Pamela
Locked down or kept safe?
In reality life is not that simple. Doing our best to fight this hideous virus and to stay safe does not support a creative environment. I prefer to follow the words of Terry Waite who was imprisoned for over 1,700 days in appalling conditions, that we are being “kept safe” and not “locked down”. During the first two weeks we were hurling ourselves around the living room with Joe Wicks and the like. Nordic walking to the park, deep breathing through yoga, online pilates, meditation and choral warmups (hmm) occupied hours each day. The frustration of missing out on-line shopping slot, toilet rolls and pasta became too much to bear. Social distancing (surely unsocial), and the choreography of queuing outside the supermarket all became part of life’s rich pattern.
Yoga is my daily routine, I enjoy particularly the horizontal meditative poses. Cloud watching and thoughts of CAKE floating by and whether we should have red or white at dinner and can Gs&Ts (plural) be before the yardarm, and should I join Alcoholics Anonymous before Weight Watchers and what challenging task will Tim Pipkin next give us in the kitchen?
This newly created abyss was supposed to be the chance to do great things but I know I am not alone struggling to concentrate. I have a great respect for creation and how small things develop and the mind expands them into bigger things. The wonderful world around us is emerging: people talk of hearing birdsong more clearly, the skies are cloudless, the roads are traffic free. Instruments are being played, interests we have abandoned are resurrected. But no, the creative juices are not flowing.
I have adjusted wild creative ideas into something I know I can achieve. Not too demanding. A previously project planned and started is more satisfying than trying to develop a new idea. I often make a simple drawing and then write on top of and around it, creating a visual journal. The drawing hides the ‘white fright’ of sitting in front of a blank white sheet of paper and wondering what to put. Those you who sit near me in choir will know the temptation to draw is one I can’t resist. In the past I particularly enjoyed rehearsals when we sat in a semicircle - sitting opposite the tenors (and some basses) at about 3pm, the drowsy subject matter was my specialist area. Sorry men.
At the moment I am making a quilt using fabrics from Mount Scrapmore, steadily growing in the corner of my studio. Strangely, rather like using food leftovers I seem to be ending up with more scraps than when I started. An alternative is working with stone and slate, letter carving, but chipping away somehow disturbs the surrounding peace.
When I am working accompanying music influences the outcome. Modern jazz helps to create a sense of timelessness. Believed to be related to ’jasm’, meaning pep and energy the swing just happens! There is a wonderful dance - skip like quality to Laudamus Te in Poulenc’s Gloria. Singing along with the support of other singers. Uplifting. The Mozart Requiem, particularly the Introit is so dark and rich, and I love the angels leading me to heaven in Faure’s In Paradisum. Rachmaninov’s Vespers and the ribbon like flow of the soothing voices aagh…….the list is endless.
No list would be complete without including the beautiful music we have hopefully only temporarily put aside: Gjello, Whitacre, Vaughan Williams, Monteverdi and others. Singing is what we look forward to. Being together again is what we look forward to.
We don’t know when this will be but we must look forward. Have a quiet listen on YouTube to this poem from Max Boyce. When Just The Tide Went Out. Combined humour and poignancy. With very best wishes to you all and looking forward.
Pamela
Maestro’s Musings
Charlie’s Fortnightly Spotlight
Singing to the dog
As I sit looking out into the garden, willing the new grass I’ve seeded to start growing, I once again find myself struggling to find a way to start my musings. For active singing opportunities, this week I thought I’d point you towards a project called the Stay at Home Choir stayathomechoir.com. You may have already come across this - it’s being run by a team including a friend and colleague of mine and they have started to make quite a splash, working with some fantastic performers and composers. The current project involves them working with The Sixteen and Sir James MacMillan to put together a recording of O Radiant Dawn, which you’ll remember from our Christmas concert at the end of last year. I don’t know if they’re still accepting participants for that project but you can register on the website above and if you can’t do this one, you’ll certainly hear about the next. A great chance to stick on some headphones and sing like no one is listening... except perhaps your slightly confused dog/cat/guinea pig!
The road to October
Ever the optimist (no comments from the back thank you) I am working on the assumption that we will be able to perform in our scheduled October concert later this year, and we need a programme of music. As I said in my last blog, I’d really love some suggestions and thoughts for things to include in this concert so am flinging the doors wide open (with well washed hands and a face mask of course!). I would love to include at least some of the music we were already working on and enjoying this term, and I’m circling around a theme to do with “Journeys” or “The Road Less Travelled”... or something like that. These don’t have to be literal journeys; for instance, I think the Hebrew Love Songs fit nicely into that, taking us on the journey through developing love (feel free to make comedic vomiting sounds if this all sounds too poetic/sickly sweet!). I’d love another, more substantial work to pair with this theme, but haven’t landed on anything yet, so your input and suggestions would be brilliant. As another slight take on the theme, I think it would be a lovely response to this crisis if we return with a journey through the music which the choir have found helpful, moving or supportive during this time, so you could go down that route as well. Do get in touch using the comments box below and I’ll look forward to exploring your ideas and suggestions.