singing, playing and conducting .....

I had such a musical time last weekend.

On Saturday, I sang a duet from Bach cantata 99 with Rita. We had sung together several times before. We became good duet partners. This time we chose such a challenging piece for us. When we started our rehearsal last fall, we could not sing it very well. We couldn't be united so well. Then the performance was postponed due to the pianist's breaking her hip bone. We were disappointed with the postponement. However, when we restarted our rehearsal in January, we found we improved a lot with singing it! Then we were more together than the last time!

After the performance, one of our friends came to me saying "Naoko and Rita were together all the time, especially your melisma was so beautifully together. I was impressed with it a lot!" I was so glad to hear that. Actually, I had a cold and didn't feel well that day. I couldn't hear my voice and thought it sounded funny and not good at all. But I tried to trust myself and just concentrate on our being together, building music together, saying the words together.... I was glad my intention was reached to the audience!

I was impressed with other singers' performances a lot! Some sang a Bach aria with the flute played by her daughter. There were a lot other pieces that were sung by hearts.... We were filled with lovely music that night.



On Sunday, I played many challenging roles in my church service. It was called "Choir Sunday" so the service was directed by our music director, Pam.

I played the piano for an offertory and doxology.
I played the organ for several hymns during the organist's preach.
And the most challenging thing for me that day was conducting the choir's piece. Usually we don't have a conductor. We have just a pianist,Pam, and sing with her accompaniment. However, this time, we had lots of complicated entrances, dynamics and mood changes. Pam and I talked about how we could make people feel better with singing it. A week ago, we thought about several patterns. I should play the piano part? Or I could conduct? We tried them.... and decided that Pam would play the piano and I would try to conduct.

I was not sure till that day if people feel comfortable to have a conductor since they usually didn't have one. I prepared for it, make music, practiced showing cues, breathing, dynamics and so on.

To my joy, people sang it so beautifully in the end! During the rehearsal, when some member asked about the note or rhythm, another member said, "Look at Naoko! She shows us everything!" something like that. I was so glad to hear that. Then everyone gradually looked at me and breathed with me, eventually we played music altogether, with a great joy! Ieva later told me that everyone seemed very confident and to sing so joyfully. That was great! I felt really happy while I was conducting because people were singing so spiritually. I was so impressed with their singing and I felt so happy that I could be helpful. I'll never forget this day.



I have to admit that I was so exhausted when I got home.....!! But it was a good kind of exhaustion!
I had such a musical time.


And..... I will have another musical time next weekend! I'm joining The Western Wind Winter Wonderland Workshop in BrattleBoro, Vermont! I very much look forward to seeing wonderful singers there and having a great time together. I have to get over my cold till then.... I will!