March 2006

March 15, 2006 09:58

I'm so glad to be singing again! For the last couple of years I've pretty much exclusively concentrated on the violin. Now I'm back into the local choral society for the spring concert, and as much as breath support is a bit difficult with something wiggling around in my belly, it just feels really good to sing.

We're performing the Mozart Vespers, Regina Coeli, Schubert's Gott in Umgewitter (I think that's right!) and Brahms' Nänie. I get to sing the soprano solos in Regina Coeli and in the Laudate Dominum, both of which are just wonderful. I think that Mozart had a love-hate relationship with sopranos in general -- he obviously loved the sound, but some of it is just devilishly difficult in phrasing, breathing(!), etc.

But it's really nice, after being away from serious singing for a while, to remember all that technique I studied so assiduously. When to breathe, how to breathe, how to produce a good vowel sound on a low note, a high note; how to project through my range, how to fool the audience into thinking that I haven't breathed in five minutes! :) And, to have the chance to remember this on such lovely music is just the icing on the cake.

Before we get to that concert on April 1st & 2nd, we've got the Sage City Symphony concert on March 26th, also full to the brim with Mozart. This kid I'm hatching will certainly be a great test-case for the Mozart Effect! Our soloists, both vocalists and a young violinist, are going to be fabulous. For me, the music is so wonderfully approachable that it's just a joy to play -- no work at all!

And before that, I need to get my sets in order for St. Patrick's Day, when we're once again playing at the Madison Brewery. They're brewing a special Irish Red just for the occasion, but of course I can't drink any of it! :P Still, even without the beer, I think it'll be a good time. We've got lots of cheesy Irish sing-a-long songs as well as our reels and jigs, and it went over well last year.

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