December 15, 2002
Bell'Arte Singers Christmas Concert "Report"
- Before the Concert
- My wife and I drove down early in the afternoon from Mississauga
to the Danforth near Broadview and the "parking god" was with us as we got a
"free" spot just beside Eastminster United Church, our concert venue. This
meant I wouldn't have to schlep the music handed in to the librarian
(namely moi) very far. We were also in fine position to go and have
an early supper along the Danforth. Along the way my wife was very pleased
to find a newly-opened Ten Thousand
Villages store. In there, we sort of advertised our concert just by
being in a tuxedo long black evening dress. After a short browse in the
store we ate at a Thai restaurant on the south side of the Danforth at the
Chester intersection. The waitress recommended "no curry" as any stains are
impossible to get rid of from a white shirt.
- Pre-Concert Warmup
- At 5:30 p.m. we gathered at the church and "top and tailed" most
of the pieces we were to perform later that evening. We practised processing
in from the balcony to the chancel steps and after rehearsed a few more
songs. Subsequently, we "casually" assembled in our long black dresses and
tuxedos for brochure publicity photos. Then we had a break for about 50
minutes. I talked to some choir members and my wife retired to the car
(parked close by, remember?) reclining in the seat to rest for a bit: She's
had a final exam in one course, two other courses, private teaching, school
teaching and December concert planning in just this week alone.
Saturday, December 14, 2002
Christmas with the Bell'Arte Singers
8 p.m., Eastminster United Church, Toronto, ON
- The Concert
- The event went very well overall IMHO. I sang a short solo (the "Frankinsence" verse from
John Rutter's arrangment of "We Three Kings of Orient Are") which surprised
my mom, my sister and her family as I hadn't told them. Apparently there
were over 300 in the audience. Great news as we need the financing for our
March concert featuring Ein Deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms with
orchestra. The other features of the concert (beside my solo :-) including
readings by Robert Fisher and brand new choral arrangements of the
Coventry Carol, The Holly and the Ivy and I Saw Three
Ships by our own composer/member Ben Bolden. The only small hitch in the
whole concert was the recessional carol which we rehearsed just once
from the chancel steps. However, we were installed in the choir loft at this
point in the concert in somewhat reverse order rows. Those new row leaders
lead us out the back doors instead of down the church aisles. Our director
didn't have time to rehearse every detail because the choir couldn't book
that extra rehearsal at the church where these important "blocking"
manoeuvres could have been, well, rehearsed. I think our director may also
have forgotten that not everyone, and especially the younger members, has
been raised in church choir traditions: Automatically you know how to
process and recess because you have done it for years of Sundays.
- Post Concert Party
- My wife went to my sister-in-law's place to work out a few last
details regarding my parents-in-law's sixtieth (that's 60!) wedding
anniversary. I went to the party and had a bottle of my favourite Old Credit
Ale, some "nibblies" and some conversation. Headlines included Tim getting a
contract position after some months of being redundantified, Ben's thinking
of working on his Ph.D. in music education and Laura being pregnent with her
second child. Congratulations to them all. I left and picked up my wife and
we crawled exhaustedly into our beds around 1 a.m.
Posted by jservice at December 15, 2002 02:58 PM
And a fabulous concert is was!!!! Bravo!!!!