Stretched Thin, Singing Strong

Finding Harmony in the Chaos

Sometimes I feel like Silly Putty. Being pulled in all directions. Trying to meet everyone else’s needs. Picking up the image of the comic in the newspaper. Stretched too thin.

A Weekend of Music and Muscle

The weekend of April 5^th was brutal. I sing in the Lawrence Civic Choir. This year is the choir’s 50^th year. Something special. We sang the Brahms’ Requiem and a composer’s piece, especially for the 50^th year celebration.

I sang in high school and a bit in college. I had some college-level voice lessons. I haven’t sung much in the last few years. The last group I was a part of was a women’s barbershop group – a completely different type of singing, yet also challenging.

We rehearse for two hours a week. Then it was extended to two and a half, then three. Those rehearsals were tough. I’d go home exhausted.

The past year and a half that I’ve been singing with the choir, we’d rehearse a couple of extra evenings just before the concert.

The Cost of Passion

For this concert, we were singing with an orchestra and two soloists. Our performance was at the Lied Center (the performing arts center at KU). They had a concert the evening before, so we couldn’t get in until Saturday morning to do our final “dress rehearsal”.

We rehearsed with the orchestra and the soprano soloist on Friday evening at Lawrence High School for about three hours.

We were to be at the Lied Center at 8:30 am for our final seating arrangement. I live about 30 minutes away. As usual, I was a bit late.

We practiced until about 12:15 pm. I was tired and hungry. The director suggested taking a nap. I’d had plenty of sleep and didn’t think I needed a nap. I took one anyway.

We were to be at the Lied Center at 6:30 pm. The concert started at 7:30 with the orchestra doing a number. Then we sang our special piece. Next, we were joined on stage by the Shawnee Choral Society. The choir was about 140 members.

Brahms’ Requiem is in seven movements. It’s about one hour and ten minutes.

It’s a good thing I had a section to sing with. By the time we had gotten to the seventh movement, I couldn’t reach the high notes and was struggling. I’m not in the singing shape that I once was. I had trouble talking on the ride home as well. I was still tired on Sunday and took a short nap then.

Riding the Rhythm of Recovery

Follow your heart they say… Mine always leads me to the Barn!

Why would I put myself in this position? Like so many things we do that we love, it can feel like we’re being stretched in several directions. I sometimes felt like this when I was horse showing. I’d be going to shows every weekend and some that were all week for months at a time. It was a relief when the qualifying period was over.

Then, if qualified, you might take some time off from showing. During that time, you still needed to be riding and practicing physically and mentally. You must be resilient and dedicated.

Now I’m feeling behind in my business. Playing catch-up. I don’t like that feeling, but I love the feeling of accomplishment when it’s over. This concert was a huge accomplishment, and now I have a few weeks to recover and prepare to sing it again in Topeka on May 3^rd.

If you’d like to take a mid-week break, the horses and I will be starting Sunset Connections again this summer. Join us for a mid-week refreshing break. You won’t regret it. Click the button below for more information and to register.

The 50^th Anniversary Concert by the Lawrence Civic Choir, Shawnee Choral Society, and Lawrence Community Orchestra.

Make a Connection in the comments below.

Onward!