And So It Begins - Winter 2007

The new season started on Sunday. I hadn't been away to Helsinki, so for me the break from choir really was a break, and I was very keen to get back into the swing of things. Having been in the choir now for a number of years, and having missed just one season in all that time, I can safely say that one of my favourite times of the year is the start of the winter season. It is almost like being back at school again after the long summer holidays - you get to catch up with friends who have been away, see your old (double entendre) "teachers" again, and meet a whole slew of new faces.

In the last few years our little choir really has been growing. When I joined the Pink Singers were probably about 30 members, which would mean between 7 and 8 members per section. This year I think we are aiming for 8 members per voice. With 8 voices, that means a total of 64! Of course, the reality is that when it comes to the concert we will not have all 64 members on stage, but it does give us room to accomodate the inevitable cold or food poisoning on the night. At the same time, it is my strong belief that we should not get any bigger than that. At the moment everyone knows everyone else, and there is a strong sense of community in the Pinkies. The larger you get the more fragmented the choir becomes and we will lose the very element which makes us such fun to sing with.

On Sunday the first group of newbies came along. This is basically a chance for potential new members to get a feel for what the choir is about and whether they feel they would fit in. There was a tenor and several basses - which is a good thing because that section needs a bit of a boost, especially in the bass twos - and there were several women as well, a couple of new sopranos and altos. I hate to be an old fogey, but I remember when I first joined just how downright frightening it was, especially since I didn't know anyone. Things are quite different now, because everyone new joins at the same time, so they at least have each other in common, and the oldies are also much friendlier once they know a member is committed.

At the pub after rehearsal I had a chat with a guy who sang with Gloria in Ireland, and Andrew F found a compatriot in a guy who also hailed from Malta. Who would have thought it? They both professed to loving the Pink Singers, so here's hoping we will see them again.

One thing I was concerned about the last time was how terrifying an initial rehearsal can be. Last season we started off with Big Band Bash which is a complex piece with rather odd rhythms and harmonies. Needless to say, by the end of that first session we still sounded pretty painful. If I had joined for the first time I would have been put off. I am pleased to say that on Sunday, however, we started off with When I Fall In Love, a simple song which we pretty much nailed straight off. Then again, we also tried our hand at Come What May which has potential, but which we still managed to utterly slaughter. Can't let the newbies, or the oldies, get too complacent!