Spotlights and Link-love

A few months ago, we Philadelphia Singers were asked to answer some survey questions about our experiences with the group in order for them to use to drum up interest in the Singers and the Subscription Series, etc.  I’ll admit it.  I like talking about myself and about how much I love what I do.  So, I was happy to do the survey.  I had no idea it would lead to being their first singer spotlight in their subscription blast email!  I was thrilled because I’m a narcissist.  What?  Before I launch some shamefull self-promotion, please take a moment to go to the Philadelphia Singers Website to read more about this wonderful group and Subscribe to the concert series.

Fellow singing collegue and blogger Maren (who may be the only one reading my blog - for which I’m grateful) sings with the core group on a more regular basis than I and is fabulous and would want you to go and subscribe!

Here are my answers that were published.

What do you usually do during rehearsal breaks?
Tweet, text, and talk.

What is your most memorable concert or musical experience with The Philadelphia Singers?
My all-time favorite piece (besides Verdi’s Requiem which I haven’t done with The Singers yet but in which they were glorious) is the Carmina Burana. I never get tired of it. The piece shows off The Singers’ musicality, endurance, utter expanse of sound, and the ability to sing in 90 degree heat without missing a beat.   One of my best memories was being contracted for my first concert at Carnegie Hall. I was new to the group and didn’t know that The Singers regularly perform at Carnegie Hall.  I opened up the contract offer and saw that and thought it was a typo.  That was an exciting moment for me. 

What was your most enjoyable concert experience of the 2008-2009 season?
I really enjoyed working on the three pieces for our June concert in Verizon Hall (Bruckner’s Mass in E Minor, Loeffler’s By the Rivers of Babylon and Martino’s Seven Pious Pieces). It’s the most challenging music I’ve sung with The Singers so far and the best way to describe the experience is, “big risk, big reward.”

Do you have any hobbies? if so, what are they?
If I had unlimited amounts of money at my disposal, I would split my vacations between skiing and going to the beach. 

What WASN’T published was a question where the answer involved a person I just adore and at first sort of feared (but in a good way) when I worked with him first here and then here and who made me a better singer forever and who conducts this fabulous group and also conducts the chorus here and who is so bad-a that he has his own Wikipedia entry!  Oh, and also my one reader, Maren sings with his Crossings group currently and I’m sort of jealous (but in a good way).

The question was about my first embarrassing audition moment in Philadelphia.  Besides the normal audition snafus that may occur vocally, I never have had an huge embarrassing audition moment.  BUT I did have a funny/awkward audition moment.  I was new to Philadelphia and was starting the audition process, which included the Choral Arts Society and the Opera Company of Philadelphia within a day of each other, if I remember correctly.  What I didn’t know was that Donald Nally (linked above) was conducting both groups at the time.  Since I was doing two separate groups, I, naturally, used the same music.  I walked in to the first one and did my audition for Donald and then went to the other audition a day later and, “oh, hi!” – it’s the same person I saw yesterday.  I blushed and just said, “oh, so…you can probably guess what I’ll be singing for you today.”

Bruckner’s E-minor Massive Head Cold

I’m so sorry I haven’t written as I’ve been suffering a major head cold with a left swollen lymph node, bla bla bla.  Even with the cold, I had a great performance at the Open House Community Fundraiser hosted by Tom Baust this past Saturday.  He has a beautiful home and I’m hoping to do a little write up about it here once I get a picture of the house.  I also wanted to take a moment to talk about our concert this week.  The music has been challenging yet rewarding all at the same time – sort of like a marathon.  You sweat and struggle the whole way but the finish line is so amazingly wonderful.

National Chorus America Conference Concert
Bruckner’s Mass in E Minor, Martino’s “Seven Pious Pieces,” and Loeffler’s “By The Rivers of Babylon”
Philadelphia Singers
June 11 – Verizon Hall at 8:00PM
Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center

Rehab, Rehearsals, and Comfort Coffee

Whew!  What a week!   I have my (only) second day of finger rehab and, people, it’s just a finger, I know, but I have to tell you, I never appreciated my hands until now.  All of your fingers are so interconnected that if one goes out, they all go out, like Christmas lights.   The only digit lucky enough escape the rehab is the thumb.  There is a level of distress with not having things “the way they used to be” that I didn’t expect.  Occupational Therapy is great because they address those concerns with you as well as your physical issues.  Anyway, treat your hands with care is all I can say – and don’t reach for cell phones or anything falling out of your hands (unless it’s a baby or a puppy).  Nothing else is worth it.  The five times a day torturexcises coupled with sheer exhaustion from back-to-back-to-back rehearsals makes me want to walk across the street for what I like to call Comfort Coffee.  It’s my new thing.  Not food, but coffee.  It’s cheaper and has fewer calories.  I may be developing a caffeine addiction, which I don’t think the finger therapist will be able to help with unless she says to “not curl your fingers around the coffee cup” or to “not use your fingers to grab your wallet.”  The problem is that Starbucks is literally 50 feet away from my office.  Woe. 

On a lighter note, the Philadelphia Singers , along with the Philadelphia Orchestra , is performing Berlioz’s Damnation of Faust this week.  We are performing at the Kimmel Center and Carnegie Hall.  I’m not only excited about singing the concert but also about getting another chance to go to New York and eat at a great restaurant that I discovered the last time I was there.

Comfort Coffee, anyone?