It's been a week of ups and downs but I'm back! I feel much better today.
Yesterday was a real mixed day. I felt low early on but cheered up as the day went on. We do manage to have a laugh in our office and the girls cheered me up. By the time I got home I was looking forward to my evening Opera rehearsal in Preston.
I've rejoined Preston Opera for the season as we are doing Samson & Delilah. There are going to be 2 shows at Preston Minster at the begining of May. I auditioned last September and they offered me the understudy role to Delilah, meaning I get to learn the role but only actually sing the whole role if, god forbid, the lead is unable to sing on the night. Not unheard of. But for a relative new comer it was a real honour to be given this opportunity. The lovely Rebecca Chellapah will be singing Delilah in performances. I've not met Rebecca but know her from her blog / and from the Royal Northern seen as I know so many people there. I'm looking forward to working with her, and with Bruce McLaren who will be playing Samson. Plus, it's great to be working with the wonderful chorus from Preston Opera. They are so friendly and welcoming and all remembered me from when I played Mercedes in Carmen back in 2006 so it was like I'd never been away.
So, yeah, I'm feeling much better.
I've got a busy few weeks ahead of me what with rehearsals for Preston Opera now adding to the rehearsals for Opera74, though the concert we're rehearsing for with Opera74 is actually on Saturday 31st January. I'll be singing with the chorus and as a soloist and we're being accompanied by Bolton Symphony Orchestra. The programme will be a mixture of Orchestral favourites and opera choruses, plus a large chunk of The Kings Rhapsody by Novello. It's just good to be performing again and I'm going to be doing plenty of it this year so I'm quite excited.
All details of my upcoming performances can be found on my website www.helenannegregory.com
Showing posts with label Singing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Singing. Show all posts
Friday, 23 January 2009
Thursday, 11 September 2008
An Interesting Day Indeed....
I'm having a fairly interesting day today. I've been pulled off my current project to help source some items for a tender we're working on so that's a nice distraction. I've been making lots of funny calls to suppliers asking for pricing on Bang Bang Sticks, Flashing Balls & Yo-Yo's and Glow Sticks of all things!
While I was in the meeting with my boss he idly asked how my singing was going and I said fine... then he said, do you think you'll do it professionally full time one day. And i said ... er... well i'm not sure. I could but I'm weighing up the lifestyle changes and even if I did decide to do it one day It wouldn't be a full time job as it's contract based as a principle opera singer as opposed to a chorus member. Anyway, I asked why he'd asked (suspiciously) and he said, oh, no reason but if you ever did want to do that we could work round it and we could continue to employ you here doing the data work you do for us working remotely. Great! That was a conversation I would have thought i'd have had to broach one day in the future with trepidation but they've done the thinking for me! Obviously I'm not planning on leaving yet, at least not until I get in to college but at least now I know i'll still have a job if I ever do do that. Awesome!
I think that newspaper article detailing how I was singing @ the Leeds Rhinos/Bulls game with 911 supporting hehehe.
While I was in the meeting with my boss he idly asked how my singing was going and I said fine... then he said, do you think you'll do it professionally full time one day. And i said ... er... well i'm not sure. I could but I'm weighing up the lifestyle changes and even if I did decide to do it one day It wouldn't be a full time job as it's contract based as a principle opera singer as opposed to a chorus member. Anyway, I asked why he'd asked (suspiciously) and he said, oh, no reason but if you ever did want to do that we could work round it and we could continue to employ you here doing the data work you do for us working remotely. Great! That was a conversation I would have thought i'd have had to broach one day in the future with trepidation but they've done the thinking for me! Obviously I'm not planning on leaving yet, at least not until I get in to college but at least now I know i'll still have a job if I ever do do that. Awesome!
I think that newspaper article detailing how I was singing @ the Leeds Rhinos/Bulls game with 911 supporting hehehe.
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Music Update
Well, musically things have been going well. I had a lesson last month with Robert and we've now started chosing the music for my audition in November. I've got lots of Handel to learn which is great. Handel is very good for the soul! I'm learing "Se Bramate" from Xerxes and 3 Arias from Theodora.
