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

Six months of hard rehearsing, especially the final rehearsal with orchestra etc on Saturday, culminated in our open-air concert last night. It was a beautiful day, and at 8 pm when we started, the sky was clear, the birds were singing and all was calm and still sunny.

In Meeresstille - Glückliche Fahrt, we sang about the wind picking up after a lull, and at that moment the wind came up and blew all the sheet music off the orchestra's music stands. We all had to try and sing while laughing and giggling about this. After the break, the a capella choir did a few songs () and then the orchestra was due to come back on for our major work - the grande finale of the evening: Mendelssohn's Walpurgisnacht.

Rain started falling during the last song of the a capella group, and hasn't stopped since. We had to break off the concert. The soloists never got to sing, and I hate to think what it cost the council and sponsors.

We were, of course, very very disappointed and felt let down, although no one was cross, because you can't do anything about the weather. We should have started earlier, or missed out the interval, or gone inside after all.

Maybe we'll get another date to sing it. Halloween would be suitable!

Sorry to hear this. I've never sung out of doors.

Yes, it's such a shame to have your concert ruined like that.

I guess you'll need to check the short-range weather forecast next time.

We've been doing these outdoor concerts since 1998 and the judgement of the organisers (still the same people) has been pretty reliable. In fact, we've only once had to have an break for a very light shower. It was heart-rending when the first big drops fell on the timpani skins - they were covered over immediately. The other instruments were fortunately indoors.

The acoustics in the venue are excellent - plus birdsong and maybe the occasional ambulance. It's quite exhilarating and all the visiting musicians love it.

It was originally built for military purposes and was a sort of parade ground.

Last weekend we started rehearsals for this year's Summer Festival concert. And Yes - we are doing the Walpurgisnacht again. As this is a song about a pagan ritual, our conductor has explained that, to appease the Lord in the hope that the weather will not be unfavourable again, we are also singing the 42nd Psalm by Mendelssohn - it's very beautiful, with many reminiscences of Elijah in it.

I'm going to the rehearsals, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to sing at the concert, which is on 24 June. Our grandson will be 3 on 22 June and we had thought we might go and visit them in California for his birthday. So, until we actually sort ourselves out (have to check up when I can get the time off work, the prices of the flights, when it suits the little family out there etc., etc) I shall continue to sing along, in the hope that I can both spend my grandson's birthday with him AND participate in the concert!

In other news, with the Domkammerchor (Cathedral Chamber Choir) we are singing Bach's St John's Passion at Easter. The frustrating thing there is that when I last sang it, I had the Peters Edition score. Now I've got to buy the Bärenreiter edition. (I asked if the Peters would do, but he said he'd rather I got the Bärenreiter)

Actually, I lent the Peters version to my son recently who was singing the St John Passion with a choir in Bonn, but he said that they were using the Bärenreiter too.

I wonder what Bach would make of that?

What part of California is your grandson in? I know you've said before, but I don't remember...

Santa Clara. It's my son's (hid Daddy's) birthday today.

I'll wave southward when the time comes

Just back from England and next weekend four days of intensive rehearsal for the St John's Passion. Next Monday and Tuesday are school holidays (Shrove Monday and Tuesday) but there will be no parties for us, ensconced in our monastery, bringing those black dots to life.

A spot of tadpole nursing?

Those tadpoles did very well - it was all very moving and very tiring!

(See other journal)

It's an image for 'reading music' that might be handy: tadpole incubation.

Tadpole identification?

Yes, but we have to bring them to life too!

Well, last Sunday was finally the day! (the 25th, not the 24th, as I said further up thread)

On returning from the US, I was pretty poorly, which is why I haven't written earlier, but over the weekend I stayed in bed, only to get up for the rehearsal on the Saturday and the concert on Sunday. As long as I didn't eat anything I was fine.

This time we had an amateur orchestra, but in the end, our very authoritative conductor sorted them out, and the final result was very pleasing.

The 42nd psalm went well, with its lovely male voice choir sections, and light women's choir parts. The orchestra then played the first movement of a symphony by Raff (me neither) - very light and whimsical, contemporary of Mendelssohn.

It was his 8th Symphony "Frühlingsklänge" - the sounds of Spring. A very apt transition to the Walpurgisnacht which is about the end of winter and the beginning of spring. There was definitely birdsong, and I think the trumpets were mimicking frogs.

Then we put our *all* into the Walpurgisnacht and were quite exhausted afterwards!

Sounds good!

Sorry to hear you've been ill. Do you think you picked up an airline bug?