Singing has always brought me wonderful friendships, which on the whole have lasted a lifetime. Tomorrow, some past and present students of mine with be giving a performance for my oldest friend and past duet partner as part of her birthday party. It will be an outside Glyndebournesque evening in her magnificent garden which has a river and rolling lawns as the backdrop.
Somehow, when one performs the bond with fellow performers is a very honest one. When the nerves kick in one sees the real person, the frightened person and the person who is totally dependent upon their fellow team members. If you can get through that honesty (and often bad temper - but never me you understand - watch the nose grow!) to the cameraderie and unspoken trust, then the friendships are real winners.
This particular friend was my duet partner when we were girls, and competing in the very Music Festivals at which I now adjudicate! We won lots of trophies in many competitions, and sang a great deal in concerts, but long after that was all done what we really 'won' was a life long relationship which has moved through all the major events of life.
She told me not to bring my silly 'arty' ways, when my post duetting theatrical life became too 'darlingy', and I made her see that Benjamin Britten had some value - even if you could'nt whistle the tunes! (Honestly what a philistine!)
We sang a gorgeous but simple duet called 'The Passage Bird's Farewell' by Mendelssohn, and we even bought matching dresses in pink and green flowers - we must have looked like something out of 'Hair' the original version! However the sound was a little less raucous! Now that must have been in 1970..................
I have given the self same duet many times to pupils, but none was more colourful than our psychedelic version!
We all need bringing down to earth sometimes and for that I always rely on my curly headed soprano pal!
Flowery dresses rule ! But you will never see the photo!
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