Thoughts on Singing with the Symphony Orchestra

As expected, I had a busy week filled with evening rehearsals with the symphony as the Arrowhead Chorale joined with the DSSO chorus to sing Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.  It was a crazy difficult piece, definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever prepared musically, and terrifying in many regards, but in the end, I felt prepared.  I enjoyed singing during the concert.  I enjoyed singing in those last few rehearsals.  Even more, maybe, I was very interested to see how the symphony worked behind the scenes.  It was fun to watch how they move people around in the big DSSO chorus to get them from one place to the next backstage.  They have an amazing chorus administrator who really knows how to do her job, do it well, and in a kind, approachable manner.  I enjoyed watching the orchestra play from the back.  It was such an interesting perspective, and I really do appreciate our symphony orchestra.  It was interesting to see the dynamics of the ensemble and how things are run. I love how instrumentalists just don’t have the diva-aspect that singers have.  They are just down to earth and practical.  They show up.  They get the job done.  They are prepared. Preparing music as an instrumentalist for an ensemble is just different than it is for a vocalist, and I’m happy that I have experience with both perspectives.  I must say, though, there is a big part of my heart that just relates a bit more to instrumentalists.  There somehow seems to be a bit less drama and a lot of dedication.

Anyway, there were neat details to notice as I people watched when I wasn’t singing.  For example, the principal horn player plays a horn that is well loved, and his case has duct tape all over the handle.  Some instrumentalists bring water bottles to rehearsals and some don’t.  Percussionists never cease to amaze me with their counting.  String basses are just an awesome instrument no matter what they play.  If I could choose a string instrument, I’d pick cello.  The principal cellist chews gum all the time she plays. I noticed this when she played with the Arrowhead Chorale during our Requiem concert, and she was chewing gum in all the rehearsals too.  I don’t know how she can chew at one tempo and play at a completely different one, but she is one amazing cellist.  The clarinet players seemed smart and kind.  I was watching them because I play the clarinet, of course.  Rehearsals for the symphony take place on stage, and the starting and ending time are very precise because of the contract for orchestra musicians and how they are paid.  Since there is no clock on stage, of course, there is a gigantic wall clock placed on a music stand to keep any conductor on time, and things move along without a wasted moment.

It surprised me that the orchestra players were so friendly to the chorus, always thanking us for being prepared, with smiles on their faces.

During the concert two cough drops dropped on stage at inopportune moments, and also there was some crazy beeping alarm on someone’s watch or some device.  I’m not sure if it was on stage or not, but I think it was.  DISTRACTING!  Everyone made it though OK, even though the alarm kept beeping faster and faster and a most dissonant pitch.  Because the piece was so hard, those crazy little sounds made my nerves fray.

I’m glad that none of the conductors involved had temper tantrums.

It was really fun to make beautiful music.

The concert was actually televised live, and I forget how many people I know at church and other places who go to the symphony or seem to watch a broadcast on television.  All sorts of people came up to me today to tell me that they’d seen me on TV.  It was a little unnerving, because the last thing I was thinking while singing that crazy hard music was cameras zooming in up close.