It's strange what we Daveys do for fun

So on Friday evening we all took a singing exam.

It made for an exciting Friday because we had rehearsal with the (excellent) accompanist at 15h30, Charlotte from OM was arriving at 16h, then I had a meeting at 17h, then we had the Home Group at 19h, then the exam at 20h.

We reserved a Citiz car, and that made it all go surprisingly smoothly!

The exam?

Well there were 9 singers and two examiners; the director of the local music school and the conductor of the choir I sing in. (I was HORRIFIED when I saw that it was him!)

People sang a wide range of song, from a Stromae rhythm and rap number through Fauré songs through to Mozart opera. It was an entertaining time.

Of the Daveys Pat sang first. She sang a popular song in French called Syracuse, which is a kind of nostalgia for travel. "I'd really like to see Syracuse and various other places before I get too old to store up memories for when I'm in Paris." Rough translation.

Then me. I had a recital and aria in Italian from the Marriage of Figaro, where Figaro is sore vexed that the Count is planning to have his wicked way with Susanna, Figaro's fiancée. It's great fun, with quiet bits, fast bits, loud bits and soft bits, and I quite enjoyed singing it, though I didn't at all enjoy watching the video that Pat made of me.

Then Catrin with a difficult aria I know nothing about in Italian by someone called Giacomo Carissimi, "Vittoria". She sang sweetly and with great fluidity.

While you sing everyone is in the room, candidates, examiners, kit and caboodle, and once everyone has sung you are chased out while the examiners deliberate. Then you're all called in and you stand in a row to hear the examiners' verdict. It's all quite theatrical, but done in good humour.

We returned, relieved, to the home group where people had been discussing why we believe that Jesus rose from the dead, a subject I suggested we discuss in the light of Gwilym's good mark for an essay recently on the subject.


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