Well, I'm as prepared as I'll ever be; programme notes printed out, copies of music all in order and numbered, last run through was this morning. All that remains is to get some sleep tonight and hope my voice holds out (still not fully recovered from cold - yesterday was the first time in a month that we got everything sung in one go - and that was half voice ). Ah well, at least I won't have to try to save it after tomorrow.

Zero hour is 2:15 tomorrow in Winchester - any positive vibes in that direction will be most welcome!

Good luck!

Car Expert

Good luck.

Cheers

Katyjay

Fingers crossed and all the best!

Good luck! A friend of mine is taking her piano DipABRSM tomorrow in Winchester as well. I can't remember what time hers is, though.

Good luck and try to enjoy it! I have mine in London on Monday and I am determined to enjoy the experience. You've worked hard so you deserve to have some fun with it (and that goes for anyone else taking any exams!).

Benj

Wise words, benjaminja..

Good luck, Tracy. Going by what I heard at our concert in September, you should sail through the exam!

All the best, I'll be thinking of you.

Good luck.

25 mins to go. Good luck!

Dare we ask?
Hopefully you're soothing the throat with well-earned celebratory drink...

Thought of you at 2.15 and sent out positive thoughts! How did it go???

Violinia

Thanks all of you, for your good wishes. Currently feeling very mellow after several glasses of wine (I'd been on the wagon for a week...). Particular thanks to Appassionata for hint about (warm) room - changed my outfit on the basis of that and just as well, too.

So, how did it go? Shaky start with a less than perfect rendition of 'Et Exultavit' (both my teacher and I were nervous and set off too fast) - ran out of breath, and it was commented on later in the Viva. After that we settled down, and to tell the truth I don't think I could have done a lot better. Particularly happy with Britten's 'Nurse's song', started unaccompanied with no guide note (being flash - I'd learnt start note from the end of the preveious song). This was a bit risky - half a page unaccompanied before the piano kicks in and you learn whether you've been an idiot to try it. On this occasion I hadn't

The Viva went OK I think. Questions:
How did you choose the repertiore?
What led you to shoose that speed for the Bach (yeah well got that one wrong didn't we...)
Can you name any other Purcell musical plays (I sang something from 'Boudica')
You comment on the advent of modern piano and deep rich notes for Brahms. Did you do anything in the singing to reflect that (tried to put on my deep rich Mezzo voice to complement it). Led to questions about whether one should try to modify voice (eg try to remove vibrato) for Baroque.
(on my comments about the harmonisation Britten used in the Nurse's song): Was he aiming for anything particular in his harmonies?
Where would you use a portamento? Whinch of your songs would/wouldn't you expect one?
You became more animated in the Mozart opera number 'Batti Batti' - led to a discussion about whether gestures are a good/bad thing in songs.

The Quick Study wasn't too good, and in all honesty I don't think I did enough to pass that part (I wouldn't have passed it myself if I'd been on the panel). Shame, but crossing my fingers that the rest is OK and all I have to do is retake that part.

In the end I'm glad that my voice held out - practically first time it's been anywhere neear on form since getting a cold a month ago. In the end, apart from 1 of the 10 songs, I mostly did myself justice I think - let's see if the judges think so too...

Anyway, thanks again for all your good wishes, and all the best to anyone else out there going through the same.

Well done and good luck with your results.

Good luck with getting your results!

Car Expert