My first full day of freedom! There is always that feeling of being let out of jail the day after a show finishes. I did wake up this morning with every melody from HMS Pinafore zooming around my brain altogether, like a great symphony of Gilbert and Sullivan ! It was a bit all consuming so I had to put the TV on to help flick the show 'off switch'.
The final venue was cleared this morning, so I had a visit from the set van bringing me some large wooden backdrops, which are now residing in my barn on a slow journey to complete rot down! The final timbers of the ship may end up heating my house next winter - a jolly fine resting place for them I say!
The after show party was a great hit. It was in a local hotel, and after the usual thanks and flowers the younger and stronger element of the crew got down to the serious business of beer, which they managed to sustain until around 7am this morning. Thank the Lord that I no longer have to join that particular party, and sparkle til dawn - actually from what I understand there was a bit of snoozy respite between pints !
Singing in a show, whether chorus or principal is such a bonding thing. I mentioned in an earlier post that to work successfully, complete trust has to build amongst the team. I love the fact that many of my past pupils who shared so many shows over the last 20 years, still feel that bond when they meet up, and thus have an affection for one another, which has grown from those close up and personal moments. That does not mean that they are bosom friends, or may have even chosen each other as mates in another life, but it says, that warts and all, we were in something together, which in small but important ways, changed all our lives. I feel just the same. My life is just as entwined - or maybe entangled with theirs.
I hope the newer members of that family feel they are just as important part of that history, and are equally as important. A thread of song from the first youngsters who were thrown together in around 1980, up to those of all ages who are still being musically jettisoned into each other's performing orbit in 2010.
Some of those past shows are ;
The Mikado
Iolanthe
Dido and Aeneas
The Marriage of Figaro
Let's Make an Opera
The Gondoliers
Albert Herring
The Pirates of Penzance
The Rape of Lucretia
Trial by Jury
and on and on and on............
I have tried to cover all styles and genre in my teaching and production, well all those styles suitable for young voices!
Any particular favourites in the list ?
I admit to a weakness for 'The Magic Flute' despite our rather weird costumes when we performed it. Performing that as a young person was fun. I was part of the spirits trio and wore a thing like a tennis dress and white tights. There was an enormous halo thing stuck to a bathing cap on top, and three pairs of mismatched legs underneath (one short and dumpy - me - one bandy and one tall and clothes peg like).
ReplyDeleteAs for viewing - has to be Gilbert and Sullivan. I do like the comedic stuff heaps. As for a favorite - how about whichever one I happen to have watched most recently :)
viv in nz
I must say - as you can probably gather, I love Britten, Mozart and G&S - The Magic Flute does not work with young voices - too much Basso Profundo and Coloratura soprano! It is a great show though!
ReplyDeleteHi Ann, just became a follower of your blog. Can't remember how I found you but have enjoyed reading some of your archives. Look forward to hearing more from you.
ReplyDeleteTeresa
Dear Teresa,
ReplyDeleteThankyou so much for your kind comments. I am so wonderfully surprised that folk are interested!
Ann
We imported professionals for some of those parts including a tenor who objected strongly to the odd costume and spent the rest of the performances in something that resembled an old fashioned dressing gown! Worse than the original if you ask me :)
ReplyDeleteviv