For the second year running, the final voluntary at midnight Eucharist was like being in a very slow car crash; the sensations were exactly the same as last year, only this time I'm less bothered, just curious to know why it always seems to happen. The rest of the service was fine.

Last year's carve-up can't have been down to lack of practice because I'd been working on the piece for a whole year (haven't touched it since!); this year I admit I have been a little distracted.

Short of refusing to play after midnight, what more can one do to overcome the foreboding before a particular occasion? Hypnosis? Learn a specific piece until it is completely bomb-proof? (if only the time were available!)

I'm already dreading next year.

Possibly fatigue? I seem to feel like I've drunk about 5 pints by the time I get to the recessional at MM. My head feels detached from the rest of my body. Tiredness obviously affects co-ordination...

Fatigue sounds likely.

I experienced the same problem last night: Coming in too early with certain notes, playing extra verses, and I made a mess (by my standards) of the voluntary - BWV 729. A piece I've played perfectly countless time before.

It only takes a split second lack of concentration for a musical disaster to take place.

Same problem here. Got through all the rest of the service fine, but obviously relaxed just a little too soon. I forgot to note the key signature at the start and it was all downhill from there...

The subdued lighting doesn't help, but I think it must just be fatigue. In my case too I have been nursing a cold, only a mild one but enough to disturb my sleep at night. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Fortunately this morning went all right.

Well, what worked for me (and I have been afflicted as described above in some places in the past) this year was to direct all through with the assistant playing, then to buzz round and play the second voluntary after he had played the first - change of focus was revitalising. Felt completely knackered after, though.

I think the fatigue comes from taking responsibility for all the music. I do feel I need to do some quiet mental preparation for such services, thinking the whole thing through and pacing it.

I'll put my vote in for fatigue as well, I am hopeless after about 9pm, any sense of key is the first thing to go and I have to concentrate so hard and I usually manage to hide it. I decline midnight mass now and my lovely vicar gets her husband to play.

I am sure that fatigue must have a lot to do with it, especially at the end of a long, busy and probably stressful Christmas Eve.

However, I suspect that 'Jet Lag' might be a bigger problem, as most of us are simply not used to tackling demanding tasks after the midnight hour.

(I know my own ability to concentrate on anything demanding dwindles rapidly after about 10.00 pm!)

Getting plenty of rest during the evening might be one answer, but I wonder whether it might be worth practicing late at night for a few evenings in the run up to Christmas to get used to being awake and concentrating at that time. However, apart from being rather creepy in church at that hour, I suspect you might get a visit from some nice men in white coats!

SB

I'm really cheered by all these posts because I was seriously beginning to believe I was useless. Xmas eve is a ridiculous day when you are trying to prepare for the following day, and it is sometimes a work day, and then you try to perform at a high level when your whole body is screaming for sleep- completely potty. Feel much better about it now.

I am sure that's right. For whatever reasons, most of us have loads to do on Christmas eve. Even as a mere singer, I am usually dropping by about half past midnight.

I have a feeling it probably is akin to jet- lag, too - trying to do unusual things at an odd time of day.

I believe Christmas Eve 2012 will be on a Monday.

......... Which will either mean a long weekend to prepare for the big day, or more likely, having to cram the impossible and more into Monday 24th?

I wonder which it will be?

SB

As His Nibs said to me the other day, "Next year we go from the best day to have Christmas to the worst day."

Not sure if the day of the week makes any difference if you are the one in charge of the family catering, floor cleaning and furniture arranging.

One thing I have learned from this year is to cut down on the work by obtaining as much festive food as possible from M+S a couple of days before! I tried to do far too much on the day and suffered for it (or at least the MM congregation suffered).

I didn't want to start a new thread in this forum, but I hope everyone playing and singing this Christmas survived okay! (Although I guess you're all still fairly busy...?) I'm sure your efforts were appreciated Mel, however much like a car crash it felt. I don't go to midnight mass because I prefer to be alive and awake the following day to deal with the chaos of the family event: It's also a long standing family tradition to traipse out to church on Christmas morning and give my father space to start doing battle with the dinner.

This year I was staying with my sister, who lives within walking distance of Worcester cathedral. First time I've been to a cathedral Christmas service, and it set our morning off beautifully. My sister isn't Christian except in the cultural sense, but even she was buzzing about how wonderful the music was. I think/hope she might make the effort to go again in the future.

So, however much hard work it seems (and often unappreciated from the sounds of things!) I do think all the effort for Christmas brings the part-time or culture-only Christians a little closer to God.

Exactly... two services on the Sunday (including Carol Service).. three on the Monday.. one on the Tuesday.. I will need a holiday after that lot.