Project 60 Number 35 - A Pleasure and a Privelege

So, for reasons with which, as so often, I will not bore you, we were recently invited to attend a Scottish Opera rehearsal. Not one of those 'not really a rehearsal' rehearsal that opera companies put on for their Friends organisation where you can pay to go and sit in the stalls and watch what amounts to a proper performance except that some of the singers might be only marking, but a real honest-to-goodness rehearsal, still in the production studios and with the Director still making changes.

 

Such excitement! Well it was for us anyway.We sat like quiet mice just behind and to the right of the Director's table (the Director in this case being Thomas Allen who was doing a revival of his marriage of Figaro ) and watched and listened, surrounded by serious people who were doing things we didn't understand, plus a few whose purpose was obvious or pointed out to us. You really appreciate how powerful a singer's voice is, in those circumstances. What amazed me most, although I'm not sure why unless it is that I read far too many grisly operatic biographies twenty years ago, was the support all the singers, chorus and soloists, gave to one another, applauding good solos and making suggestions about stage business.

 

We managed a brief chat with TA when they broke for lunch; we have met him before and he did a very good job of seeming to remember us - he's a lovely man! and we came away when the singers came back for notes, which seemed the right thing to do. I wouldn't want a perfect stranger hanging about watching while I had a work appraisal, would you?

 

No photos as taking them didn't seem appropriate. We did however get to see a performance in Glasgow earlier this week (because yes, as well as being put off writing for a week, we also went away for a few days). I thought the performance took a little while to warm up and was distinctly underwhelmed by Act 1 but everybody seemed to get going after that and it turned out to be a lovely evening. And here's a photo of that , just to enliven the post.