Also, not sure if I mentioned that I did a little concert with Baildon St John's church choir in June, Well I got an email to say they're going on tour for 4 days to Germany next July and they've invited me along so i'm most pleased to have some bookings in the old diary already. I've also discussed the possibility of doing a recital at the Church as part of their Saturday morning recital series some time next year, (Or this year if they have a spot free) so finally I have some decent performance prospects in the cooking pot. I have tonnes of recital material that i've been waiting to platform so I'll keep you posted on possible dates.
Preston Opera auditions for next years opera are in October so I'll be going for a lead role again. The next opera will be Samson & Delilah. Delilah is of course a mezzo role and would be great on my CV to show the college and will be a nice big project to fill up the first half of next year. Fingers crossed though hey! I think i'd make a great Delilah :0)
Also, not sure if I mentioned that I did a little concert with Baildon St John's church choir in June, Well I got an email to say they're going on tour for 4 days to Germany next July and they've invited me along so i'm most pleased to have some bookings in the old diary already. I've also discussed the possibility of doing a recital at the Church as part of their Saturday morning recital series some time next year, (Or this year if they have a spot free) so finally I have some decent performance prospects in the cooking pot. I have tonnes of recital material that i've been waiting to platform so I'll keep you posted on possible dates.
Preston Opera auditions for next years opera are in October so I'll be going for a lead role again. The next opera will be Samson & Delilah. Delilah is of course a mezzo role and would be great on my CV to show the college and will be a nice big project to fill up the first half of next year. Fingers crossed though hey! I think i'd make a great Delilah :0)
Monday, 16 June 2008
Long Awaited Update
Ok, I'm not a very good blogger as I tend to forget to update.
It's been a tough few weeks actually. Firstly, on the 3rd of June it was the 1st anniversary of my dad's death. I didn't really know how it was going to effect me. My grief has run a pretty usual course so far. I manage to keep my self together and remain philosophical about things but from time to time the emotions just bubble up to the surface and i'll find myself sobbing over something little, like, someone will tell me a joke I know he'd have appreciated and i'll immediately go to my email and select Dad from the recipients list, or I'll go to send him a text and remember. I just can't erase those numbers though. If I take him out of my phone that means I can't ever call him again and that act of erasing the number would be too final for me...
Anyway, I went in to work on that day as usual, and unfortunately was faced with doing a system update on our computers at work. This task always falls to me because i know the most about computers... but really in the scheme of things, it's like asking a monkey to work out your tax return because he once picked up a calculator... Ok that's doing myself down a bit as I am fairly adept at computing, but anyway. I got in early at 8,30am to start the process and things just weren't running to plan (not that they ever do). I was being passed from help line to help line and conclusions were made that we'd just not been sent the right things and that we had to keep starting the damn thing over and over again. Whilst I'm doing this, everyone in the building was coming in to work and having to twiddle their thumbs until the system was back online. I was getting calls every 5 mins to ask how things were going and I just flipped. I couldn't take anymore. I had had a headache when i came in and now I had a thumping migrane and just went down and told my boss I wasn't well and was going home. It didn't really dawn on me that my emotional trigger had been on high sensitivity because of it being my dad's anniversary, if I'd have thought about it I'd have explained that to my boss before storming out but hey ho.
Ok so after that I went home and cried for an hour or so and then went to sleep... the great healer.
So, the rest of the week was a bit of a downer in one way or another, I was just feeling generally pissed off with work and I was in a very, what's the point mood, when suddenly on the Friday I got an email from CUKAS, which is the organisation which administer Music college applications, saying I should log in as my account status had changed. I was immediately filled with hopeful trepidation as I knew this could be the email saying that I'd got a place on the PGDip course but it was a negative. All the people who were offered the places had accepted and there is no room for me for next Sept so i'm going to have to audition again in Oct/Nov and go through the whole damn process again! This was one big nail in the biggest coffin of a week ever. I held my nerve until I went home then cried my eyes out. Andy feeling sorry for me bought me a bottle of wine and a box of my favourite chocolates which did help but basically I felt like a complete failure. I know this isn't true though. I mean when i auditioned last Nov the feedback I got from the heads of department was really good and the letter offering me my place said that I was good enough for the course but they just didn't have enough places and I presume the places went to current Undergrads at the college. I'm not sure how i'm going to over come this particular issue. Surely every year they have Undergrads wanting to do the Post Grad course and I suppose it's a case of better the devil you know for the college department, after all they want to see their students go all the way through the school. I'm just going to have to be tenacious. I know i'm good enough, I just need to keep letting them know how serious I am about this.
