Auntie Knows Best

This week has mostly been characterised by washing and absolutely loads of it!!! It has been back to work and back to hard work and the holiday is a distant memory!!

The weather was absolutely beautiful on Saturday and Dad came for lunch. He and Eric had some quality time together as usual.

On Sunday morning I sang at a local church with choir. It was quite fun to do a more formal church service for a change.

On Sunday afternoon we had to go to the AGM for The Little Miss’ Scout group and that was fun and the kids had a go on the zip line and the high rope. They did well, especially The Little Mister who is quite scared of heights. I am always proud of them when they give it a go.

Time for Christmas Carols at choir.

Today was an extremely busy day. Both kids had Music Centre Open Day.

The Little Miss was on first and had Primary Choir which was fantastic – she has complained wuite a lot over the last few weeks about going to practices but since she saw me rehearsing with my choir she has been much happier to attend. They were absolutely brilliant. `She then had Primary Violins and made a really great sound. I am very proud of her for working so hard at her violin.

The Mister then went to pick up The Little Mister from Cub Camp. He wet wiped him down and put him in uniform and he went and performed with Junior Strings. After the assault on the ears that was the woodwind and brass group before them they were fantastic. Really good sound and The Little Mister looked so comfortable playing his violin. I was very proud of him.

We are so grateful for the wonderful Guernsey Music centre and their staff. We are fortunate to get such high quality musical education and I love the fact that at least twice a year, no matter what level, we get to hear them perform. Wonderful.

After the open morning The Little Mister was returned to camp to continue with activities such as Tomahawk throwing.

Despite a busy day at work we are back at choir this evening. It’s nice to be able to cycle in though.

This afternoon I went out with the choir Bel Canto for an afternoon tea. We had delicious food and good company and the weather was kind to us.

The choir has been going for 30 years (I think!) and some of us have been singing together on and off since then. We have seen each other through good times and some sad times and yet we continue to meet together to sing and laugh.

Happy Bel Canto birthday girls. Hopefully we will have at least a few more years to go!

Back to work and back to choir.

Feeling tired after the weekend activities but it was such fun.

So tonight I had a concert with the choir, Bel Canto at the lovely Town Church. This photo was taken in the church vestry where we were warming up.

We have been working pretty hard but I am definitely finding learning songs as an adult much more difficult than when I was a teenager. In fact the ones that I know the best are those that I sang when I was 15. We did one tonight that we picked up again a few weeks ago but I sung it about 30 years ago – it was pure singing muscle memory!

It went pretty well although there were a few mistakes. Apparently, according to a local choir teacher who was in the audience I have a ‘fabulous singing face’ – by which she means that I am completely engaged with what is going on and use my face to express what I am singing. That, I informed her, is my ‘I’m scared shitless face and I can’t remember what the next line/note/entrance is. I also fidget with my fingers when I am nervous, I must get that under control!

All in all it was a fab evening, singing with some of my best friends and making some lovely music (even if we are wearing old lady tops!) What could be better?

Tonight at choir we sang one of my favourite songs, Blackbird by the Beatles.

I have always loved it but have a vivid memory of walking through a darkening Covent Garden to hear a man playing this on his guitar and singing. It was haunting and beautiful and whenever I hear it I think back to that day.

Back to choir tonight and someone has told our choir leader that we would like to sing “rubbish” for a change.

To be honest we just like to sing, and sometimes it is nice to sing something other than another version of Ave Maria!

Back to choir today and one of the topics of disussion on the island is the suggestion that funding for the Guernsey Music Centre is to be reviewed.

As a teenager most of my Saturdays were spent at Music Centre. I had the fortune of having clarinet and singing lessons, as well as playing in orchestras and wind bands. The music service in Guernsey has always been amazing. So many children have had the opportunities to develop their musical abilities and that would be an absolute travesty if that stopped.

So, all that I learned as a child I still use today. Being part of a choir taught me to be part of a team, to listen to each other, to take instruction (mostly) and to laugh a lot. It taught me discipline and patience but more than that it is great for my mood, mental and physical health and my social life.

Music certainly makes the world go around!