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Dec. 1st, 2005 05:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaalaI saw Reelout/Cinema Kingston's screening of Whole New Thing last night (i.e. Wednesday night). I really shouldn't have--my Phonetics exam takes place later today--but I needed to intentionally do something for fun, for a change, rather than attempt to work and end up frustrated.
On the whole, I quite liked it. Several characters and plot contrivances were slightly iffy, but the two central characters and performances are very engaging. I was surprised to see how delicately the touchier issues were dealt with. I remain in awe of Kirk Elliott and envy that he went to Queen's back when the School of Music had cutting-edge technology, its own library, and a period instrument consort.
And, of course, it was intriguing to watch such a movie with the director/co-writer and co-writer/co-star sitting two rows directly in front of me. Don't ever sit near Daniel MacIvor if you dislike people who shift in their seat! They provided some background and answered questions afterwards; incidentally, the two of them make a fantastic comedian-and-straight-man (no pun intended) team.
Rehearsing (on Thursday & Saturday) and performing (on Sunday) Verdi's Requiem in Choral Ensemble with the Kingston Symphony and Choral Society was a fascinating, nerve-wracking, emotionally draining and enormously rewarding experience. It's no Messiah or German Requiem but still a beautiful piece. After the stories about Glen Fast's negligence towards the Choral Society, it was a relief that he paid the chorus so much attention. (Still, one couldn't help stealing the occasional glance at Dr Sirett in the audience during the rehearsals, as attempted to correct from afar by comically mimicking our faults.) And Maestro Fast's facial expressions during the finale! Naturally, I've only ever seen his conducting from behind before. It was hard to keep an impassive face during the twenty seconds or so of deathly stillness that followed the Libera me, so keen was the sense from the orchestra and Choral Society that they were mourning the death of Susan Graves.
Next up (on Monday) was the jazz concert, which included the first major performance of this incarnation of the Jazz Choir. (It's existed before but, unfortunately, the School of Music never keeps it going for more than a year at a time.) Considering our limited experience as a group and how little time we had with Bruce to prepare ten different pieces, it went pretty well. I may have even managed to squeak out a couple of high B-flats. I'm still pissed off at that soprano though; I may have actually rolled my eyes at one point when she repeated a mistake we'd corrected at least five times in rehearsal. Yeah, I know, I'm a perfectionistic jerk. We got a good response from the audience--miniscule, as usual, because the concert wasn't advertised--and Bruce said he was proud of us at any rate, so that was gratifying.
Now that I'm actually able to get to the class (because it's no longer early in the morning), ear training and sight singing is a nice ego booster most of the time. Case in point, after a classmate and I performed a sight-singing duet:
On the whole, I quite liked it. Several characters and plot contrivances were slightly iffy, but the two central characters and performances are very engaging. I was surprised to see how delicately the touchier issues were dealt with. I remain in awe of Kirk Elliott and envy that he went to Queen's back when the School of Music had cutting-edge technology, its own library, and a period instrument consort.
And, of course, it was intriguing to watch such a movie with the director/co-writer and co-writer/co-star sitting two rows directly in front of me. Don't ever sit near Daniel MacIvor if you dislike people who shift in their seat! They provided some background and answered questions afterwards; incidentally, the two of them make a fantastic comedian-and-straight-man (no pun intended) team.
Rehearsing (on Thursday & Saturday) and performing (on Sunday) Verdi's Requiem in Choral Ensemble with the Kingston Symphony and Choral Society was a fascinating, nerve-wracking, emotionally draining and enormously rewarding experience. It's no Messiah or German Requiem but still a beautiful piece. After the stories about Glen Fast's negligence towards the Choral Society, it was a relief that he paid the chorus so much attention. (Still, one couldn't help stealing the occasional glance at Dr Sirett in the audience during the rehearsals, as attempted to correct from afar by comically mimicking our faults.) And Maestro Fast's facial expressions during the finale! Naturally, I've only ever seen his conducting from behind before. It was hard to keep an impassive face during the twenty seconds or so of deathly stillness that followed the Libera me, so keen was the sense from the orchestra and Choral Society that they were mourning the death of Susan Graves.
Next up (on Monday) was the jazz concert, which included the first major performance of this incarnation of the Jazz Choir. (It's existed before but, unfortunately, the School of Music never keeps it going for more than a year at a time.) Considering our limited experience as a group and how little time we had with Bruce to prepare ten different pieces, it went pretty well. I may have even managed to squeak out a couple of high B-flats. I'm still pissed off at that soprano though; I may have actually rolled my eyes at one point when she repeated a mistake we'd corrected at least five times in rehearsal. Yeah, I know, I'm a perfectionistic jerk. We got a good response from the audience--miniscule, as usual, because the concert wasn't advertised--and Bruce said he was proud of us at any rate, so that was gratifying.
Now that I'm actually able to get to the class (because it's no longer early in the morning), ear training and sight singing is a nice ego booster most of the time. Case in point, after a classmate and I performed a sight-singing duet:
- Dr Tormann: My God, that's beautiful. You've brought tears to my eyes! I had tears in my eyes before but for different reasons!