The next week was a bit better, though this week I had an audition at Opera North to go to. I'd had to shake off last weeks kick in the guts and jump straight back on the horse. I knew that the audition at the ON wasn't likely to lead to a job offer but was doing it for the experience and to start getting myself seen on the radar of the company. When I got there there were several other girls of a similar age sat waiting to go in. All seemed to be from the RNCM and in fact one girl was another pupil of Roberts. It was nice chatting to her and compare notes on how our voices had developed under his tuition. I went in and did my audition. We had to prepare 3 songs and they were only hearing one and I ended up singing the one that was the least secure. It was a song i'd been learning with Robert last summer and was pretty long and I ended up fluffing a bit in places but got through it. Then we had to wait for the results and see who was going through to the next round. There were 7 of us there and only 3 went to the second round and I wasn't one of them as I expected but hey, It really was a good experience. I ended up catching the train home with Rachel (Roberts pupil) and we had a good natter on the train back to Manchester, philosophising about life, singing, auditions, other jobs, ambitions et.al. I felt suprisingly ok with what i'd achieved that day, even if it wasn't a job offer. I realised that my next big goal is to nail that place at college and get that regular tuition and performance experience that I've been longing for. In a year or so's time I'll be in the same position as the girls at the audition, I'll be more confident, I'll have a much bigger repertoire and I'll be well on my way.
Friday, I was back in work, I came back to find an inbox full of issues and ended up having a chat to my manager about how we can make my job more managable as I had to confess I was feeling pretty unhappy and stressed and that's not how I want to feel at work. She agreed and harmony ensued. When I got home that evening I had some music to learn as I'd agreed to sing the Soprano solo part in Gounod's Messe Solonnelle di Sainte Cecila at St John's Church in Baildon the next day :0) I love being busy with singing projects. I sat on the sofa with a glass or two of wine and my score and my ipod listening to a recording. Bliss.
Saturday I went to do the concert, rehearsals started at 10.30am so I had to set off around 9am from Bolton. The drive was clear and I had my Tom Tom to ensure I didn't get lost. I had a good hour to warm up and get ready vocally, which is always a bonus. When I got there I recognised the place as I'd done concerts for Peter Sanford there before. I recognised some of the people in the choir and Andrew Crawford, my old music teacher from WGS was there too. Met some really lovely girls in the choir who were also doing solos and they did really well. The programme was very varied, they opened with the Gounod, then did various orchestral pieces and the choir did another set of items including some fun arrangements of Teddy Bears Picnic and Dashing away with the smoothing iron and also Stanford's "The Bluebird" and Bird Song at Eventide which is pure slush but lovely :0) After rehearsals I nipped over to see Smuzz for a few hours. I took over her birthday card. I got a very enthusiastic greeting from Nicky the dog who i'd not met before. She wasn't sure of me at first but ended up licking my half to death. After a nice catch up I got myself a domino's pizza and made my way back to Baildon for the concert and at the end of the day I headed home, tired but happy.
Yesterday was a lazy day. We went to the cinema to see "Gone Baby Gone" which is written & directed by Ben Affleck and I was pretty impressed. Though it was pure nepotism in him casting his brother in the lead hehehe. It was quite a thought provoking film with a few twists and made for a most satisfying watch.
There, I've caught up. Sorry to bore you but I've taken a journey this last few weeks. I've traversed grief, depression and rejection and arrived and hope and it's not a bad place to be. I do think that things in life tend to happen for a reason beyond our knowledge and I'm sure there's a reason why I wasn't meant to get a place this sept at RNCM. Maybe next year I'll have a place and they'll have some cracking opera's planned for the coming year with my name on the lead roles hehehe :0)
It's been a tough few weeks actually. Firstly, on the 3rd of June it was the 1st anniversary of my dad's death. I didn't really know how it was going to effect me. My grief has run a pretty usual course so far. I manage to keep my self together and remain philosophical about things but from time to time the emotions just bubble up to the surface and i'll find myself sobbing over something little, like, someone will tell me a joke I know he'd have appreciated and i'll immediately go to my email and select Dad from the recipients list, or I'll go to send him a text and remember. I just can't erase those numbers though. If I take him out of my phone that means I can't ever call him again and that act of erasing the number would be too final for me...
Anyway, I went in to work on that day as usual, and unfortunately was faced with doing a system update on our computers at work. This task always falls to me because i know the most about computers... but really in the scheme of things, it's like asking a monkey to work out your tax return because he once picked up a calculator... Ok that's doing myself down a bit as I am fairly adept at computing, but anyway. I got in early at 8,30am to start the process and things just weren't running to plan (not that they ever do). I was being passed from help line to help line and conclusions were made that we'd just not been sent the right things and that we had to keep starting the damn thing over and over again. Whilst I'm doing this, everyone in the building was coming in to work and having to twiddle their thumbs until the system was back online. I was getting calls every 5 mins to ask how things were going and I just flipped. I couldn't take anymore. I had had a headache when i came in and now I had a thumping migrane and just went down and told my boss I wasn't well and was going home. It didn't really dawn on me that my emotional trigger had been on high sensitivity because of it being my dad's anniversary, if I'd have thought about it I'd have explained that to my boss before storming out but hey ho.
Ok so after that I went home and cried for an hour or so and then went to sleep... the great healer.
So, the rest of the week was a bit of a downer in one way or another, I was just feeling generally pissed off with work and I was in a very, what's the point mood, when suddenly on the Friday I got an email from CUKAS, which is the organisation which administer Music college applications, saying I should log in as my account status had changed. I was immediately filled with hopeful trepidation as I knew this could be the email saying that I'd got a place on the PGDip course but it was a negative. All the people who were offered the places had accepted and there is no room for me for next Sept so i'm going to have to audition again in Oct/Nov and go through the whole damn process again! This was one big nail in the biggest coffin of a week ever. I held my nerve until I went home then cried my eyes out. Andy feeling sorry for me bought me a bottle of wine and a box of my favourite chocolates which did help but basically I felt like a complete failure. I know this isn't true though. I mean when i auditioned last Nov the feedback I got from the heads of department was really good and the letter offering me my place said that I was good enough for the course but they just didn't have enough places and I presume the places went to current Undergrads at the college. I'm not sure how i'm going to over come this particular issue. Surely every year they have Undergrads wanting to do the Post Grad course and I suppose it's a case of better the devil you know for the college department, after all they want to see their students go all the way through the school. I'm just going to have to be tenacious. I know i'm good enough, I just need to keep letting them know how serious I am about this.
The next week was a bit better, though this week I had an audition at Opera North to go to. I'd had to shake off last weeks kick in the guts and jump straight back on the horse. I knew that the audition at the ON wasn't likely to lead to a job offer but was doing it for the experience and to start getting myself seen on the radar of the company. When I got there there were several other girls of a similar age sat waiting to go in. All seemed to be from the RNCM and in fact one girl was another pupil of Roberts. It was nice chatting to her and compare notes on how our voices had developed under his tuition. I went in and did my audition. We had to prepare 3 songs and they were only hearing one and I ended up singing the one that was the least secure. It was a song i'd been learning with Robert last summer and was pretty long and I ended up fluffing a bit in places but got through it. Then we had to wait for the results and see who was going through to the next round. There were 7 of us there and only 3 went to the second round and I wasn't one of them as I expected but hey, It really was a good experience. I ended up catching the train home with Rachel (Roberts pupil) and we had a good natter on the train back to Manchester, philosophising about life, singing, auditions, other jobs, ambitions et.al. I felt suprisingly ok with what i'd achieved that day, even if it wasn't a job offer. I realised that my next big goal is to nail that place at college and get that regular tuition and performance experience that I've been longing for. In a year or so's time I'll be in the same position as the girls at the audition, I'll be more confident, I'll have a much bigger repertoire and I'll be well on my way.
