Another fun singing lesson today......

"Why is it we always start lessons with you having to confess to something?" asked my teacher as I came into the room this morning.
"You know I have this bad habit of saying yes to things first and worrying about the consequences afterwards?" I began.
"What have you done this time?" he said, warily.
"I agreed to stand in at the last minute at a fundraising event when the singer who was meant to be doing the gig dropped out."
"When?"
"Friday week. We'll have to do some work beforehand on the things they want me to sing."
"Have you got the music?" asked my teacher.
"Yes, I was given it yesterday evening." I produced it.
"Hmmmmm" he said as he read it. "Did you know what sort of performance it was when you agreed to do it?"
"No." I replied. And he sighed heavily.
"We'd better do some work on it today" he said.
"But what will the accompanist say?" I started to argue.
"I don't know, let's find out" he replied, ushering her in.

Now this lesson was originally meant to be a session with both my teacher and my accompanist, putting the shine on an operatic aria by Menotti and two of Richard Strauss's four last songs, for my LTCL next Spring.
She and I had discussed this in the waiting room before my lesson started, and so she was a little taken aback when she sat down at the piano and saw the new material on the music stand.

There was a pause. A long one. She looked at the lieder and aria we were meant to be doing and put them aside with a regretful little sigh. She looked at me as if she hadn't seen me before.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"For the fun of it, to widen my repertoire experience and as a favour to a friend. Why are you accompanying me?"
"For the fun of it, to widen my repertoire experience and as a favour to a friend" she replied with a ferocious scowl. Then she burst into giggles, as did I, and order was (partially) restored.

"WHAT is THAT?????" she spluttered
"'You Can't Get A Man With A Gun' from 'Annie Get Your Gun'"
"And THIS????"
"It's from 'Calamity Jane' - 'Windy City' and 'The Deadwood Stage'"
"YOU'RE singing THAT????"
"Er, yes".
"But you don't do musical theatre" she argued.
"It would appear that she does now" my singing teacher replied.

You see, I've inadvertently landed myself the main singing role in a Wild West Evening!

I spent the whole session trying to belt, trying to sing with an American accent and trying hard to get my teeth round the phrase "Whip-crack-away!" And trying to get my accompanist to forgive me for not singing leider she'd been preparing to play ten minutes earlier!

I reckon you made a brilliant choice of singing teacher and accompanist!

Hope you enjoy the experience. Just go for it!

Oh I did, I've been incredibly lucky.


Thanks

Cheers

Katyjay

YEEEEHAAAAW! I hope you've got a checked shirt and ten-gallon hat lined up for this gig!

In view of where we both live, will you be singing "Surrey with a fringe on top" at the forums concert in February?

Well it'll be an experience! All the best for it.

Good luck with widening your repertoire, Katyjay. I'm sure it will be enormous fun, and an interesting addition to Strauss et al.

Anyone got any ideas where I can find a ten-gallon hat?

Try a fancy dress hire shop or maybe a charity shop. Hope it goes well!

lol I LOVE Calamity Jane!

All together now...

"Oooooh! The Deadwood Stage is a-rollin' on over the plains..."

Well, I've been to a rehearsal for said event.

Their accompanist and I had words......

Paraphrased, they were that I would prefer it if he played the accompaniment as written, at the pace I dictated, while I sang the songs. Banging out the tune really isn't necessary. I promised that if he did the same at the performance I'd trade the toy pistol prop they'd given me for a real one ..........

Still got to find cowboy boots that fit

At least I don't have to take part in the line dancing

I'm sure it will be fun.........

argh, I hate "accompanists" like that...


GO KATYJAY!

Well, the performance was last night. It went pretty well, considering....

- The line dancers were late arriving. So their slot at the start of the show had to be postponed until just before the interval
- Someone forgot the pantomime horse's head
- One of the singers didn't arrive at all, and his stuff had to be covered by everyone else
- I managed to start with the second verse of my first number rather than the first verse....much to the pianist's confusion. We re-started and were OK after that
- The heel came off the narrator's boot about half way through the first half so he was limping and staggering about
- The pianist's false moustache fell off about a dozen times, cracking the cast up every time
- The female duettist in "Anything you can do..." refused to come out of the kitchen (so I had to bluff it instead)

but everyone said they enjoyed it. I've been asked to come back to do "Guys and Dolls" with them next time

Cheers

Katyjay

Sounds like it all went well then????

Well done.

I'm glad you posted a report. I was wondering how it went.

You didn't have to shoot the pianist, then?

Glad you enjoyed your evening- sounded like fun.

No, but at one point I did end up holding a toy pistol to his head!

Sounds like a farse Katyjay, but sounds like you did a great job! Hope you enjoyed it

Well done, katyjay - sounds like FUUUUUNNN!!!!

Sounds like you had some fun! It wasn't a fundraiser for comic relief by any chance????