Choral Homework

Up, and to second rehearsal of Bath Minerva Choir at the Nexus, Walcot Street. Up even earlier today, as the main rehearsal was preceded by 'sectionals' starting at 09.45. In this case, the men and women were taken through their paces separately by Gavin, the Conductor, and Tim, Assistant Conductor.

These are the song sheets for the programme of twentieth century American show songs we will be performing in July. The paperweight is a bottle of late bottled vintage port I won on my first entry in the weekly choir raffle. Not bad for the outlay of a pound. The pencils are required equipment for choristers and are used to mark up the choral parts with specific instructions from the conductor. In my case, I also use it to remind myself which stave I'm supposed to be following.

The music includes a number of Rodgers & Hammerstein pieces (You'll Never Walk Alone, from Carousel; a medley from the Sound of Music, and the title song from Oklahoma); a piece by Leonard Bernstein (Make Our Garden Grow, from Candide) and words and music by Stephen Sondheim (Sunday, from Sunday in the Park with George).

The final piece is again by Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim: America, from West Side Story. Unfortunately the music supplier delivered a shortfall in the number of music sheets for this song, so I and a number of others will have to wait until the next rehearsal to receive our music.

Gavin Carr's parting words were "Happy Easter and don't forget your homework..." - we are to watch DVDs of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, OKLAHOMA, WEST SIDE STORY, etc. over the Easter break to get us all into the swing of things. A tortuous instruction for all the red-blooded males in the choir, I haven't suffered sitting through the SOUND OF MUSIC since spending Christmases as a child with the family.

So I've compromised by downloading the pieces we will actually sing onto my iPod and listening to them as I walk into the city.