One step foward and two steps back!

By 'eck, I knew there would be challenging times ahead when I joined this choir and we are approaching one rapidly! After last week's - how shall I put it - less than successful rehearsal, things went slightly better this Thursday, but only slightly! 'My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose' and 'Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen' continue to baffle and frustrate in equal measure. Why it is I'm not entirely sure to be honest because I've found another new one (to me at least) 'Creations Hymn', to be quite easy.

Chris Hill and any other choir members who have read this blog in recent weeks will no doubt be wondering just when they are going to see some evidence of my newly discovered voice that has emerged during lessons with Caroline. It has certainly been conspiculous by its absence during these last two LMVC rehearsals that's for sure.  What is obvious is that when I am confident that I know the song and my own part, I can sing 'with gay abandon' as Caroline puts it. But when I don't know it well and I mess up, my fragile confidence shatters and things go pear-shaped very quickly. After that I can barely get a note right.

But not to worry. Hopefully things will continue to improve before October 15th. It should also be a case of  'safety in numbers'  too with the 100+ voices there to disguise any dodgy bits. After the LOROS event though I guess we'll be concentrating on our 'core' for 2011-12, which will hopefully allow me to get to know that group of songs really well. Then gentlemen, you might just start to hear a bit of the voice that is within me coming out, instead of retreating into it's shell like a turtle's head!

Saturday October 1st brings another wedding for the Caroline Sharpe Singers, this time at Wymeswold. And to add to the fun, this one is a military wedding which means lots of chaps in uniform apparently! For some inexplicable reason, the ladies seem to be really looking forward to this one. Hmmm!?! Wonder why?

For this one, as previously mentioned, I'm going to have a stab at the tenor parts for two of the hymns, though one of them only requires it for the second verse. I'm nearly there, so it should be fine, provided I don't see a return of the dreaded mucous that hampered my last lesson. Damned annoying and I don't know where it comes from. Well, it's from the throat, obviously, but why it emerges is a mystery. I even googled 'how to avoid mucous when singing' (yes, I really did - sad but true!) and found lots of helpful advice. Basically according to t'internet, absolutely ANYTHING you eat can cause mucous, so don't eat ANYTHING for 4-5 hours before singing. Yeah, right! Thanks for that!

OR:- Avoid caffeine and instead drink lots of water, (room temperature mind, cos cold water contracts the vocal cords) as staying properly hydrated keeps the mucus layer on your vocal cords thin. Okay, that seems a little more realistic and achievable. I will try that and see how it goes.

After last weeks experience with the 'wobble board', Caroline is to introduce a strange long rubber band thing that apparently one stretches behind one's head while singing. This helps one sing high notes!?! We had insufficient time this week to give it a go, but next week. . . .  I'm intrigued!

Before I go, I must mention my first LMVC Committee meeting last Tuesday. Quite an interesting few hours with the thorny topic of 'uniform' discussed. Chris Higgins and I are to look further into a possible alternative attire which should be interesting. I sense that there is a willingness to look into it which is good. The current uniform certainly has its place, but perhaps another 'look' would be good for certain occasions. We'll see!

And another meeting is to be arranged to specifically look at recruitment - a complex issue that needs quite a bit of discussion well beyond the scope of Tuesday's meeting.

Better go, but stay tuned for a Military Wedding Review in a day or two.

Cheers for now,

Alyn.