A concert to remember
The first three Holiday Pops performances for the Symphony Chorus were somewhat difficult for me. I was getting over the flu which had turned into asthma. Taking deep breaths was problematic. During the first performance, I lost it on song #1. I spent the next two songs alternatively holding my breath, lip syncing, and mentally saying: “Don’t, cough” over and over again. After the intermission I sang very cautiously part of the time, perfected my lip syncing skills and prayed that I wouldn’t cough. The second and third performances the next day were slightly better, although the nagging “coughing worries” were very strong. I really was dreading Sunday evening.
It didn’t seem to me that it was a very strong concert compared with other years. I even debated telling Tom and Kati not to bother to come to the Sunday concert.
I’m very glad I didn’t. I think we finally hit our stride on Sunday. I know I did. Finally, I could sing normally. The music soared. The guest conductor seemed to have become comfortable with us. During the second half, he even staged a little skit. He informed the audience that since Christmas is a time of gift giving, the symphony had decided to give a gift to some lucky couple in the audience. He called out two seat numbers. The audience dove to check their ticket stubs. A young couple seated near the front waved their tickets and the conductor invited them to the stage to receive their gifts. Once on stage, the young man dropped to one knee and pulled out a tiny flip top box. “Will you marry me?” he said into the microphone. His stunned girlfriend pulled him to his feet and gave him a big kiss. The audience went wild.
The first half of the concert was not boring either. The very young guest soloist came out on stage to sing and, to the chorus seated behind her, it was apparent that she was having a zipper failure-although only from the hook at mid-back to the waist. It almost looked like it was supposed to be that way. Except that every time she took a breath the zipper inched a little lower. Several of the females in the front row were whispering softly, “Don’t turn around, don’t turn around, don’t turn around,” and praying that it wouldn’t go any lower. She made it to the end of her two songs with the front of the dress still intact. Afterward I described the costume failure to Kati and Tom who were seated in the middle balcony. “Well that explains it,” Tom commented. “At the end of her songs, there was a group of men in the chorus who were applauding extra long and hard. I couldn’t figure out why.”
Hmmm. Slightly different reactions from the men and the women!
It didn’t seem to me that it was a very strong concert compared with other years. I even debated telling Tom and Kati not to bother to come to the Sunday concert.
I’m very glad I didn’t. I think we finally hit our stride on Sunday. I know I did. Finally, I could sing normally. The music soared. The guest conductor seemed to have become comfortable with us. During the second half, he even staged a little skit. He informed the audience that since Christmas is a time of gift giving, the symphony had decided to give a gift to some lucky couple in the audience. He called out two seat numbers. The audience dove to check their ticket stubs. A young couple seated near the front waved their tickets and the conductor invited them to the stage to receive their gifts. Once on stage, the young man dropped to one knee and pulled out a tiny flip top box. “Will you marry me?” he said into the microphone. His stunned girlfriend pulled him to his feet and gave him a big kiss. The audience went wild.
The first half of the concert was not boring either. The very young guest soloist came out on stage to sing and, to the chorus seated behind her, it was apparent that she was having a zipper failure-although only from the hook at mid-back to the waist. It almost looked like it was supposed to be that way. Except that every time she took a breath the zipper inched a little lower. Several of the females in the front row were whispering softly, “Don’t turn around, don’t turn around, don’t turn around,” and praying that it wouldn’t go any lower. She made it to the end of her two songs with the front of the dress still intact. Afterward I described the costume failure to Kati and Tom who were seated in the middle balcony. “Well that explains it,” Tom commented. “At the end of her songs, there was a group of men in the chorus who were applauding extra long and hard. I couldn’t figure out why.”
Hmmm. Slightly different reactions from the men and the women!