Pop Up Choir

With the kids back at school this morning after a wonderfully busy halloweenish half term, there is a definite feel of the year rushing wildly to its conclusion. Looking back I can see that I have achieved a lot over the months. Some of these achievements have been driven by substituting New Year Resolutions with a monthly challenge to change something for the better. I still have two months left - two more challenges - hopefully two more things to be proud of.

For October, I  decided to have a go at something new.

The town where I live was having a go at something new too. In an ongoing commitment to raise its profile as a regional centre for arts, sports and culture, the Drayton Arts Festival was launched. This event ran from Thursday to Sunday at the end of October with all sorts of activities and performances on offer throughout the town.

On the Saturday, I accompanied my daughter Liberty to my favourite pub (didn't need much persuading) to attend an Open Mic poetry reading session organised by the local Writers' Club, of which Liberty is a member. Tears streamed down my face as she took her moment and read her poem Mum is a Bitch, No Wonder Dad Hates Her to a rapt audience. A gentleman came up to me afterwards to let me know that I wasn't the only one who had cried at the heartfelt beautiful words.

Another event was a performance from a Pop Up Choir. I had seen an advert appealing for choir members saying: Please Join! All Welcome! No Auditions! No ability restrictions! No need to read music. This sounded like something I could do! The fact that the choir was to be lead by a family friend well known for his sense of humour and easy going nature was a bonus. I asked Liberty if she would be interested and before we knew it, we were at the first rehearsal.

It isn't strictly true that this was 'having a go at something new'. I was in a choir at school too many years ago to count. It was a shockingly awful choir. It did not seem much of an over reaction when the sixth form boys put ear plugs in their ears during our rendition of "All in an April Evening" in morning assembly. Even the teachers were grimacing... except for Miss Nunn, the music teacher,  who waved her arms around enthusiastically and ineffectively to conduct the caterwauling cacophany which somehow, to her ears, sounded marvellous. We only ever did the one performance!

I love to sing. I sing all the time - in the shower, in the car, doing the housework...

I do not love to perform.

Singing in a choir seemed like a good way to do something I love in a more structured way and deal with my dislike of being in the spotlight by the safety in numbers concept. It might also lay to rest the memories of the April Evening disaster.

The first rehearsal was great fun. The 'Pop Up' nature of the choir meant that we would have only four rehearsals, once performance and then it would be over. It was not a huge commitment.

Despite it not being a huge commitment I missed the second rehearsal. Luckily for me, Liberty was able to give me all the help I needed to get up to speed. By the third rehearsal, my daughter Charis was home from boarding school. As she had two weeks holiday (and is a brilliant singer) she joined the choir with us. It was lovely to spend this time with two of my girls and we were able to practise a little at home together.

The day of the performance came. I was mostly confident about all of the songs. It was a lovely relaxed event and I think I will always remember with great fondness our version of the Hallelujah Chorus accompanied by ukeleles.

I loved being part of the choir (which has the promise of 'Popping Up' again for future events) and being supported by family members in the audience. I am a little sad that it is all over (for now). I'd better start thinking of my next challenge!

Feeling Good

I am feeling pretty good right now.

January's credit card bill has been paid off in full without too much of a struggle.

I have set my running targets for next month which focus on building up distance and went for a lovely four mile run with my husband to make sure I wasn't being unrealistic about what I could achieve.

My daughter has been home from boarding school for the weekend and I continue to be amazed at the huge leaps in confidence and maturity that are evident in everything she does. It was an absolute privilege to see her perform two songs at her school's Senior Vocal Concert. It wasn't so much a 'proud mummy moment' as totally in awe of her.

My January resolution to make more pamper time for myself and make use of my collection of gorgeous lotions and potions that have remained unopened for long enough, has been enhanced greatly by my husband finally getting round to fixing the spa feature on my bath. I had a wonderfully relaxing jacuzzi bath yesterday evening which felt so good on post-run muscles.

I have some ideas for small changes for the better I can make over the coming months (my version of New Year's Resolutions for 2014)  and am making plans to enter some running events that will really challenge me. I am definitely feeling very positive about the year ahead.

O is for Oh Dear!

The whole idea of the Alphabet Dates was to encourage my husband and I to think outside the box and try new things together. Unfortunately, energy spent on coming up with exciting ideas lately, is energy we no longer have to spare on the implementation the plan. It is a sad truth that the all important energy factor is in very short supply at the moment!

Our dates may not have the creative flair that we imagined when we embarked on the project but we still value the time together and so we carry on regardless.

