Some

Particularly in view of my last post, I want to write here about the fabulous time I had last night working on the "Habanera"!  I have been singing this piece for 49 years yikes!! yet it is always fresh.

Last night I got the kind of holistic coaching that I had not gotten since working with The Mentor.  Some of the vocal things are not 100% in synch with what my teacher tells me, but as the piece is in a comfortable middle register, it doesn't matter.  The Spanish coach (she considers Carmen like Spanish music, and is very excited about working on it with me) told me to pronounce the French like spoken French, very forward and nasal, and to emphasize the consonants. She also wants it more self-contained and sneery.  There won't be room to walk among the guests, so she suggested using a chair (which will be by the piano) as a prop.  I am a little nervous because with my bad arthritis, standing up and sitting down gracefully is not easy, but this chair is high enough (unlike a church pew) that it should certainly be manageable.  She also gave me a silk rose, and there are all sorts of things I can do with that that will be quite titillating.

I was going to wear these shoes, which I had worn at the bookstore, but the buckle is broken and I won't have time to get it repaired by Sunday, so I will wear black ones.  I am a little nervous about walking in heels, but they are not high and the shoes have rubber soles.

And the date for the Carmen concert is confirmed!! I reminded the tenor, and asked him about finding a Micaela and an Escamillo.  I said that if these were people from the pay to sing group it would be "nice" if they chipped in to pay the accompanist for the performance and 2 or 3 rehearsals.  I hope that didn't put him off.  I know he has sung with that pay to sing group but I have no idea if he has paid anything.  He is a member of the Met chorus.  I would not ask him to pay anything, but when he mentioned finding the other singers he implied they would be "emerging" types.

I also sent an email to the accompanist the coach suggested.

Of course when I mentioned this to my partner, she made a snide remark about tenors (I had told her about the concert several months ago when I first had the idea) referring back to the Mentor.  But this morning she apologized.

My back is about 95% better, and I have not taken any Advil since Monday.  So I am going to try to schedule a lesson for next week and go back to my regular practice routine.