First Handel Rehearsal

Frank had to be at work real early today, so we both got up at 5:00am. I had my Handel’s Messiah rehearsal, and he has to work at both jobs today. I was running to the kitchen to get his food and tea together, when his mom tells me that the kids might like some of the brownies I was packing up for Frank. I was confused, because there are no kids here. And lo and behold; the noise I had heard at 3:30 that morning was none other than Frank’s brother Kevin and his family! I was stunned, I didn’t really believe her when she told me Kevin was here. I went for a look on the couch, and sure enough: Melanie and Danielle sprawled sitting up on one side, Justin splayed out on the other, and Kevin on the floor. I was speechless to say the least. I had been wanting to meet Kevin and his family, but I would have liked to have been warned. It was a thing of beauty when Frank came to the kitchen and asked who was sleeping on the couch. He didn’t get to do more than hug Kevin for a moment, but Kevin was way too exhausted to do more than mumble a greeting and go back to sleep. I was so flustered I walked Frank all the way out to the car without him even noticing I was following beside him into the dark, wet morning. Even the thought of snakes did not stop me this time. But it seems like I’ll have to handle Kevin and his brood alone, because Frank will not get a chance to hang out with them this time around. He will work all day today, tomorrow and Monday, and they are leaving Monday.

The practice went okay for Handel’s Messiah this morning. I met a few new people for this project; among them a flutist, a pianist, a violinist, a bass player, and a conductor. Not to mention the choir and soloists. Every time I play for soloists I remember why I am not a singer. I love to sing, don’t get me wrong, but they are so hard to work with sometimes!!! I'll stick to my little Celtic songs and folk songs. Much as I love the opera, I am a musician who would hate to have to play for an opera singer. I simply cannot be both. I learned a lot in the three hours we were rehearsing though, and after berating my own playing for hours, it finally came to me what I was doing wrong. Ever since I started playing cello, my vibrato has gotten mixed up between the horizontal position and the vertical position. The vibrato is completely different than violin on the cello, and even though I have been playing cello for 4 years now, I mentally have not been able to differentiate between the two. But in the middle of a piece this morning during rehearsal I finally did it. I played vibrato as it was meant to be played on a violin. I guess all that practicing did pay off after all. Good to know that practicing 6 hours a day actually has its rewards. I just wish I had my viola again so I could re-learn the viola clef and start doing that again. But all in good time. Let me get this season over with before I get into anything else.

Right now I need to go touch up some of today’s music…don’t want to disappoint that chorus!!!