That is why for our  O date we opted for yet another curry - at Oruna, my favourite Indian restaurant. This is our default date - and should we ever get round to redoing our D date that was inDefinitely Delayed due to a Depressive Dark cloud Descending, we would probably do D is for our Default Date (honestly - any excuse for another Paneer Tikka Massala).

So the plan was to go out for a curry on Sunday night once the little ones were in bed but - Oh dear! When we made that plan I hadn't accounted for the hangover I would have after the party at my daughter's future mother-in-law's house on the Saturday.

The party was in honour of my daughter's boyfriend's sister's 17th birthday (long lists of possessive nouns feel a bit like a hangover!) and took the format that we are familiar with for parties at the future-in-laws - fantastic barbecue (loads of veggie options), fantastic atmosphere and freely flowing alcohol (which definitely contributes to the previous point). I was pacing myself well with my drink of choice, red wine, but then made the fatal mistake of drinking one of the house special cocktails.

This particular muddy blue concoction was called a WooWoo and within minutes I was dancing badly, touching my husband inappropriately to see if the new heart rate monitor he had bought to help with his triathlon training would register any increase and generally misbehaving.

The WooWoo and wine combo took pretty much the whole of Sunday to work its way out of my system. I was in no mood to dress up and go out for my O date curry but I did thoroughly enjoy the Oruna takeaway that my ever patient and forgiving husband brought home for us. I did not miss out on my Paneer Tikka Massala!

One of my highlights of the weekend was two of my girls singing a current favourite song for the birthday girl. Unfortunately, a guitar string malfunction and bad acoustics meant that the recording of the actual performance did not come out too well. This is a 'take two'  they did for me at home.

I wonder if I will ever be able to hear that song without thinking WooWoo!

J is for Junk to Funk, Jazz Band and Jogging

One of the suggestions put forward for a J Alphabet date was a romantic 'jog for two' down on the canal towpath followed by a well earned jug of Joules Pale Ale at our local brewery. I was slightly relieved when a well timed 'Junk to Funk' event came up at the school two of my daughter's attend featuring performances from the Jazz band that they both play in. I bought two tickets!

The Junk to Funk part of the evening was a fashion show. The jubilee inspired fashions were created using recycled materials and modelled by the girls who had designed them. Some of them were quite impressive - others seemed little more than ordinary clothing with union jack napkins pinned to them but it was still lovely to see the girls strutting with increasing confidence as the audience showed their appreciation with clapping.

On display at the front of the stage were two incredible Junk to Funk creations. The fantastically talented Kirsty Warner (a name to watch out for) whose photographs I have featured on this blog, had made a jacket out of teddy bears that she had purchased in charity shops. Just as a faux fur jacket it was beautiful but she had incorporated teddy heads in the design which made it look quirky and almost evil in a Cruella deville sort of way - completely original in concept and perfectly executed. The talent continued to scream out in the shape of a futuristic dress made of coke cans which looked part robot part fish. I'm not sure that sharp edges wouldn't rip your flesh to shreds if you actually tried to wear (and move in) such a garment, but it was visually stunning on the mannequin. This piece was created by the son of my dental hygienist. I actually can't wait for my next appointment so I can tell her how much I loved it (before I have to open wide!)

Although the event was named for the fashion show part, the majority of the evening was a musical showcase. The much loved, long serving music teacher (who also teaches my girls piano and has become a family friend)  retired recently. We wondered how anyone could fill the shoes of a teacher that had become such a fundamental part of the music department, and indeed the school as a whole, but judging by the success of the evening, the replacement is doing a wonderful job. My girls adore him and my first impressions during the brief meeting I had with him when I brought Taylor's drum kit in to set up earlier in the day, were very positive. Since taking the post, he has formed a Jazz Band and a Glee club, both of which delivered performances.

The show opened with a lively samba drum piece leaving no doubt that proceedings had well and truly begun.

The jazz band featured my Taylor on drums and Charis on piano (she was very excited to be playing a grand piano even though it was possibly the most battered and un-grand grand piano I had ever seen). All of the members had clearly worked hard to achieve a level of competence in a style that, for my daughters at least, was different to what they were used to. However, with members of staff taking leading roles, it did somehow have the feel of a vehicle for frustrated teachers to live out their musical legend fantasies! Despite that, it was very enjoyable (although I must try and teach Taylor to stop pulling unflattering 'concentrating' faces as she drums!)

