I Have Had Singing

And then the organ didn't work. As if the first Schola rehearsal of the year needed any further complications. A missing alto, a clock whose battery was dead, a missing piano, and three different tunings required of an organ we were having trouble getting to make sound. That on top of a litany of copies to be made of music, parts, texts and translations. Thank goodness this was the end of the day.

My colleagues in the department warned me about this day, but I didn't believe them fully until it slapped me around a little bit. And slap me it did. Got to the ISM at 8am to prepare to conduct my first Repertory Chorus rehearsal. Met with Simon at 10:30 to talk about things (see above) that I, as Schola manager, needed to do before that night's 7:15 rehearsal. Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon doing as many of those things as I could before Rep Chorus auditions started at 2pm. Listened to auditioners, of which some were quite good and we took on the spot. Rehearsed with Repertory Chorus from 4-6, my first Yale conducting experience (hooray!) The chorus sounded in tune and intelligent, if not a little imbalanced. Got a bite to eat, took the shuttle to the ISM, and set up for Schola. And then the perfect storm focused its energies on me (see paragraph 1).

After resetting the room, I departed the ISM at 10:35 and got home around 11:00. I stayed up until 3am working in preparation for Schola's Wednesday rehearsal and today's lesson with Simon. Waking up at 7 hurt, but being very prepared for my lesson more than made up for it. I didn't want to go 2 for 2 in less-than-ideal interactions with Simon. The work I did last night made today easier. I'm currently in between Elm City Girls Choir rehearsal and the first Camerata rehearsal - Beethoven 9, here we come.

In short, the first week at Yale is blowing my hair back, and I feel like I'm taking a drink from a fire hose. I have a newfound respect for my colleagues who make this look both easy and fun, and manage to support us rookies all the while.

Bis spaeter...

Nails