I am calling tonight "Good Friday's Eve" instead of Maundy Thursday because this year I am not singing at the Maundy Thursday service (that has been pretty much given over to the other church that shares our space and only uses paid soloists, no choir), so I see tonight as an "at home and rest" time.
For the most part things are going well. I have been spot on with my part in the solo quartet sections at all the rehearsals. The only thing that went badly last night (a loooong rehearsal where IMHO we did too much singing) was I blew the big G sharp in the "Confutatis" section, which is something I sing with the other choir sopranos so theoretically it doesn't make much difference if I sing it or not, but it is a matter of pride and proving to myself what I can do. I know what to do. I sing the ascending phrase big and dark (we have a lot of rest beforehand) and push my larynx down and make space. And bounce my lower abs.
The "Agnus Dei" sounds great. I had a good runthrough with it on Wednesday with the pianist. I am singing that at noon. I had asked my teacher if I should worry about getting tired and he said no. If necessary I will "oo" my way through most of the rehearsal before the service tomorrow night, perhaps through the "Dies Irae" which involves a lot of loud singing at the top of the staff, something I am very good at, but I can save it for the actual performance. I will want to sing out in the solo quartet sections and yes, in the phrase in the "Confutatis" so that I know I can do it.
In other news, it turns out that my partner does not want to participate in the Alzheimer's chorus. She said it's because she doesn't have Alzheimer's (she does have some form of dementia which sometimes she admits to and sometimes not), but I actually think the issue is that she doesn't want to commit to weekly rehearsals. That may be for the best because in May she is going to start physical therapy again twice a week.
So I have my May concert to work on, and I saw an ad for an audition for the Mozart Requiem. It is being performed by one of the no pay opera companies that I auditioned for, which seems to mostly use these "professional cusp" singers in their late 30s and early 40s, and which probably would not be interested in me, even for an oratorio, but I certainly plan to audition. The man who sang Don Jose in my Carmen is a stage director there so after Easter I will email him and ask him what he thinks. The last day of auditions is on a Monday night which is manageable. The alto solo part in the Requiem is in a low range and is easily something I can sing. I sang the alto solo line in one of the quartets on Good Friday about four years ago, which, actually, was the last time I did any solo singing in the Good Friday evening service. So I will ask, for example, if my aria sheet should contain oratorio selections rather than opera selections. They are much easier to sing. If I decide to audition I will ask my teacher what to offer. "Liber Scriptus" would be good (I need to rework it) and possibly the Rossini "Agnus Dei," although it is long. The only Mozart oratorio aria I know is "Laudate Dominum" which is written for a soprano but is mostly about having a lovely pianissimo high F, which I do have. However that is not the type of thing that would show how I would sound in the Requiem. I could also bring the Bach "Qui Sedes". Anyhow, this is something to plan and look forward to, even though they probably would not be interested in me.
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