Forgive me, but I'm feeling quite pleased with myself, having, yesterday evening, performed my first 2-hour solo concert.......poular music and some classics at the organ.
I've done 1-hour and guest slots before, but 2-hours solid performance meritted the G & T (large!!) that was waiting for me in the dressing room!!

There was one sticky moment when I thought "I'm losing it " - a tricky passage in "Haunted Ballroom" but (as an examiner would say, I recovered well)

4 more to do this year.......aaargghhh!

(sorry -title should say MY, of course - Ny??? - it wasn't in New York - Yorkshire, more like!)

Good stuff Diapason!
It is hard to keep the concentration levels up for all that time and to resist the temptation to let your mind wander! I always feel absolutely wiped out when I've done a concert that long!
Good luck for the rest of them!

Wow, 2 hours is a long time.. I gave a 45+30 organ recital once and that was enough (for the audience, and for me!)

that's so cool to have a 2 hr solo concert of your own!!
The last solo piano concert that i did was just 10 min..
;-x

Congratulations!! I hope you got well paid for all your hard work and effort! I've done solo keyboard for 2 hour pantomime shows in the past but thats not solid playing like this. I had plenty of time for nervous breaks waiting for the next "time" to come in!

Gae

Well done, Diapason. Take it easy now, though.

Well done diapason. I hope you picked up the positive vibes I sent you yesterday evening.

Have you got any handy hints you can pass on about lasting the course? It looks as though I might be doing an evening recital in the autumn. I know the obvious ones (include an interval; don't overdo it at the start; have a gallon of falling-over juice waiting in the dressing-room for afterwards), but all other advice gratefully received.

Well done Diapason - that's quite a marathon!

The "vibes" got through Deborah - in fact in one particular piece - a slightly jazzy version of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" - I used the excellent Vibraphone stop on the organ - so your ears must have been burning

J & I have usually shared a two hour concert, finishing up with duets on either two organs or organ and piano, depending on the facilities - one several occasions in the past, at one particular venue we have been quite unique in playing duets on two pipe organs in the same hall!!

During the last few days leading up to this last concert, I had an occasional reality flash and thought what am I doing? But when we arrived at the venue, I was remarkbly calm (for me) and at the announcement of my name, I walked onto stage feeling very much at home (that can be dangerous, don't you know!!)
After the first item - a selection of themes from Eric Coates' marches - I was perfectly at ease with the situation.

Time was when getting me to play in public was more difficult than riding a bicycle up the Matterhorn. What changed it all round, I have no idea, nor can I remember when.

I once did a 20 minute guest spot during a cinema organ concert, and by the time it came to my turn, the organ had gone wildly out of tune (mid Summer!!!). The embarrasment was ACUTE and I could have died. Fortunately my boss, George Blackmore, Musical Director of the Hammond Organ Co. was the "star" of the show and refused to play the instrument, and announced that my performance had been ruined by the instablity of the tuning. The concert was saved by hauling in an electronic instrument from backstage - so I was given another chance, and recieved a return booking as a result.

Yes Gae, I do receive a fee...........taxable, alas

Katyjay, you are right - I must not overdo it, especially after my little health upsets. Next concert is in May.....2 hours solo again.

Thanks everyone for you encouragements.