I took these photos on the way home last Thursday - magic land !
I thought you might like to see them!
My lovely young Mezzo has worked so hard these last two days, we have pushed through Mozart, Purcell, Faure, Schubert and Vaughan Williams. She absorbs information like an artistic sponge, and will hopefully retain all the teaching she has had. Her recital is at the end of the week, so fingers crossed it goes as well as last time when she gained the highest mark in her year. I give her key words for each piece akin to a sort of vocal shorthand. It is such a beautiful programme requiring both skill and stamina, as well as the ability to become a lunatic in the 'Bess of Bedlam' aria by Purcell, called 'Mad Bess'. Eyes wide and staring L !!!
Have done my term dates sheet for distribution, and it seems I do only have 8 teaching weeks between now and March 21st, fitted in around all the adjudication ! The music room is glowing, and fully ready for the teaching enslaught tomorrow, but I hesitate to feel as though I am working hard when chatting to my daughter last night who works something along the lines of 60 hours teaching in her week, and after a long phone call to a much loved old pupil who is now a Headmistress at The Mount School, York, who seems to work from dawn to bed time, with the odd pause for a meal or coffee !
Both tell me they love their jobs and do not mind the long hours.........actually I remember that feeling. Leaping out of bed, excited that I was taking a rehearsal, teaching a favourite aria, or set designing for a show. I am so glad that they have that same musical and professional frisson in their own lives.
Mind you, it is hell trying to get either of them on the phone!
Beautiful but cold.
ReplyDeleteIt is still Summer holidays here for about three more weeks and then I have to discover exactly what classes I have this year - I had two combined into one last year which worked out better than I thought considering one class was mostly 8 year olds and the other was 11 year olds. Their craft skills were about the same due to the fact that the school hasn't had the upper class very consistently until the whole school shifted to its present location about three years back so most of those children were having to catch up. They may get to their required level this year as they worked quite hard last year.
I do find this sort of teaching fun.
viv in nz