The day of the first performance draws uncomfortably near. We had our last Répétition Générale on Wednesday, so apart from a play-through at the venue on Saturday before the concert, that’s it. This time the orchestra was in pretty good shape but the choir needed a bit of a rollicking, duly delivered by M le directeur.
I am sure it will all come together on the night.
Next weekend we have all been invited to take part in a ‘masterclass’. at Binic, on the Breton coast, free of charge. It promises to be a fun weekend with pieces by Mozart, Handel, Bach and Pachibel (yes, the Canon) to hone our chamber music skills. I haven’t played the violin so much in years and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I’m surprised at how quickly I got ‘back in the saddle’ after so many years of neglect. Being in the orchestra has improved my playing no end. It’s generally true in life; stretching yourself is the way to raise your standards.
The same applies to writing, which is why I joined ‘Litopia’, an online writers circle. This one is a little different to most; to get to the stage where your work will be critiqued by others you have to submit a piece of writing for assessment. If you don’t get through, it’s a three-month wait while you hone your skills for the next attempt. The rest of the site (accessible to all) is full of great writing tips and industry news. Best of all, each Sunday there is a webcast with a live chatroom. This combines ‘Open House’, an hour of mad word games and other frivolity and Litopia After Dark, usually with guest speaker being interviewed by our host, literary agent, Peter Cox. The next one is 18th March when the estimable Mr Cox will be interviewing none other than Jeffrey Archer! With the chat room feeding questions, it promises to be a show to remember.
Writing is such a solitary experience that having a virtual support group is invaluable. And once you start getting the critiques from the other writers you begin to realise how much more there is to learn.
Litopia is highly recommended and is found at http://litopia.com
Concert details:
DIXIT DOMINUS and GLORIA
Lute Concerto
DONVILLE les Bains: Samedi 10 mars / 20h30 Eglise Notre Dame de Lourdes
AVRANCHES: Dimanche 11 mars / 17h Basilique Saint-Gervais.
Placement numéroté
Tarif normal: 10€ : Tarif réduit: 5€ (jeunes de moins de 26 ans) : Gratuit moins de 12ans