Playing Catch Up

There has once again been a bit of a hiatus in posts from the Pink Insider, what with being away then catching up with the day job there hasn’t really been much time to pen the odd thought. Not to say that there hasn’t been tons happening of course, and in the world of the Pink Singers not only have a come back to the usual rehearsal schedule, we’ve also had a couple of actually performances already – and it isn’t officially the Christmas season yet!

I’ve been away for the last three weeks and despite publicly professing not to miss the weekly sing-song, I really do of course. Part of it is motivated by my anxiety that I don’t yet know all the lyrics or indeed the choreography. The latter always fills me with dread mainly because I have two left feet and I am almost inevitably the one turning the opposite direction to everyone else. As long as you move with conviction and gusto, however, no-one really notices or cares. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

On Sunday only Rachel was present to take us through the moves, Tanya and Karin, our other choreographers, being unwell and away respectively. It is really tough to organize seventy singers, especially seventy noisy, boisterous Pink Singers, but she managed to keep us in check and run through the steps of both Christmas Medley and Rockin’ Round The Christmas Tree without too much disruption. This was my first run-through and I have to say that I was relieved to be able to pick the moves up without too much difficulty.

Choreography with the Pinkies tends to follow a similar pattern. Professional choreographers come in with great ideas about the kinds of things they want us to do. We try to do them. Said professional choreographers then realize we are unable to actually bend our hips at all or move in unison. In subsequent weeks moves are simplified to a level which everyone can achieve. Okay, I am exaggerating somewhat, but I do think that this year, with the in-house talents of Karin, Rachel and Tanya, we are now dispensing with the usual first week anxieties and going straight in at an achievable level.

As for the singing, well I must say that I am really impressed at how far the choir has improved over my last three weeks in absentia. Songs such as Good King Wenceslas/ Ma’oz Tsur and Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, about which I feel jittery actually sounded quite acceptable, and most of the other songs are coming along nicely. Nothing is quite at performance standards yet, but there are a few weeks to go before the concert, and while some degree of vigilance is still required I’m feeling a whole lot more relaxed at this point than normal.

The Pink Singers’ Christmas Concert 2008, In The Pink Midwinter, happens on the 13th of December 2008 at 7pm at the Royal Academy of Music. Tickets are now available on-line (or even better via a Pink Singer!)