publishedSite/hpc_sat4july09.asp
Thanks Sheena. Wonder why it took them so long!
Because they've only just got around to inviting singers for Gerontius. Those responsible for this site should be fired (unless an element of nepotism is involved!)
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