h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A little while ago I joined a newly-formed staff choir, and yesterday was our first performance, as part of a line-up consisting of two other choirs and two solo artists. This took place at the Hanger Farm Arts Centre at Totton, an 18th Century barn converted into an arts centre and theatre. We were the third act on.

We were off to a bit of a shaky start during the first song when the audience started applauding when we were in the middle of a musical break, which made coming back in for the song's finale a bit awkward, especially as when we actually finished properly there was no audience applause - not a sausage - and the room was dead quiet... The second song went okay and the third song actually went well.

The night's finale involved all the singers coming on stage together to sing 2 songs as a massive choir, even though we've not met or rehearsed before. This went well, although I unfortunately ended up at the front and I'm not an in the front sort of person. Fortunately due to the bright lights I couldn't at any point see anyone in the audience. (I didn't know anyone anyway as, being a school night with a start time of 8pm, it was too late for my kids).

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That's weird about the audience clapping in the middle but not at the end, but I'm glad they warmed up later on and enjoyed the show.

I'm not a fan of being at the front either, but as I'm short I got the prime spot right in the middle of the front row in my little performance the other week... I just looked at the music sheet in front of me, but I was glad to be beside someone friendly and confident so I hope I was less noticeable as a result...

Have you been on stage often, or was this a rare performance for you?

We didn't have music sheets or anything, just us people. We were told to try and do a bit of a sway just before we went on, but some people were doing a sway left, sway right, sway left, sway right movement, while others were more sway left, pause, sway right, pause, sway left, pause, sway right, pause - so that was funny.

But no, I think that was my first time on stage since school, not that I did much at school, Nativity Plays and the occasional school thing. Fortunately because the start time was 8pm, which is well after our children's bedtime so my family couldn't come, I didn't know anyone at all in the audience. So I wasn't nervous of making a fool of myself in front of people who don't know me and chances are will never see me again ever.

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Wow, that would have been daunting for you, to be right at the front in a rare appearance, but yes it is helpful when the lights are bright so you can't see the audience anyway, and I'm sure you did well, as you turned up for all the practice sessions.

I've been on stage a few times since school, but mostly in the middle of a group of people sitting on chairs, so that was much better, but anyway it is an achievement to cope when inadvertently at the front

I definitely couldn't see the audience when they put the fog lights on full-beam and I closed my eyes. Apparently quite a few of us closed our eyes at that point, but that just made it look as if we were all being very emotional about the lyrics at that point...

Strangely enough I wasn't as nervous as I was expecting - no-where near as nervous as I am before a race. It was more something I was doing at the end of the weekend, not the prime focus of the weekend. Still, it was an experience. We did a new song today, Olly Murs' 'Wrapped Up'. Still no Beatles or Queen...

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And there was I thinking you were performing some Brahms motets.

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