Off again this time to a four day workshop with Jeremy Jackman... (ex member of the King's Singers. 
Early morning flight and then to our gorgeous hotel... what a view. Roger immediately picked the Art Museum as the place to explore while we were rehearsing. But first a stroll down to La Ramblas (lots of great memories with that, including our cooking class where we shopped at St Josef market!
Roger was delighted that the Art Gallery of Catalonia was right opposite the hotel ... guess where he spent the time while we were rehearsing!
First day of rehearsals went really well... by the second day though my allergies were starting and I could not stop sneezing. I took anti-histermines and thought all would be well... but no!
Another sleepless night and I struggled through rehearsals. The group went off on a city tour including Park Gruell. Even though we had been before I would have liked to have gone...but I felt pretty awful!!
Did manage to make it to the reception dinner and all rehearsals though! Very funny at the dinner...Great seafood restaurant overlooking the water. Roger who is not all that keen on seafood had ordered vegetarian. We all had course after course but Roger got nothing. We kept asking the waiters where his meal was, but all they did was shake their head and say that it was coming.
Eventually it did come. A steak! We all stared and then burst out laughing. Poor Roger!
I was very tentative about singing at Sagrada Familia...mainly because my throat was starting to get sore from all my sneezing but I did make it!
I first went to Sagrada Familia with my friend Kim when was 19 or 20 and we were hitchhiking around Europe. We thought this was the most magnificent structure we had ever seen... and look at it now!
We had a great tour around, but I think most of us were focused on the concert. Strangely, the acoustics were just awful... when you are singing an 8 part piece it really helps to be able to hear the other parts! I must admit for me it did feel a little strange to be singing such overtly Christian music... I know, I know I sing requiems etc all the time but hymns are different somehow. Don't know why it is still beautiful music!
Our final concert was in a small village to the North of Barcelona. While I managed to sing at Sagrada, my voice just could not make it through another concert. I croaked my apologies and while the choir rehearsed we walked through the village.
While I was disappointed not to sing, it was fascinating to hear the choir sing the pieces I had rehearsed - a novel experience!
And so suddenly, it was all over... the final drinks reception and then off to bed ready to board our 6.00am flight to Cardiff!
Adventures in Wales yet to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment