Gingham, my deer and a word on singing.

I expect, for many a UK-based girl, the sight of Gingham takes us back to Primary school summers and wearing our Gingham sun dresses. It certainly does for me and when I see our girls in their pale-blue and white numbers, I feel rather nostalgic.

 A charity-shopped red gingham-top from two years ago, is one that I chose to wear on a cool Summer's day (not Autumn yet) and it worked well. I was at a choir rehearsal which is being run by the lady who used to run my Primary school choir in year 6. In fact, she used to be the music teacher also at my current school, so I essentially am her now. Funny eh?  It was really good fun to be singing in a choir again. I love singing in female voice choirs and the music is challenging and I really relish sight-singing.   It is very satisfying. I am lucky that I can look at a piece of music written down and sing it straight off without hearing a piano note or anything. The only thing that bamboozles me is occasionally if there are awkward lyrics, although I get the notes right, I may muddle my words. I have often taken this skill for granted but I am aware, being a music teacher, of just what a useful and valuable skill this is. If I am busy and haven't had time to prepare for a choir practice, I know I can just teach the kids straight off.  I realise how much harder I would find my job otherwise, so I am thankful for it, truly thankful.

I don't think I've mentioned it before on here before, and I thought it might be interesting to mention.

It's a funny thing, I have often wondered how it came about. I don't necessarily feel that I have true 'Perfect pitch' which is the ability to just be able to name a note, although I can do that, I do believe it has come about through my continual exposure to singing and playing throughout my life.

My Mum used to take me to church choir practice as a 4 year old and I would sit there listening as she practised and then went through arias with our friend Norma and the choir master. Apparently after a while, this precocious brat used to inform Auntie Norma that she was singing flat and Mummy was singing sharp. It was, apparently true what I was saying.

I began singing in the church choir from around aged 5 and then sang in school choirs, music school choirs, individual singing lessons, and multiple instrumental groups. I don't remember when I started being able to just sing from the music although I could name notes in primary school. I think the sight-singing ability was there from about aged 13, but as I say, it just developed. I wish I could analyse it better and know what it was, as I would love to be able to impart it to my children.

I think, perhaps, my ability to sing music easily, may make me a bit impatient when it comes to singing in choirs, when things don't move as quickly as I would like,  although this is inward, I hope, rather than being overt.   The majority of choirs I sing in are fast-moving which is good anyway.

If I were to offer anyone any advice on developing their singing or indeed playing, I would say, just try to sing and play in ensembles as much as possible, be it school groups, community, church, other.  Just try to take all the opportunities you can,even if they aren't with your immediate peer group.

I'm looking forward to the choir concert on the 1st October.  It is good to enjoy challenging music again.

Hope all is well with you.

xxx