Bach is King and other things.......

Another teaching week done, the time just flies by.......and all that we have to accomplish in the next 8 weeks seems like Ben Nevis. I know, however, that it will come and it will happen, and life will go on.

Lots of folk, young and not so young have been laid low with bad throats and aches and pains, this time of year is very hard, I think it is the change of weather and air pressure or maybe the winter is a cumen in  rather than Summer is a cumen in!! The weather has been wild, windy and wet so even going from house to car was a wet experience.

There is some great repertoire happening for those with voices including the magnificent Buss und Reu from the Matthew Passion by Bach. N is going to use this for one of her audition pieces. At the RAM one must sing an aria with recitative and this covers all the bases. She adores it, it shows a very solid and excellent technique, and is an aria and recit ! Good audition material is vital - it must show all your strengths and none of your weaknesses, must be well known so one can almost go on to auto pilot when the nerves kick in, and must be very varied. I have always had something of a talent for picking audition rep - I can't bake or play tennis but I can choose a programme to make the panel sit up a bit. Fingers crossed for this year's candidate !

Today it was a disaster of bad throats and pale faces until S came along at 4pm and bounced into the music room like a Labrador puppy ! It was a breath of fresh air which was such a vocal lift after all the illness! S is a very talented 'tiny' she sings full pelt but never shouting, and with the most monumental enthusiasm. She is taking her Initial Singing Exam in November and I feel sure she will uplift any examiner who has a heart and half a brain ! 

L is taking her Grade 4 piano this term  as well and she was also fit and well for her lesson, and having done a good deal of practise I think we are very close to being over the 'wall' so to speak ! She has a real facility for the piano and if we can do better at the aural tests I think she should do very well.

I am pretty full diary wise over my free days, but all nice things - coffee, dinner and an Indian meal, a day shopping in Inverness and maybe more ( that I can't remember as I write).  Anyhow I am looking forward to my time off and have written my shopping list for Saturday !

Well done everyone this week, and to those who are not 100% - get better !