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During the morning session I wandered between the orchestra in one room (who kindly took me through my incantations) and through the double-double doors to the choir in the next (my future coven, inter alia), hearing the work take shape gradually. It was most interesting to hear it from the orchestra's point of view first, building up a deeper understanding of the structure for me as it went along. After lunch it began to take off into heights of musicianship which made me sit there thinking, "Oh my goodness, when it comes to my turn, I'm afraid I will fluff it" - because of course I didn't have anything to sing until the second act. It was a great relief when my mesmerised ears heard my notes come out OK, and an even greater relief that it was in baroque pitch, because not many countertenors sing above an F sharp. By the evening the characterisation was well defined: Belinda had a not-so- hidden agenda of flirting gently with Aeneas (suggested by Roger!). Dido retained royal dignity in her beautiful despair, the first sailor was a wonderful interlude and provided a temporary descent to plebeian reality - as did the jolly dancing violin and guitar interludes (I think one was La Follia wasn't it?). My two wayward sisters were so intense that they carried me, their "mistress", along to ever greater depths of vocal depravity. The choir successfully covered a whole range of emotions: sadness, encouragement and joy with the court, wicked malice with us denizens of the netherworld, mourning with Belinda. In short, the orchestra, choir, soloists, conductor, caterers, organisers and hosts together provided a splendid experience which will ever remain in the memory - Looking forward to the 30th anniversary! I shall now mix a potion and try and get that jolly sailor back! ;-) D/D |