CrossRoads Farm

Of Divas And Stratospheric High Notes

22 September, 2005 - 8:33 am

The music for the Our Town Winter Concert is – stunning. I just can’t wait. There a fun little medley of “Let it Snow/Winter Wonderland”. There’s one called “On A Starry Night” and a remarkably different but lovely version of “O Holy Night”. Helen chose a gospel piece called “Angel’s Was a Shoutin’” (I suggested we are far too WASP to get away with that one but it’s coming along nicely). My favorite piece is “Gesu Bambino” which you would all recognize if you heard – it is generally played with no lyrics but it us a very familiar piece. There are a few other I can’t think of off hand and then there are the two Special pieces.

Each session Helen chooses two pieces that highlight half the group. This time the tenors and basses are singing the “Ave Maria” and I must admit that I was a bit jealous, until the ladies learned “Simple Joy.”

When we learn a new piece Helen has our piano player run through it once so we can hear it. We jump in one by one as we feel more comfortable with it. We stumble here and there- which shows Helen the sticking points- but by the end of the piece most of us are singing on key. When we come to places where the parts divide we all just pick a note. Helen doesn’t care that first run through as long as you are hitting one of the notes on the page. So last night Bob was playing “Simple Joy” and there at the end of the piece, the very last note – written smaller than the rest was the stratospheric A. And I reached for it.

Let me stop here a moment to explain. Included in our summer concert was a hymn called “Let There Be Praise.” The last note divides the sopranos. Those that can hit that A note sing that one while the rest of the sopranos hit a nice comfy F. It makes a lovely chord. When I saw that in the first rehearsal I told Dee she was on her own. I didn’t think I could hit that A – the G right below it is the top of my range – and I certainly couldn’t sustain an A for 10 beats. Dee turned to me and said, “Don’t be silly, I’ve heard you sing – you can hit that note.” And she taught me how to hold my head to relax my vocal chords enough to sing it. And I did. Repeatedly. On key and clear.

Now Dee is our diva. She has had years of voice lessons and she got pipes. But she can be – high maintenance. At one concert she hit a wrong final note, on purpose, just to be difficult. She shows up to rehearsals late and unprepared, then spends the whole evening making sarcastic comments and fooling around. But when it is show time she really has her act together and is almost always flawless. She is also tickled pink by the fact that she has a greater range than the rest of us and a more powerful voice. The tenors have repeatedly complained that the only first soprano they can hear is Dee. This is supposed to be a group effort. And more than one person has told me that I should relax a little and be a bit more confident. They actually like hearing me, when they can. Unfortunately that is usually when Dee is not there.

And I must admit. I am a little nervous around Dee. I don’t sing as well or as confidently when she is there and I do my best not to sit right next to her when she is present. Sometimes I can’t even hear myself.

So back to the stratospheric A. Last night Dee wasn’t there. When we got to that last note I reached for that A. And I hit it clearly if not loudly. Helen went back to a couple sticking points in the middle of the song. I was getting ready to leave. It was 8:30 and my voice had about had it. Helen asked me to wait. She had us turn to the last page and look at the divisions for those last two notes. There are only three sections – altos, 2nd sopranos, and 1st sopranos – but there are five notes there so Helen assigned us notes. She started with the altos and then the seconds and then she looked at her firsts. “Trish, Jen, Sue. I want you three to sing F, F. I want kc to sing F A. And only kc. I don’t want Dee to sing the A.”
There was a pause. All the ladies in the room were looking at Helen. Trish said, “Not Dee?”
”Not Dee, just kc.I don’t want to break glass with that A. It is supposed to be sweet and delicate – kc can do that for me and Dee won’t.”

I said, “You do realize she will sing that note whether you want her to or not.”
Before Helen could respond Jen said, “And you are going to find a tactful way to tell Dee that when she comes back?”

”Don’t worry about all that.” Helen turned to me, ”kc, you can hit that note just fine. Just gently and sweet ok?”

And so we started at the beginning of the song and sang through. I won’t tell you it was perfect. I was a just a shade flat. Partly because I was tired, but also because the pressure was on.

By the concert day I should be fine. I have every intention of stretching my range to make sure that note comes out clear.

Crystal.

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