There were several solo singing performances, the majority of which, Charis accompanied on piano. I have listened to her practising these accompaniments at home (in fact she broke a low C string on our piano during one particularly enthusiastic session) but I was absolutely amazed by her performances on the night. It wasn't just that she played the pieces practically note perfect (I think I did detect one or two tiny mistakes), it was the way she supported the soloists,  subtly emphasising notes when the singers went off key to help them find the melody again, keeping the timing and allowing the vocal to shine. She never once sought the limelight. In her very unassuming way she  delivered what was needed.
I have so much respect for my daughter. She has a maturity, poise and confidence that totally belies her tender 15 years.

I didn't take my camcorder.  Recording something necessitates watching the action through the screen  (unless you have a well placed tripod or don't mind the inevitable 'drift' that you get when not monitoring hand held equipment). I hate how that detaches me from the moment. At the expense of having the recordings, which I would have loved, I stayed completely in the moment. On balance, I think I loved that more! Plenty of people did video. This is footage of Charis on piano and my niece on guitar singing Rhianna's Take a Bow (taken by Ella's mum - my sister).

A highlight of the evening for me was when Taylor's boyfriend, George, took to the stage with his theatrical friend Ollie for a 'showbiz' performance of Me and My Shadow. George has one of those voices that has lovely tone and timbre but doesn't co-operate in terms of staying in key! It didn't matter that it wasn't the greatest vocal performance of the night. For me it was definitely the most entertaining. Performed with panache and swagger, it provided me with much needed comic relief from the emotional  roller coaster I had been on watching my girls. I could see Taylor watching her man with pride and embarrassment in equal measures. 

During the interval, there was a raffle. After my success in the 'I' date raffle, George's mum (who was sat with us) said she wanted some of my luck because the first prize of £100 in Argos vouchers would be very nice. Would you believe it? She won first prize!! What's more, my number came up too!!! I won a trip to Wolverhampton Races. It is all a bit of a mystery because there was no information provided with the tickets but I'm sure we'll work it out! I had a big smile on my face and congratulated my husband on his raffle ticket buying skills.

The show overran the advertised finish time and daughter Ivy who was babysitting the little ones was waiting for us to get back so she could go to the pub with friends. I left my husband to wait around to pick up the drum kit and bring the girls home in the car while I made a hasty exit and ran home. 

I had a really good time on my J date and I even incorporating some of the Jogging that I was trying avoid.

When my husband got home with the drums, the girls, the 'Shadow' (or the 'Me'!) and a mountain of chips, I had recovered from my impromptu marathon enough to enjoy a greasy supper and a bottle of bubbly to celebrate the end of Taylor's A levels and a successful night.

For my 'K' date I am going to insist on something more intimate that does not involve a raffle. Any suggestions?

Squeak and Grunt

I love to hear my girls sing, whether it be at a music festival, busking, a pub gig, studio recordings or just at home.

When Charis and Taylor disappear to Taylor's room to 'do homework', it is never long before you hear the muffled sound of them singing behind the closed door. They have a special playlist on their i-tunes that they sing along to. Charis sings high and Taylor sings quite low so they have called it their "Squeak and Grunt" Playlist. Far from squeaking and grunting, what I hear are perfect vocal harmonies. They are always happy to perform for me if I have any requests.

For my birthday this year, Charis had the idea to put together a list of some of my favourite songs and let me pick which ones I would like to listen to in my own private little concert. A lack of rehearsal time and the unexpected arrival of Ivy who wanted to join in, meant that the concert was not as polished as it could have been - but it was the best birthday present I could have wished for.

The video is Charis and Taylor's brave attempt to sing I Dreamed a Dream.... with plenty of mistakes!

Mothers Day

My first husband did not have a lot of time for Mothers Day. In fact he didn't have a lot of time for anything that wasn't his work.

It is so lovely to be with a man now who does appreciate the importance of the little things.

I had a wonderfully messy start to the day with seven of us in my bed enjoying breakfast brought up by my older girls who then surprised me with a thoughtful gift and serenaded me. Just thinking about how grown up and wonderful they all are had me in floods of tears.

My little Addy presented me with home made cards and notes in abundance and Dylan joined in by giving me cuddle after cuddle and slightly snotty kisses.

My eldest daughter came to see me later, just in time for a lunch of chips from the chip shop. I always love the rare moments when all six of my children are together.

Ivy volunteered to cook our evening meal, making it a very lazy day for me.

I asked the girls to give a repeat performance of their Mothers Day song to me so I could video it. Here they are singing an adapted version of a song from the cartoon Phineas and Ferb.