We had a short and excellent rehearsal tonight, and as I said earlier all we are waiting for now is Adrenalin, to add the final frisson of musicality.
Will comment upon that after the concerts!
I was pondering about the intricacies of putting the concert programme together this afternoon. Each set of items for any concert are completely different and individual. This list is heavy on the 'light' and 'humorous', rather than serious and 'heavy'. That makes the jigsaw puzzle all the more tricky.
A programme is an organic being in it's own right. We try to start with strength, but not the strongest in the group - that must come towards the end of each half, put less confident newcomers in the first half, so the nerves don't have such a long wait and become overpowering, and build the arch of the evening carefully so every listener is kept interested!
Quite an ask really ! When the list of repertoire is biased towards one style or genre is is much more tricky to find that aforementioned and often elusive 'arch'. Well it is done now, and the few more serious items peak at the end of the first half, and the light, bubbly , fun items fill the second half to busting! The only less light moment in the second half is the Goodall, Lord is my Shepherd, all the moments around that range from Gershwin's 'Summertime', and two of the 'tinies' singing a Hebridean folk song and 'John Brown's Body', via some Jerome Kern and Gilbert and Sullivan.
The art of programme planning is complex, and needs a sensitivity of touch. Nobody wants to follow 'small and cute', so always best to put something choral or ensembley after little ones, and breaking up a run of solos with some duets or quartets is a must.
Even though we are 'light' heavy - so to speak - I feel sure it will all come together really well, and the jigsaw pieces will become a whole.
Fingers crossed!
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