Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve shed tears of joy, but that’s pretty much what happened last night as I got in to the car when Col picked me up.

We decided that at least for the first few weeks he’d take me up to rehearsals, it’s pretty far away, it’s awkwardly located and I’ll be driving back home late at night.  So we decided that he’d come along for the ride, drop me off, and go in to his office and do a few hours of work before picking me up.

Last night that didn’t go *quite* to plan, as he’d forgotten his access card, so had to settle with working in a Starbucks – in spite of not having his charging cable with him!

He dropped me off, and after a few seconds of aimlessly wandering, I hi-tailed it on the heels of a few people in to the schools gym where everyone was milling around.  I headed to the name badge table, said hi to the ladies from the front desk at my audition, they told me where to sit and handed me a black binder.

I went and chose a seat, picked up my music (it was sat out on each of the chairs) and sat down.  As it happens I sat next to a lady, Stephanie, originally from London and working here in the US with Shell.  We chatted for a little while before rehearsal started, but soon it was down to business.

We started with vocal warm-ups, whole tone and chromatic scales, progressing into an Italian lullaby called Dormi, Dormi O Bel Bambin (Jan Vermulst), O Tannenbaum (O Christmas tree in German) was up next, before we took a quick ‘get to know someone new in the room’ exercise.

At which point I met Nicole, a lady who was originally born and raised in Austin, but who has spent the last three years living in Wisconsin.  She’s been in Houston since December, and she, like me, doesn’t think she can hit the top notes a Soprano should be able to! lol!

Untapped potential is what she claims we have!

After our break, it was time to break out the big guns, Handels Halleluiah Chorus (youtube video).  This tips the soprano scale with a wonderfully shrill top A, that I doubt I’ll be able to successfully or comfortably hit in a million years.  But I’ll sure as heck give it my all.

To end, we started a piece that Dr Phil (his name is Phillip and he’s a Dr so I decided to call him Dr Phil) tells us is a ‘fun’ piece.  “We need fun pieces in our repertoire, things that we won’t be performing” was what he said, this piece is six part harmony and the second soprano part is continuous running quavers.  It certainly sounds like fun, but will take a while to fit all of the words and notes in the right places!

It’s called Libertango (Astor Piazzola) and I dunno how the people here can dance as well as sing, but it’s pretty cool all the same!

It’s an eclectic mix, challenging, but fun and the choir is comprised of over 80 people from all ages, races, countries and it’s a really great bunch of people.  I had a LOT of fun, we sounded pretty good for a first practice and I can’t WAIT to see how we develop as a choir over the next number of months.

It’s really re-ignited my inner musical flame, it’s nice to talk ‘music’ with people again and not sound like a freak when I can tell someone is singing flat or sharp, to be ‘just another singer’ in a group, rather than being the person who wins at Singstar all most of the time.

I always feel like people think I’m showing off at our Singstar nights, when in fact, I just LOVE to sing, it makes me happier than almost everything and in actual fact, I’ve only ever been an average singer, but with a group of non-musical friends, they think you’re some Jedi musical genius and I’ve been told countless times to audition for one of those reality shows.

I’m not that good.

I know I’m not that good, I just tend to sing as though I am, cause I love it, and when I’m singing, nothing else matters.

I’m aware that this is making me sound like even more of a nut-job than I already am, but some of my best childhood memories is from choir practice and competitions in St. Clares Primary School and Sacred Heart Grammar School (with good ole Dr Frame!) my other best memories (and even some best friends) come from my theatrical performances throughout the years as well.

I don’t have any pictures from St. Clares, but I was pretty active in the main productions in Primary school.  We all know that I played Santa in Jack Frost in P.5 (cue my sister and father singing ‘Do you believe in Santa Claus’ at me) and I was Cadbar in The Children of Lir in P7.

I’ve been in ”Crazy for you” as a cowboy (I don’t have a pic of the Las as a Cowboy thing, so you’ll just have to settle for the lovely dancers instead!)

I was in ‘The King and I’ as one of the ten ‘main’ Royal Wives (my lower legs still tingle with pins and needles from kneeling on the Sacred Heart stage for FOREVER and I still have an overwhelming urge to shout GEEEEORRRRRRRGE everytime I hear ‘The King and I’)

I was in ”Godspell” my absolute FAVOURITE show that I’ve ever done, where I met one of my best (and longest serving) friends Laura.

Look at how skinny I got!! (Seriously, that show is so active and energetic, all of the numbers are dance-around kind of pieces so the weight just fell off me!) The Bosco Drama Group are doing this show again this year, for the first time in a LONG time, I’m heartbroken I’m not home to be a part of it.  It really is a fantastic show – if you’re around, you should definitely go and see it!

It’s on the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th September at 7.30pm in Newry Town Hall. Tickets can be bought in the Buttercrane or Carlin records!

Anyways, my point is, music has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember (and that’s just the singing and dancing part, not to mention the violin playing!).

Last night, at Choir, it was as though I’d reawakened a dormant part of myself, a part that makes me buzz with inexplicable joy (yes, I get serious joy from music, so what?).  I figure if I’m working on improving my physical self, then it’s about time I did something I wanted to do, something I LOVE to do.

I got in the car last night and started GUSHING to Col about how fantastic I felt and how much fun I had and then I just started to cry.

I guess I really, REALLY did miss singing!

My only concern, however, is, that traditionally when I find a happy place, something, anything, goes wrong to spoil it.  I’m trying, desperately trying, to just let myself be happy and not worry about impending doom, but that’s a hard old habit to break!

Can you find me? I have my glasses on in this one at least!

As for where you can see me sing with my new choir – have no fear, the ”pimpage” is here!

Sunday, December 11 7:00pm (or maybe 7.30pm I can’t remember just now!) at St. Theresa Catholic Church.

Save the date!