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

Joined a choir a while ago. We did an opera project (Acis and Galatea by Handel). When we entered the stage, I actually almost fainted from fright.

Anyone know how to deal with this (next opera's already on the way)?

The only way I have found works for me is to be absolutely sure of what I'm singing. Lots of practice and listening to recordings. Either that or be too tired to care, but then you don't get the buzz from singing!



P.S. hi, by the way. I spotted you over in the Atelier.

Hi Vip!

Good point. They also say it vanishes if you get lots of practice. Hope that's true...

Yes, usually the more you are on stage the more you get used to it. The verse is also true though; I almost never perform these days so get far more nervous than I used to!

There isn't a VIP smiley yet. Let's stick with ...

The strange thing is I'm just part of the choir. If anything goes wrong, no one will notice. Still, standing in front of all these people scares the out of me. I really need to learn to be more !

May I ask what your voice type is (mine's tenor)?

I'm a soprano. Although my high notes ae getting a little rusty - I haven't sung regularly for a year now.

No kidding! Babies can do that to your voice.

Yes! I do sort of miss it, but I miss previous choirs that I have been in more. I prefer church singing to choral society singing, despite being an atheist.

Sounds a bit schizophrenic...

I've just decided to leave the Catholic church. Music's more important to me!

I was an employed chorister for a Catholic cathedral for several years, and loved it. I do still love the ritual and formality and *adore* the music, and there was no pressure to actually believe in god at all. It was tremendous fun.

These days I end up having to sing oratorios and such, which really aren't the same as sacred choral stuff. Oh well, there are different choirs for different thngs and if I am too lazy to get out of bed on a Sunday morning then that is my own fault!

Well done on leaving, by the way. I remember when I turned my back on my faith - it was a big thing in my life at e time, althgh it was also a relief and a start of a New, happier era.

I hope to make the same experience. I've never been much of a religious person in a dogmatic sense, but was raised a Catholic. Except I've never really understood most of the values I was taught, and now, as an adult, I feel the whole institution is moving in a direction that is diametrically opposed to pretty much anything I believe in. Time to go.

But what's positive, and I'll cherish for the rest of my life, is the appreciation of art. So I think I'll just retain this and skip the rest!

I suddenly realised that I was using my faith as an excuse to be a nice person. I also didn't like the stance of the church and felt it had a lot of hypocritical or unfair teachings, which upset me or made me feel guilty. Shedding the burden of guilt was exactly the way a lot of people say they felt when they joined the church!

I agree with you - keep the parts you like, ignore the parts created by man, and find a balance you can be happy with.bi think I became a better Christian when I stopped believing in god because I could no longer hide behind doctrine. Everything I did or said was my own responsibility and I found hay liberating.

It's very encouraging to hear how well it all turned out for you. Thank you very much for sharing!

I guess the magic word here is doctrine. Start applying anything as rigid to life, the universe, and everything, and you know you're in trouble...

There's a down side though. Perhaps some good old-fashioned fundamentalism would help with the stage fright. I mean, you never see Rick Santorum sweating it, do you?