Choristers' Concert

In just under two weeks' time, the ladies choir that I conduct - the Choristers - will have their annual concert.  I've been working with this group for most of this year, and it's been really enjoyable. I'm not the world's greatest conductor, and probably don't have a sufficiently good ear to be a really good choral conductor, but we manage, and the ladies are very forgiving...!

I took over at rather short notice from someone who'd originally come in just to fill in for the proper conductor, and who obviously then stayed quite a long time...  That's the sort of thing that can happen; the real holder of the job goes on temporary sick leave, and then doesn't get well, and the relief person winds up basically taking over.  So I've now taken over from the relief conductor - to her relief.

We've performed at several rest homes and groups this year, and will do even more of this next year. Because it took a little while for me as a new conductor to get up to speed, we didn't go out to places much early in the year, but since June we've been out and about a good deal.

The Choristers were originally the YMCA Choir - not being very much up with the history of the group I can't tell you when they changed their name, but I think it's some time ago.  I'll have to check.  Many of those who were in the YMCA Choir have now retired, due to old age, but old age hasn't stopped others.  Our group ranges in age from the late sixties to the late eighties. Nevertheless, we welcome women of all ages.  Because we practise in the daytime, all those in the choir are retired, with perhaps one or two exceptions.

The ladies are delightful, and it's been a pleasure working with them. They're looking forward to the concert on the 17th November, when they'll be including some recently-learnt songs in the programme, as well as old favourites.  The concert will be held at the Mornington Presbyterian Community Hall, in Maryhill Terrace. It starts at 2.00 pm. Cost is $10 a ticket, and of course there'll be door sales if you haven't booked in advance.

Widening Gyre

I've just started listening to the Concert Programme's podcast for May. It's Anthony Ritchie's The Widening Gyre, performed by the Christchurch Symphony, under Marc Taddei.
Here's a little of what's said about it:

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world…”

The poem suggests that a gyre (a revolution or rotation) will bring about a ‘second coming’ of an important historical figure, and the dawn of a new millennium (the gyre is represented by a rolling, sliding timpani sound). Yeats’ vision is pessimistic, however: he sees the coming of a ‘rough beast’ who might be equated with certain infamous historical figures from the twentieth century.

I know a small amount of Ritchie's music, and attended the premiere performance of the piece he did in collaboration with George Griffiths, for the Otago 150th Anniversary: From the Southern Marches. I was so impressed with that I bought the CD when it finally came out, something I only rarely do.
I also went to The God Boy. I'd been asked to assist with the rehearsals as a repetiteur, but it would have meant taking two or three weeks off work, which I couldn't really do - and the music looked as though it needed more concentration that my mind was really up to anyway. I don't much enjoy repetiteuring work these days; I've never enjoyed following a conductor at the best of times (!)
Repetiteuring now feels a bit like some kind of exam time, and I've had enough exams for this life. I don't mind coaching a singer, because then you've got some rapport. But conductors always have a good deal on their mind besides the repetiteur and you can't afford too many mistakes. It puts them off. Getting out of sync with them puts them off (you) even more.
Talking of exams, I just remembered, in one of those lateral thinking moments, that yesterday at church, when we were doing the lunches, we didn't wear exam gloves. That's a relief. I always find they smell more than the food!
I meant to say I enjoyed The God Boy, though it takes a fair effort of mind to focus on a modern opera for a couple of hours. Ritchie doesn't eschew melody, which is a relief, but even in spite of his melodic lines, attending an opera for the first time, without any real means of preparing oneself for the music, is quite a task for the brain. There's only so much the brain can take in, and opera's don't give the listener much room for a bit or R & R.