Blur - this week's word

The bit that's in focus
I sing in a community choir that is twinned with a choir in Grenoble. Every year we agree on music that we learn apart, then we get together, either in Grenoble or Oxford or both, and put on a couple of concerts. I love how the music changes when we sing together and I love getting to know people a bit better each time we meet. Some of us have become good friends and visit each other outside choir meets. This year's UK concerts are tonight and tomorrow.

Blur 1 - Communications
I'm not sure how this happened but a few weeks ago we realised that  the two choirs have learnt different pieces for the concerts. Oops.

Blur 2 - Time
I wanted to take leave from work for a couple of days this week, to practise the music, to prepare for the French person I am hosting this weekend and because it is Oxfordshire Art Weeks and I wanted to go and see some photographers' work. But work is insane and it wasn't possible.

Blur 3 - Money
The concerts are in a church which wanted to charge us £100 for  our joint pre-concert rehearsal this evening. Our choir has no money and the church agreed to waive the fee if we sang in their Ascension Day service yesterday. So although I had no time, last night I joined in sight-singing a mass (which makes me sound a much better singer than I am - my expertise is knowing when to open and close my mouth soundlessly in time to the music) from a tiny gallery above the middle of the church. It was a strange experience - I felt like an anthropologist.

Blur 4  - Blip
No time, no time...