Are you familiar with the feeling represented by the two following words: life happens?
When your pretty normal and positive day takes a completely different direction? Unplanned, of course.
Well, something like that happened yesterday, when I received a phone call from my son. If you have a teenager, you know - those calls don't always mean good news. And a few times you finish in the emergency department of the closest hospital or healthcare centre. Not the first time, either it will be the last one, just four buckles that he got as a gift for his head. And me stressing out. In the end, we joked that those are a few piercings he can have now, for a week or more.
The additional catch in the situation was that today that same young man had to participate in a performance, as a part of a small string ensemble accompanying the local choir. In one hermitage, every year on the next Monday after Easter, a ceremony is held. It is a celebration that gathers three small towns, as the hermitage is exactly between those three municipalities. This celebration every year takes place outside of the small church, and the musicians are invited every time.
This time I was not required to play the piano, I was free! I went just as a listener, but I was present at the rehearsal before the performance, as well as during the ceremony. The young man with the newly got piercings felt well enough to go and play his part, so we went.
The members of the choir were still just talking when we arrived. Later they took their place, around the conductor. As the instruments had to tune, the oboist gave the tone. In orchestras, it is always the oboe that gives the pitch. It is pretty hard to change its pitch, so all the other instruments have to tune according to the tone the oboe plays. If there is no oboe in the ensemble, then the piano dictates the pitch (also, if the piano is the part of the ensemble).
As you can see, it was very sunny... too bright and too warm. And if you are wearing all black, and play for one hour in the rehearsal, the exhausting feeling must have been at the top level. However, the visitors arrived, and the members of this small choir and ensemble combination got a few minutes of rest. Lucky moments.
An interesting interlude was the scenery when the local group that preserves the tradition arrived in the typical Valencian costumes. The girls wear colourful skirts with several layers and a white short cloak over the shirt. The hair is always tied in a bun and decorated. Their walk was accompanied by traditional music played on a kind of flute, called Dolcaina and drums. This instrument is typical just for this region, so I am sure it is difficult to imagine how it sounds. But I will try to explain; in my perception, I hear that maybe there are similarities with the oboe's sound... but sharper. Though not as refined as the classical instrument gives. Well, you should come one day to this region of Spain to listen to the sound of it and determine do you like it or not.
The procession finished, the ceremony started and the music coming from our small group filled the air. How good it was this year, without so much wind. Last year, I remember the struggle with the music scores, as you know, if you play outside the chances your scores will fly away are pretty high. Just because there is always that Murphy's Law that intervenes in those situations. However, all went good this time. Just in case, clips and cloth pegs were prepared on the music stands. There was just a nice breeze that made the day more pleasant.
Full playing, singing and conducting, is how the small ceremony finished. With great applause, of course. Smiles on everyone's faces and good feeling. I am glad another successful performance is done, and it served very well to distract a bit from the possible pain and the healing wound. What better could we ask for? We see that music was the main protagonist of the morning and noon and all went much better with such a nice event.
So, what about you? Did you have such a situation when you were injured or sick but had to perform at a concert or have a business meeting, an exam or a similar event? How did you overcome the conditions and tuned yourself to give your best?
Isn't good motivation or love and passion for something the best way to push more and forget about the not so perfect status you find yourself in? In my opinion, it is, but if you want to share your point of view, I will gladly read it!
