Eleven down and four to go.

Well that’s maybe not quite accurate.  As with any statistic, it depends on what you count and how you count it.

In this case, it’s rehearsals for the next concert.  To be absolutely precise, there have been eleven rehearsals up to last night; there are four more general rehearsals to go; then the session with the orchestra at the School; and finally the general rehearsal in the Chapel on the Thursday evening before the concert.  So you might say it’s eleven down and six to go.

But for my money the last real rehearsal is the one before the orchestra joins us.  By that time the choir needs to sing accurately and confidently so that Carlos can then concentrate on joining choir and orchestra together.  Hence the reality is eleven down and four to go.

How are we shaping up?  It’s hard to say.  Some pieces such as the Schubert Mass seem to be in good shape, while others such as parts of the Misa Criolla still seem to be a bit of a struggle.  Perhaps it’s not surprising.  This is the season when we more mature folk can easily catch colds and ‘flu, leading to a few weeks away from the music.  It is also the season for folk to take extended overseas travels (including musical ones) leading to the need for more compressed rehearsal times.   Add to that the fact that many of us are unfamiliar with south American dance rhythms and with Spanish text and so need extra help to learn them.

In my ten years in the Choir, we have somehow always managed to get there on the night.  However difficult the final rehearsals might have been, the concerts have always gone well.  So with hard work and concentration on everyone’s part, I am sure that this concert will follow suit.

Last night’s rehearsal shows what we can do when we get down to it; both Misa Criolla and El Gavilan were sounding much better by the end of the rehearsal.  El Gavilan is wonderful to sing, the rhythms criss-crossing each other, the music bouncing along like a horse at a gallop.

Incidentally, there is a great YouTube of El Gavilan (click here to see it), which is not entirely the same as our version in the middle, typical for arrangements of folk songs, and which has a fantastic addition at the end (but don’t tell Carlos in case he wants us to do the same!)

Right.  Nearly time to go and do the weekly shop with Anne.  Just time for another run-through of El Gavilan before we go!