Friday, I was back in work, I came back to find an inbox full of issues and ended up having a chat to my manager about how we can make my job more managable as I had to confess I was feeling pretty unhappy and stressed and that's not how I want to feel at work. She agreed and harmony ensued. When I got home that evening I had some music to learn as I'd agreed to sing the Soprano solo part in Gounod's Messe Solonnelle di Sainte Cecila at St John's Church in Baildon the next day :0) I love being busy with singing projects. I sat on the sofa with a glass or two of wine and my score and my ipod listening to a recording. Bliss.
Saturday I went to do the concert, rehearsals started at 10.30am so I had to set off around 9am from Bolton. The drive was clear and I had my Tom Tom to ensure I didn't get lost. I had a good hour to warm up and get ready vocally, which is always a bonus. When I got there I recognised the place as I'd done concerts for Peter Sanford there before. I recognised some of the people in the choir and Andrew Crawford, my old music teacher from WGS was there too. Met some really lovely girls in the choir who were also doing solos and they did really well. The programme was very varied, they opened with the Gounod, then did various orchestral pieces and the choir did another set of items including some fun arrangements of Teddy Bears Picnic and Dashing away with the smoothing iron and also Stanford's "The Bluebird" and Bird Song at Eventide which is pure slush but lovely :0) After rehearsals I nipped over to see Smuzz for a few hours. I took over her birthday card. I got a very enthusiastic greeting from Nicky the dog who i'd not met before. She wasn't sure of me at first but ended up licking my half to death. After a nice catch up I got myself a domino's pizza and made my way back to Baildon for the concert and at the end of the day I headed home, tired but happy.
Yesterday was a lazy day. We went to the cinema to see "Gone Baby Gone" which is written & directed by Ben Affleck and I was pretty impressed. Though it was pure nepotism in him casting his brother in the lead hehehe. It was quite a thought provoking film with a few twists and made for a most satisfying watch.
There, I've caught up. Sorry to bore you but I've taken a journey this last few weeks. I've traversed grief, depression and rejection and arrived and hope and it's not a bad place to be. I do think that things in life tend to happen for a reason beyond our knowledge and I'm sure there's a reason why I wasn't meant to get a place this sept at RNCM. Maybe next year I'll have a place and they'll have some cracking opera's planned for the coming year with my name on the lead roles hehehe :0)
Friday, 30 May 2008
Audition News
I've got an audition for the singing job I've applied for! I've got to prepare 3 contrasting pieces, one in Italian, and I've 2 chorus numbers to learn. One of which I already pretty much know! Bring it on!
That's going to be on the 12th June so keep your fingers and toes crossed for me!
That's going to be on the 12th June so keep your fingers and toes crossed for me!
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Photos from Friday
Ok here are some photos from Friday's Performance.
So, what important lesson did I learn from these pictures!
WEAR AMERICAN TAN TIGHTS!
I appear to have the whitest legs on the planet.
And there I was saying that the Bullettes wear too much make up! D'uh! It's so the crowd can tell they have it on. Stage makeup applies wherever you are far away from your audience!
So, what important lesson did I learn from these pictures!
WEAR AMERICAN TAN TIGHTS!
I appear to have the whitest legs on the planet.
And there I was saying that the Bullettes wear too much make up! D'uh! It's so the crowd can tell they have it on. Stage makeup applies wherever you are far away from your audience!
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Insanity Confirmed
Yes I think I am officially insane and actually I think I like it :0)
A few weeks ago I called up Bradford Bulls (my beloved rugby team) and asked them if they would consider having me come and sing pre-match as part of their entertainment. They got back to me and said that they would be interested and infact they were looking for someone for the big game on the 23rd May against Leeds (our local rivals!!!). They said a female classical singer would be different and would I like to come along and give it a go. To which of course I said yes.
