Thank You For The Music

Went to a brilliant workshop today - Formal Abba Singing (no, I don't mean it was long frocks & DJs) courtesy of Beginners Please run by the vocally awesomey inspiring Ann Barrett. By formal I mean singing to a music score with allocated vocal range parts (yay for once I've been labeled as a soprano - now that is a girlie achievement - I don't get many of those) and singing in harmony. As opposed to my usual method of singing which is to give it plenty of welly and hope the notes catch.

I'm not a good singer - possibly too many cigs, booze and stress mean I'd be more likely to win an Alison Moyet soundalike contest than give Madonna a run for her money but I have enthusiasm. The reason I wanted to do all this is that I am very aware that I spend a good percentage of my life having to present a certain image, always be in control and my brain feels as though it is going to fry. In short I can never switch off or just concentrate on one thing at a time. It's always answer this, decide that, analyse this, respond, respond respond but to a myriad of unrelated things. There is never any time for planning or thinking things through, well having to sing in harmony sorts all that out. You have to breathe properly, have to know when to come in, what's going to happen in a few bars time, concentrate on your part and not the alto next to you and totally concentrate on the music. I haven't felt so relaxed, calm, fulfilled and happy for ages. I didn't care if I got it slightly wrong, or sang loudly or looked stupid - because we all probably did. But I felt a sense of real achievement at the end of it and am starting to realise that I can do slightly out of the ordinary things and I'm not the boring, no interests, bland and meaningless person I've been told I am. So hooray for Gothiron!

It was great, I've now managed to appreciate the complexities of Mama Mia, Super Trouper (that is a bugger to sing, hats off to the girls on that one), Money, Money, Money and a without score version of Fernando. Having to actually study the lyrics as well the music meant that, a bit like when you reread a book you had to dissect for A Levels, you are suddenly made aware of the deeper meanings of things. Next time you hear a track on the radio - listen & hear.

The venue was Steeple in Essex (near Maldon) so fairly rural and most of the singers (ladies all bar the two very brave gents who provided super bass) were fairly local (and "fritefly naice" ladies) so apparently I was quite a novelty and at least ten looked as though I'd made their day by them being able to meet a real live Dagenham person "how fantastic you've come all this way & you found Ann via the internet". But everyone was welcoming and it only occurred to me at the very end that I was the only person who had been a singleton. I think I would have been far more inhibited if I'd been with people I'd know. Anonymity is great for the confidence!

I haven't had so much fun in ages and really enjoyed the whole day. There is an event in aid of WaterAid to be held at the Museum of Power in October - and I'll get to sing in the Turbine Hall - how awesome will that be!

A £22 well spent in my book and the lunch was fantastic as the local ladies had put on a Smorgsbord style lunch with a 70s feel - OK, it included a pineapple n cheese spikey hedgehog. Kitsch enough for me!