A wonderful concert

Well!
Saturday was certainly an experience.  The day started early for me as I had to complete the staging (after having taken it to pieces on Wednesday, because of Friday's funeral in St Paul's).  So - up to the church at 9 o'clock, coat off and set to.  Then off to pick up Jonathan, our organist for the concert, from Woldingham Station.  After settling Jonathan, off to Sainsbury's to pick up glasses, juice etc and then back to the church.

A good afternoon rehearsal, helped Jasmine get tea ready for our guests (instrumentalists, soloists and Paul, our esteemed MD) and then sat down for a brief respite befor girding up my loins, getting changed into my DJ and getting ready to give it my all.

The concert went really well, with lots and lots of very nice comments from the audience.  Two possible new men singers were approached and spoken to during the interval and then the excitement of Leonard Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms", followed, as usual, by clearing up.  Everyone helped, for which I am eternally grateful, and I finally got to sit down to a glass of wine before bed at jsut before 11.00.

Shattered, exhausted but elated!  I hope everyone had as good a time as I did.

Wednesday's Rehearsal

Pretty well everyone arrived in good time as requested and we got under way just after 7.45pm.  There seemed to be just about the right amount of space, although I added a little more of our own staging at break time to leave room for those who coudn't make Wednesday's rehearsal.  We dindn't sing everything as Paul seemed pleased with the sound we managed to make and we needed to concentrate on the Allegri, the Purcell and one or two other bits including the Bernstein.  Our various soloists did us proud - Helen making a lovely job of the Mendelssohn, in spite of a cold and little voice.  Annie and Heather blended beautifully in the Greene (the first time we have heard them), Heather also making a super job of a difficult and exposed top B flat in the Bernstein.  We didn't sing the Wesley, so Marion did not get to shine, but she made a lovely job of her solo the previous Monday.  Last but by no means least was Jill's alto solo in the Bernstein which was fully up to the high standards set by eveyone else.  Jan and John only gave us one verse (of half the quartet) in the Allegri as Sue was not there and our chorister from Guildford will join us on Saturday.  Paul doesn't have any doubts about the quartet and Jan, John and Sue are reliable and solid - what would we do without them.
I didn't mention Ed in the list of soloists.  We have been able to rely on Ed to keep the tenors in line since he joined us and he has a lovely voice suited to all the solos he has been given.  So sad that he will be leaving us after the Choral Evensong in Guildford on 21 April, but so pleased for him that he will be taking up family life and re-joining his wife and daughter in Coventry.  I'm sure that there is a fortunate choir up there that will benefit from our loss.  Thank you so much for your company Ed, and best wishes.

Getting ready

Lots of hard work yesterday getting the staging ready for the last rehearsal before the day of the concert.  I was joined by Paul, our Music Director at 9.30am, ready to collect the staging we have borrowed from Woodlea School.  Two trailer loads later saw Paul and I rapidly warming up in the very cold temperature, unloading the staging into the church.
By about 11.30am we'd figured out a) how to erect it and b) where to erect it to provide space for the percussionist, his drums, cymbals (and as Paul later put it, his saucepans, washing up bowl etc!) and the harpist, not forgetting to leave a sight-line for the organist.
Only time would tell later on when the choir arrive for rehearsal if we'd left enough space for the singers!
After Paul's hard work and to celebrate my birthday, we retired to the Whyte Lion in Warlingham for a couple of most welcome pints and lunch (on me).