Carmen Update and

Today I sang through all the scenes from Carmen that I will be performing in the concert, with appropriate breaks (eg, for Micaela's aria) and did not get tired.  I get much less tired than I used to.  No matter what things I still struggle with (I still can't open my mouth and sing a B flat off the cuff), enormous progress has been made.  And it is not to take for granted that I am stronger at almost 64 than I was at 54.  Many people are not.  It is harder for me to step up onto a bus than it used to be, but it is easier to sing.

The "Seguidilla" no longer scares me.  If that top note is only a B flat and I sing the run going up to it legato, it is not hard.

So here's what's still to be done.

Memorize the recit before the Seguidilla
Make sure I don't get left behind at the end of the Act 2 duet
Finish memorizing the Card aria and the death scene and decide how much of the dialog at the end will be spoken rather than sung.

Make a big push to invite people (the concert is free)

My teacher has given me some new exercises (mostly beginning the old ones on an "h" sound instead of an "l").  With these and with my assiduously keeping my sinuses cleared out, drinking 8 glasses of water a day and not drinking any juice or beverages containing citric acid (or eating any fruit other than melon or pears) my voice has much more shimmer and beauty, although my range has not increased.  Interestingly, it's the bottom that in many ways sounds better.  It used to sound scratchy.  I got a lot of compliments on "O Rest in the Lord", which is a low piece, although it does not go below Middle C. And not giving up my valiant fight with the off the cuff B flat has made my off the cuff A and A flat sound better and it has made the B flat sound better when I sing it in the middle or at the end of a progression (which I can do).

The choir director seems to be in a friendlier mood.  He was quite nice about handing out my concert flyers and said I could bring them to rehearsal Wednesday.  And this past Wednesday he did not mention the Senior Recital in front of the group, although there was a lot of buzz about it, mostly among the women my age who are not trained singers.  I think part of the reason they make such a fuss about this young soprano is that she is the age of their kids.  I was a bit peeved that when we were rehearsing the Good Friday music in parts at one point the sopranos sang a progression up to a B flat and people (including the other altos) said "awesome".  I was really mad so when the altos got to do our progression (up to a measly D) I sang it as loud and "Verdian" as I could.  (Why oh why can't we have parity and get to sing a progression up to a G?  That would be our equivalent of a B flat.)

Well, I should be pleased that all three pastors came up to me and complimented me on "O Rest in the Lord".

And I have set aside part of tomorrow early evening to make sure I am spot on with all the Good Friday music.  Unfortunately, as I am singing alto, I can't learn it "by osmosis" by listening to the recordings.

Oh, and here's a pic from the living room musicale.  Unfortunately all you can see is the tenor's back!