I've got a choral concert of the Messiah tonight. My voice is back after a bout of laryngitis, but doesn't feel strong or reliable right now. There's some fading at the beginning of some notes, and one or two upper notes are missing.

I don't want to injure my voice, but really don't want to miss this performance (which I've worked for for months) altogethere. So I'm intending to goldfish for at least some of the choruses.

I wondered whether you could advise about warning signs to watch out for that might indicate that I should immediately stop singing. I don't want to take stupid risks, but having never had laryngitis before, I'm not really sure what to watch for.


Thanks
Jane

Meerkat, you're not going to like my answer.

But bear in mind that on 14th February I thought had "some" of my voice back after laryngitis, apart from a few funny top notes that weren't there at all, then I sang a 45 minute recital and had NONE of my voice back until the first week of March!

This is one to sit out. Go to the concert and cheer your mates on from the audience. Talk to them beforehand and at the interval so that they know that you are sharing the experience even though you're not on the stage with them.

And it won't be wasted. You can learn a lot about your choir by listening to them, and may be able to offer some useful advice to your Musical Director from what you see and hear.

And at least, as it's the Messiah, you're sure to do it again sooner or later, so the learning work hasn't been wasted.


Sorry, but that's the safest thing to do.

Katyjay

I feared that would be the response. My heart's taking a bit of a knifing this week, having had to miss my singing exam too.

I feel so torn. I really don't want to hurt my voice, I do want to be sensible. But I've worked so hard. I know the music so well, I can sing it without the score. It's the first time I've ever had teh opportunity to sing the messiah (I know this is quite unusual for a choral singer, but tis true).

I could just cry.

Awww Meerkat, I know exactly what you mean. And I'm very sorry. But your vocal health isn't worth risking, believe me.

I promise you'll have another chance at Messiah, somewhere along the line. I didn't get to do one for twenty-odd years, then I got three opportunities within 18 months!

I had to do the same thing for a concert in which I'd invested a lot of love and effort at Christmas 2004. It was hard to sit in the audience and listen, but would have been even worse to stay at home and mope.

Oh no! How horrible

I think KJ's right though - it's much easier to say "Oh I'll not sing much of it" than to actually stay shtum when your choir is standing around you belting it out. I know that I, for one, would just be too tempted to join in. Rotten timing though, what an awful week you've had

Sounds like you got some good, though unwelcome, advice above.

I've heard of quite a few Wagnerian singers who have had their voices shredded through incorrect or over- use. A big concert like that, you couldn't stop yourself giving it a lot. Plenty more concerts to come though, without a doubt.

Awww, Meerkat, I am so sorry that you are not able to perform at your best. I would say what the others have already said...rest your voice. It will be hard, but in the long run, it is definitely better than ruining your beautiful singing voice. I will be praying for you that you will regain your full vocal capabilities as soon as possible. God is definitely capable of healing you. Good luck, whatever your decision is!

Rochelle

I'm so sorry - it must be so disappointing for you. But Katyjay's advice is right. Don't put your voice under any unnecessary strain, and that includes talking!
The secret of voice longevity is not always what you do, but what you turn down.

Ann

I sat in the audience, and it was a lovely experience. The soloists were four young singers from Birmingham conservatoire - and they were SO good, it was a delight to watch them. I was hugely proud of the choir, who sang absolutely fantastically. And it was fun watching our conductor from audience side (he does some seriously funny looking things).

Of course, I'd rather have been singing, but it was a good second best, I guess.

Voice is still not well. I took my parents to church this morning, and sang some of the hymns, and found my voice started to ache or disappear after about a verse! So realistically, I couldn't have done it anyway.

Hope you recover soon, meerkat. I know what you're going through - I had to miss our choir concert (a performance of the Handel Dixit Dominus) in December because someone stole my high notes a couple of days before. If I'd known this would happen, I'd have learnt the tenor line from the start Like you, I was impressed with the sound the choir made, and proud to be a member, even though some of them need to learn how to behave on stage .

As katyjay said, performances of Messiah happen quite regularly, and choirs will often put it on as a "come and sing" event, so keep a lookout for such occasions. It'll be all the sweeter when you do get to perform it!

I'm glad it was a good concert, and it does sound like you made the right decision. I hope your voice reappears soon! It has had very bad timing

If you really want to sing Messiah, it is sung from scratch every year in the Albert Hall in London - see www.trbc.co.uk. I did it last year after a 30 year or so gap since singing it as a treble at school. (Now sunk to bass). It's obviously not the same as a rehearsed performance, but many people know it very well, and as there are literally thousands of singers, it's a great sound, even if not everyone is singing all the right notes !!

Looks like it's in Beijing this year... While I want to sing the messiah, I'm not sure I want to do it quite that much....

The Albert Hall one is on 3rd December. There is no link on the website, possible because booking hasn't opened yet.

I won't be going to Beijing either. The odd thing is they say they are avoiding any Christian references which might cause offence. I've been wondering what Messiah looks like without Christian references ! However no such problem with the Albert Hall one.

That is very bizarre. What would they call it?

That'd be clever... change the title and the entire story?

i guess realistically lyrics weren't handel's strong suit...

i remember being in stitches singing some of the lines in the coronation anthems. My favourite is:

"Queens shall be their nursing mothers, and kings their nursing fathers. "

Um, what was that, frederik?

No, that's what he and Jennens used to fight about.

Brian

I've only just come across this thread as I haven't been online for a few days. So sorry to hear the news, you must have been so upset. But I think you did the best thing, and there will be other chances.

I hope you are feeling a lot better by now, but please don't push it. You don't want to end up setting yourself back.

Kind wishes



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