Tim
July 4th couldn’t come quickly enough - never mind Independence Day, in a race against time it was the re-opening of barbers that was exciting me. The battle to keep my hair under control has been all -consuming. I’ve nothing against Claudia Winkleman but nobody wants hair across your eye line like that! Do they? Really? I had begun to fear that I would only be able to see the bottom 50% of any view and had decided, not for the first time, that I was indeed fortunate that I need to concentrate on the bottom stave and not on the top line of any sheet of music. Tucking a picture of George Clooney into my back pocket- to show the hairdresser the style I was looking for- I booked an appointment at an exclusive barbershop in Leicester. You will know the rest; thanks to the extended Government lock-down in Leicester I am now condemned to another 2 weeks with a Rafa Nadal pony tail.
You would possibly be impressed if I told you that I had spent this extra time to read worthy novels such as War and Peace. However, those who know me would suspect that this was extremely unlikely. The doubters would be correct but it hasn’t stopped me dwelling on something that Leo Tolstoy wrote, ‘The two most powerful warriors are patience and time’. He could not have foreseen how perfectly it would sum up today’s global predicament. Whether it’s waiting for a covid-19 vaccine, obeying ‘social distancing’ rules, or champing at the bit to get singing again, it will ultimately be patience and time that help us prevail.
I’ve tried singing on line, recording the bass line and submitting it to be spliced and synchronised to other voices using technological wizardry. It is not ensemble music-making and frankly it was not pleasant. The sound waves that vibrate the eardrum seem so much better in my head at the time than when I listen back. It was horrible listening to myself - lots of you will not be surprised by this because you have stood next to me in rehearsals and concerts many times over the years! but it was horrible to hear my technical deficiencies revealed in such minute detail. It was also odd to realise that just because I had been thinking about singing for the last few months that was not enough to keep those vocal muscles in good shape. Such a critical examination is a salutary experience. You probably all know more about my shortcomings than I did and I suppose it’s probably preferable to discover your deficiencies in tuning, breathing, vowel sounds etc in the privacy of your own home.
The truth is I am missing you all. I can recognise at least some of my deficiencies and work out a plan to do something about it but I miss your ability to make me sound better than I am, I miss the music, I miss the communal interactive experience, I miss your company, I miss the camaraderie and I miss the common goal. I know that I am not alone in this and I thoroughly welcome Charlie’s initiative to get us singing again. Charlie has put in a huge effort to make part-specific podcasts for us all and so PLEASE go and have a look at the members page, book yourself some time and albeit on your own, have a good sing..!
Like everyone else, I dream of coming back together again. The sooner we can safely start the better (the Committee are meeting in a few days to try and present a few options) and then we have the opportunity to recover the vibrancy that is a hallmark of the Harborough Singers at its best. If we can come out of this in good vocal shape, we will be in a brilliant position to demonstrate that we are the choir that good singers want to join and audiences want to hear.
Let’s hope that it is only the thought of my hair that is fanciful!