Oh who will play for me and what am I going to do at the Christmas concert?
By suspenseful
@suspenseful (40193)
Canada
May 6, 2010 11:38am CST
We just had our spring concert on Sunday evening and after weeks of trying to get an accompanist at the last moment, that is the last few weeks, my friend who used to be a classical singer played the piano for me so I was able to sing solo. I did get congratulations at the end from most of my friends, but i did have a hard time getting an accompanist until the last minute and I am sure I would have done much better. She knows the piece quite well and for me, it is hard to play the piano and sing at the same time, at least for me.
So and so was out of time, so and so was too busy, so and so felt that since my husband is not that well maybe I should skip this time. I did not want to.
Anyway I got up on stage and I was thinking "what am I doing here?" as usual, but went through with it. And this time I got the verses right.
So getting down to the topic, for your singers, do you sometimes feel that you might not be able to sing at a special event because the pianist you want is too busy? And do you have a hard time finding someone will accompany you?
2 people like this
5 responses
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
6 May 10
"so and so felt that since my husband is not that well maybe I should skip this time"
I have never understood why people think that a caregiver should put her life on hold. That's not healthy and her loved one suffers because of her denying herself any enjoyment in life. You go right ahead and do what you can! Start arranging right now for an accompanist. Have you considered having someone play for you, recording it and singing to that?
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160626)
• United States
6 May 10
I was in your shoes, and my HUSBAND insisted I do things for myself. He finally asked to be put in a nursing home when he thought I was putting my life on hold for him. People should not presume things like that. Your husband would want you to have as normal a life as possible, and still have good memories of this time, too.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
7 May 10
I finally got more respite and we have someone coming in each morning to get my husband up and each night to get him ready for bed. It is not my husband who insists that I stop singing at concerts, it is a couple of my friends who think that I should give up my life. One of them had a husband who was dying and she felt that when my husband needed to have his feet up, she could use the piano bench even though we had chairs. She felt that any sacrifice is not too great and it did not matter if we paid a lot of money for an item and she felt that by getting upset that she used the piano bench I did not love my husband. Well we could have bought a crappy one and then it would not matter and besides if that piano and the bench got ruined, we would have to save up another few thousand dollars to get a new one. Not that practical.
1 person likes this
@kerriannc (4279)
• Jamaica
7 May 10
Well am not singer but I believe that a good singer always try to fit in with which will not allow them to disappoint the audience. Hey Suspense how is hubby? I haven't been here for so long. Hugs
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160626)
• United States
6 May 10
My brother has a very informal church. I was asked to bring music for Easter. The main pianist is so slow that it is hard to sing with her. I got the inspiration to have my older sister accompany me on the auto harp. We had a wonderful time. Next time I will make my brother sing with me as well. Perhaps you could get someone to record for you to practice with, and then commit to the actual performance. Then you would be able to practice at your convenience, and have live accompaniment for the concert.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
7 May 10
I think I am going to get a list of those who do play the piano and when we start to do the Christmas practice (that starts in September) I will ask around then. My friend could still accompany me, but she is not that good a piano player and that other lady is a piano teacher and knows a lot of music theory.
I did think the other lady committed, but since one of the other teachers who taught band decided not to, she had to take her place. And there were a couple of other piano players who were on vacation and did not get back in time.
And I need a live person to practice with because there are some things I need more help in.
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
7 May 10
It's been a long time since I've had to find somebody to accompany me on the piano. Most of the time, I accompany myself on the guitar or maybe I've had other musicians to back me up. I'm glad to know that you went through with this. It sounds like you did very well. I wish I could have been there to hear you. I never have gotten up on stage wondering what I was doing there. It's because I always wanted to be a professional singer, anyway. We just have to learn to ignore other people and go ahead with it. I remember one time, I sang at a wedding and I had the hardest time trying to find anybody to accompany me on the piano. I was told at the time that it was very hard to find anybody. When I finally did find somebody, the girl who was getting married found somebody else to accompany me. It didn't matter after all, though, because it turned out that the girl I had asked was wanting to go on a trip to Six Flags in Atlanta, Georgia with some friends of hers from her church. I don't know why she didn't tell me this to begin with
. I guess she found it hard to say "no", as most people did in those days.
. I guess she found it hard to say "no", as most people did in those days.@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
7 May 10
Our Spring concert was a little late. Usually we have it in April and we missed one practice because they had to have a church meeting that evening instead of on a Thursday. I know that the other ladies were sort of upset because everyone knows that Wednesday night is choir night and we need that extra practice. What happens is that for most of the time, we practice every two weeks from the start of singing season to the concert, but on the last two weeks before the concert, we practice every week.
I would have been a professional singer had my father not sold our piano and did not get one until this year. I am not as nervous as I used to be and do not mind the crowds. It is just that this time, because I did not get as much practice as I should, I was not as good. At the Christmas concert, I had at least two practices a week for the last three weeks and that helped.
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
7 May 10
The Walker County Christian Chorus, which is the Chorus I sing with at Christmastime when we do the Messiah, was supposed to have had their spring concert on May the 2nd. I didn't get to sing in it this year or last because we have our Friends' Day at church the first Sunday in May. Somebody had told me when we had the Messiah Concert this last time that some of them had talked to our director and I thought they were going to arrange it where it wouldn't coincide with the Friends' Days, Decorations, etc. I guess they just had to have it when they could use the church. I don't know what happened. Otherwise, I would have liked to have sung with them. Maybe next year.
1 person likes this
@lifeafterdeath09 (2043)
• United States
6 Oct 12
i used to be in christmas concerts years ago and i remember spending so much time singing and playing music. it takes so much time and practice to become a skilled singer and musician.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
12 Oct 12
It also does not help if you cannot find anyone to play for you. I did find someone this year, but then I had to go to the school and get the administrator to print a copy for me because I just have the basic printer and I would miss out on part of the page. I also do not like to buy another book and it also depends on whether she is a soprano or a mezzo as whether she has the same book. Yes that practicing sucks and I cannot mss a day, not even Sunday although I just practice the songs once then whereas I have to practice them at least three times a day at least plus all the scales, warm ups, etc.
But it is worth it.
