Something More Upbeat

I don't have much to say, but I realized that my last post was rather a downer, so I want to post something more upbeat.

I had a really really good day on Sunday.  I sang "O Rest in the Lord" from Elijah in both services as well as the soprano chorus part in "He watching over Israel".  I got a lot of compliments.  My singing must be improving because I got more compliments on this (and on the Wagner "Angel" that I sang near Christmas) than on most of the singing I had done previously.  I even got a compliment from the tenor who became a doctor, the one who hurt my feelings by buddying up to the conservatory students and ignoring me. He also gave a compliment to the sopranos for how well we sang the opening to "Israel"by way of comparison with the tenors (the section now contains two young opera singers from conservatories) who were singing too loud.

I am still struggling with the pages after "Va" in Werther.  What is so frustrating is that I know I have a stunning high A as is evidenced by how well I sing that phrase (with the A that you hold for - actually it's 4 counts although it feels like a lifetime, and then you have to attack it again) when I only go back three measures.  I can also sing it if I only go back a page.  But the farther back I start the harder it gets. I used to say I got "tired" but that can't be the case if I can sing the phrase in isolation over and over.  I even took the phrase up a half step so that the top  note was a B flat and God knows I held it for four counts which astounded me.  I think my breathing gets "off" but why?  And why can't I just do it correctly, remember what it felt like, and do it on demand?  I can do that with other difficult phrases (like the long run in "Et Exsultavit") that don't involve big climactic high notes.  Well, my teacher said as the time approaches for putting the concert together I can decide whether to sing that page or not.  I can just end the scene at "Va".  I also have the score of Hamlet now.   The big scene sits high and has a run going up to a B flat so I will have to see how that goes.  It also has no breaks. That is where I get into trouble.  I suppose I am not very fit and as I age in some ways I am not getting fitter, although I must have very strong abs, as I find the roll up exercises in Pilates class easier to do than most of the other students, most of whom are women my age or thereabouts.

So now I'm a bit at loose ends because I have no other singing dates on my calendar.  I am going to try to set a date to do the Bach "Laudamus te" with the violinist during the summer.  And maybe the Spanish woman will do another September 11 concert.

I am also trying to put some other things in my life to look forward to that are different.  I will take my partner to Ogunquit, Maine for her 80th birthday, even if it means taking money out of savings (I mean I can't take it with me, and I have no one to leave it to as I will probably outlive my partner).  Then when I turn 66 and can collect Social Security I can plan a trip to England for us.  I will have to pay for both of us but so what?  If I keep working 30 hours a week and collect Social Security on top of it I will have a decent income.