More than a week has passed since a significant event that happened to me and the choir I play with. I assume that it was of the same importance for the other two choirs that participated in this meeting of choirs, in the city of Alicante. The concert was held in a modern building, ADDA, Auditorium of the Alicante Provincial Council. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of the exterior of the building because upon arrival we immediately parked in the inner parking lot, and later we were too focused on the event itself, so it didn't even occur to me to leave the building. Anyway, if you see it from the street you will see a huge building with quite minimalistic contemporary architecture.
What happened inside is more interesting. At first, we waited for all our colleagues to arrive. This time we didn't have a bus for the members of the choir. We went by car. Although the cars tried to form a little convoy on the highway, in the city it was already more difficult to follow each other. That's why we didn't arrive at the same moment. The waiting time was not so long though.
I also found cool entertainment - to see these photos of the members of the orchestra, each one holding a photo of a composer. It was an interesting visual composition.
Most of us got together after a few minutes and then we started looking for the changing room and later the entrance to the hall for the sound check. From one corridor to another, and they were all the same!
In the end, it was not so difficult to find the changing room for the ladies. It was a huge changing room, of course as designed for a choir - with lockers, benches, mirrors, showers and with a surprise. Something that should not be there. No, not a man. Later the ladies anyway went to the changing room of the gentlemen {oops?} but to warm up the voices, to have a little pre-rehearsal. So, that thing that was not supposed to be found in a changing room was a full bottle of Mistela and a box of butter cookies.
The choir warmed up the voices and was ready for the sound check. We found the Symphonic Hall, still with empty seats but the choir of the University of Alicante was already having the rehearsal. Time to take a few photos.
So, the stage is huge, 22 meters wide by 14 deep. And the hall itself is marvellous, you can easily fall in love with it. The ceiling is amazing, made of walnut wood and it perfectly matches the golden colours of the stage and its background.
Our turn arrived to try out the sound, the microphones, the piano... Oh, this piano. Did I say you can easily fall in love with the hall? Well, with the piano even more! I am not sure I can find the most appropriate words to describe my satisfaction with this amazing instrument. You know, if you are a pianist you have to adapt to every instrument to get to play. There are good ones and not that good ones. But you have to take out the sound from it in the best way you can.
However, this piano... this one didn't ask for any "effort". I played everything I could have in my mind. A magnificent instrument.
Amazing, outstanding, wonderful, perfect and more of it!!!
We still had some time to prepare mentally ourselves for the performance and finish with the cookies and the bottle of Mistela have a cup of coffee. I asked the wife of one singer from the choir to take a photo of us when we got to perform. We were also in the audience, in the first row, listening to the other choir's performance. The Choir of the Univerity of Alicante opened, with The Prince of Egipt. Here is just one of the scenes.
Their repertory was very interesting and a great performance is what we heard. I had the feeling that it finished so quickly as in the next moment my little choir and me on the piano found ourselves on the scene. I had to start. With energy and impulse. To make the audience listen carefully from the very first note and make them live the scenes we were performing.
I wanted to take my time. The director looked at me but with my gaze I let him know I needed to breathe slowly and deeply for a few seconds more. He respected it and we didn't stop looking at each other. He understood when I was ready and he gave the sign. The music started. And with it the full enjoyment too.
I can't really explain how much I loved to be there.
To perform there, for that audience.
To play on that amazing piano.
To make music with my colleagues.
I felt I could do this every week (every day would be too much adrenaline and I would not be able to sleep anymore). The feeling was so great that it took me many hours to calm down the hyped state and later I just wanted to leave this feeling to rest in my chest, keep it safe and bring back the balance.
There was another choir after our performance, so the concert in total lasted for almost two hours. A bit less, as each of us performed for about 30 minutes. A beautiful experience that we went to celebrate with these other people. We had lunch and after more hours of chitchatting, we had to go home.
It was too much excitement and food and it drained a lot of energy... so I fell asleep in the car while going home (luckily, it was not me who was driving 😁). And it took me more than a week to sit down and try to bring this experience here.
Well, the activities with this choir don't stop. Today, we have a new rehearsal as this Friday we will have another event, not this big and important though. I had to practise yesterday as there is a new piece to be prepared. However, I am happy to be actively involved in the musical life of this little family - our local choir that fights for one thing. To offer their hearts and voices to the audience through music.
