There is nothing quite like the magic of the Great American Songbook. Getting to perform the works of legendary composers—from Irving Berlin’s rhythmic Puttin’ On The Ritz to George Gershwin’s haunting Summertime—is a true gift. But it was Cole Porter’s Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye that really got to me; it is a piece so moving that I found myself tearing up every single time we practiced and performed it. (If you’ve never heard it, please Google it!)
Yep! That's me, with all 96 others behind me...no chance for mistakes here!
I also enjoyed the works of Van Morrison with Moondance and Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ In The Wind, along with a medley from one of my favorite musicals of all time, Chicago, by the legendary Kander and Ebb.
At the same time, I was pulling double duty rehearsing the operetta The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan. Juggling those two legendary styles right here in St. Augustine was a whirlwind, but I knew I could handle both... and I did!
You know what was the toughest part? For me, it was the intricate four-part group singing. I can read music, but when you look at a staff and see an "F," an "A," a "C," and an "E" all hitting at once... it’s a challenge! Being a 2nd soprano/mezzo, I knew my note was usually the one just below the top, but hitting it consistently took plenty of practice.
Luckily, I cozied up to two singers who really knew their stuff: Monica and Christy. Out of 97 chorus members, I lucked out by befriending Christy, the Stage Manager, and Monica, the President! We only had nine rehearsals, and they were grueling—sometimes lasting from 5:30 PM until 9:00 PM. I definitely felt a bit hoarse "apres" rehearsal.
We were led by a very experienced choir master, Mike Sanfilippo. He could strike a bit of fear in all 97 of us when it came to pronunciation and timing. His mantra was clear: hold the note, don't slide, and whatever you do, don’t sing over the pauses. You definitely don't want to accidentally perform a solo in the wrong place!
Have a renewed respect for chorus singers after this. It's hard!
In the end, I think I did alright! I felt the pressure of having that massive chorus behind me, but performing in the beautiful sanctuary of the Ancient City Baptist Church was a delight for everyone involved. With everything going on in the world today, it was wonderful to just dig my heels in and "Sing Out, Louise"—in all the right spots!
