Music: Joseph

Last Sunday was the first rehearsal of the musical Joseph at my Quaker Meeting for our Christmas do. We only had 15 minutes for this first rehearsal and there was no warm up but straight into singing through half a line at a time. I was stood next to Maurice who has a lovely signing voice and I tried not to be put off by this. There was one note I struggled to reach. I asked Sheila afterwards and she said it was D one octave above Middle C.

So with Rebecca last night I explored this. Well this D is about 3 notes off the top of my range currently so no surprise there. When I have trouble singing something my immediate reaction is 'Oh, it is because I am a rubbish singer' rather than 'Well this note is beyond most men.' Sheila said well sing it an octave lower that is what most people would do' True but my problem is that I can't instruct myself to do this and then do it. I might do it by 'accdient' by I can't (yet!) by design. Now if Rachel the choir conductor had sang my line to me I could try and hold it especially if Maurice and other people were singing it. Sheila says it is not like that we are not going to sing in different parts like in Carol's choir. Ye Gods this is a tough one. As Rebecca said 'You have no musical training'.

So I will see about Joseph. Rebecca says if I bring the music she will help me sort it out which is great. I still want to be back in Carol's choir so I must chase that up.

Cold today on the bike, we have moved into Autumn but at least it is dry and the colours in the sky are worth getting up for. I am whacked after a 2 week visit from my Kenyan colleagues in whcih I was doing wall-to-wall teaching. Life is a bit grey without them!

Best to all,

Bill on bike.