Categories: music
Date: 27 April 2008 23:37:57
I found myself in the midst of three bizarre conversations in connection with the concert.
Conversation no.1 took place at the post-concert party.
Fellow soprano to her distinguished looking male guest: Do you know, [Name], that Kerensa is a German translator and SHE says that it didn't help at all knowing German when singing the Russian, didn't you, Kerensa?
Kerensa: [Not recalling the conversation referred to at all]: Ah, no. It didn't help. [Thinks: why the heck should it?]
Male guest: Reall-eh? How awwwfull-eh interesting! Can you say why that is?
Kerensa: [Wishing she was not required to be polite] Well, of course, I can only speak for myself, but I didn't find the transliteration of the Russian very helpful, really. [Weak smile. Quick exit towards the sausages on sticks.]
I felt like saying - heavy with sarcasm: it's a bit like wondering why a ballerina is not very good at break dancing. The two come under the general heading of dance - but if the ballerina has not learned break dancing, she is not going to be able to do it with any proficiency until she has practised it. [Isn't this obvious? or am I assuming too much of other people? or do they really think that if you are reasonably good at one foreign language you must be fluent in them all?]
Conversation no 2 - also at post-concert party
Another distinguished looking male guest: I was simply amazed, you know. I had absolutely no idea that Tavener had written any of this Orthodox-style music.
Kerensa: [a bit floored as she really wanted to say - oh, I thought that that was what he was actually famous for... [doubts herself... what else has he written? Can't remember... struggles to think of something appropriate to say and comes up lamely with] I hope you enjoyed it...
Later in bed I recalled the conversation and suddenly it came to me! Had this bod confused John Tavener with John Taverner? Easy to do. There is just an "r" which distinguishes their names from each other - and about 500 years of music history. Taverner (1490 - 1545) wrote masses and motets and was considered to be one of the foremost English composers of his time. Tavener is a direct descendant of his (1944 to date) and has written in the Orthodox style - perhaps the most famous of his works being Song for Athene which was sung at Princess Diana's funeral (but not written for the occasion).
Exchange no. 3
I received a congratulatory e-mail about the concert from a friend saying how she had enjoyed it and that it was "out of this world". She also said she thought it was a shame we would not be performing the concert again.[It always feels like a lot of work for one evening - but our audiences are so demanding, dahlings... we have to find new ways of entertaining them...]
I forwarded the e-mail to a member of the choir's committee. The response was: thank you for the feedback and such a shame you weren't able to be a part of such a MARVELLOUS concert which was enjoyed by performers and audience alike. Hope you can join us next term.
Huh?
Nice to know I made no impact at all in the second sopranos. Those mistakes I mentioned: nothing to do with me - I wasn't there, guv.