Well, last sunday I went along to sing at one of their quietest matches of the year, vs a french team who never bring any fans, which was a great idea. I got to sing infront of 5,052 people, which was the biggest audience I've ever sung in front of live and solo! I had to get used to singing in to a mic as as an opera singer i'm used to good old lung power. I sang 3 popular classical pieces. Tonight from West Side Story, Time to Say Goodbye & You Raise Me Up and the reaction from the crowd was really positive. The entertainments team said it was a great reaction from them and that they'd definately like me to sing at the Leeds Match... there will be around 17,000 people coming to watch that match so I'd better prepare myself hehehe.
I took my mother along with me on sunday and we were given a box to watch the match from (seen as it was a quiet match for them and they had one free), and a meal in the club restaurant and it was a great day out. I wasn't as frightened standing up there as I thought I might be. I'm sure I will be on the 23rd though when I won't be able to see any spare seats in the ground...eeek!!!
Yesterday lovely friend Suzanne was at work in Bradford and overheard a girl in her office talking about this amazing singer she'd heard singing at the rugby last sunday. She nearly fell off her chair and piped up saying that I was her best friend and that we grew up together. I can't believe anyone would have thought twice about talking about the pre-match singer but it's a real compliment that people enjoyed my performance and it's given me a massive confidence boost.
Here is a picture I took at the match. There isn't one of me though hehehe. My brother took some of me singing but i'm like this tiny dot on the pitch hehehe. This is a picture of the game from our Box seat.
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Evidence that I'm Totally and Utterly Insane
1. I've just volunteered and been accepted to sing on my own in front of 17,000 people on 23rd May at the Bradford Bulls Vs Leeds Rhinos match.
2. I got my husband to take me to Alton Towers last week and went on all the scary rides on my own as he doesn't like them but I love being flung round at 100mph, turned upside down and sprayed in the face with water, and dropped down dark holes where you can't see the bottom. It's pure bliss to me!
3. I'm currently wearing one roller boot under my desk at work because I ordered them on the net, they arrived and I couldn't wait to try them. I couldn't put both on as i'm on the 3rd floor up and roller boots and stairs don't go well together and just the 1 because if I'm needed I can take it off quickly. But they're Pink!!! I love them.
3. I don't think I need a third.
Pass me the straight jacket and I'll hand myself over peacefully.
2. I got my husband to take me to Alton Towers last week and went on all the scary rides on my own as he doesn't like them but I love being flung round at 100mph, turned upside down and sprayed in the face with water, and dropped down dark holes where you can't see the bottom. It's pure bliss to me!
3. I'm currently wearing one roller boot under my desk at work because I ordered them on the net, they arrived and I couldn't wait to try them. I couldn't put both on as i'm on the 3rd floor up and roller boots and stairs don't go well together and just the 1 because if I'm needed I can take it off quickly. But they're Pink!!! I love them.
3. I don't think I need a third.
Pass me the straight jacket and I'll hand myself over peacefully.
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Another One Leaves the Fold
On Friday me and Andy travelled up to Leeds to wish our friend Ruth well on her wedding day. The day went well. I sang at the ceremony and had lots of lovely comments about my voice from the other guests. I got to catch up with some good friends from school and we all had fun... I hope Ruth has a lovely honeymoon... Me and Andy spent a fair amount of time arguing on ours but it was just the Italian heat and we had a wonderful time anyway. Marriage is a scary thing, but I've not been happier since mine and Andy's wedding day back in July 2006. I think the commitment of marriage is the thing that is most frightening before but the most comforting thing afterwards.
Yesterday wasn't so fun. After a night spent at the lovely Hazelwood Castle, I had a horrible hang over and was suffering from a severe lack of sleep (due to a random insomnia attack). Why is it that I get such bad hangovers nowadays? I must just be getting old. We headed back to Bolton and when we arrived home I curled up on the couch and slept for 3 hours solid and desperate for some Pizza so we ordered in a Domino's pizza. Hang over heaven.
Yesterday wasn't so fun. After a night spent at the lovely Hazelwood Castle, I had a horrible hang over and was suffering from a severe lack of sleep (due to a random insomnia attack). Why is it that I get such bad hangovers nowadays? I must just be getting old. We headed back to Bolton and when we arrived home I curled up on the couch and slept for 3 hours solid and desperate for some Pizza so we ordered in a Domino's pizza. Hang over heaven.
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