Some Things Taking Shape

Next Tuesday is the first rehearsal for the September 11 concert (which this year will be on September 12).  I spoke with the woman planning it, and we agreed that I would bring the two Jake Heggie songs, Wagner's "Angel", "O Rest in the Lord", and Dvorak's "God is My Shepherd".  If she likes the Heggie songs I will try to get a flautist.  I need to drill these with the accompaniment.  This may mean that I need to buy a CD, because the sound on my computer isn't really loud enough to let me hear where I'm supposed to come in.

"Angel" felt much easier to sing even than it did in December.  Part of that is that I don't have to sing the entire piece ppp because most people are not as big sticklers about pianissimi as my choir director is, who seems to want everything at least one degree softer than what's written.

My singing in general feels easier, even (dare I say it) the B in the "Seguidilla".  One thing my teacher told me is that if I start my vocalizing routine lower, my voice will be anchored more and it will be easier to go higher, which, surprisingly, has seemed to work.  I also think using the Neti pot religiously has made it easier to lift my soft palate.  I think some of the problems I had with my upper register were caused by my having so much sinus drainage back there (something a lay person might not notice) that it was weighting down my palate and making it impossible to make space.

Also, details are firming up regarding my singing the "Habanera" at the bookstore.  I think I will tell my partner that I got this gig through someone I sent a publishing resume (aka my job resume) to.  I put at the bottom that I am a church soloist.  If she thinks I found out about the gig that way she will be less angry than she would if she thought I was trawling singer message boards.  Of course she may probably say something about my wanting to "display" myself (my costume does show some cleavage) but I will do what I can to blow that off.  (Really it never ceases to amaze me how much Lesbians have in common with right-wing fundamentalists when it comes to women's clothing.)  I also am not going to tell her about it until the week before, because my birthday is at the end of July and I don't want her to use being angry at me about this thing to cause her to do something vindictive (I mean all she can afford to do is join with one or two friends to take me out to lunch, and buy me some flowers, but still...)

I told the woman from the publisher that "in lieu of payment" I would like a copy of the videotape that she is going to have made, so that I can use it for my own promotional purposes.  If I had had one made, I probably would have had to pay several hundred dollars, so it seems fair.

This afternoon I am off to my lesson.