Warm Ups .............

 

We LOVE warmups.
Especially in the summer - NOT.
But when it's cooler they are great and I love the music and the fun that we have as we stretch and warm up before getting up on the risers.
At every get together, be it rehearsal, retreat or coaching session we have a physical warm up session.
Denise is our usual leader in this endeavour but sometimes Jill,our choreographer puts us through our paces.
Karen our Assistant Director does a great 'sit down' session as you can see in the collage.
We all enjoy these sessions.
They are a great introduction to our singing sessions and blow away the cobwebs of a working day and get us in a relaxed and toned state of body and mind so that we can give our best to our singing.

The story continues ..........

My First 'Sing Out'
Now this was a bit of a scarey time for me and my newbie buddies.
We had passed our riser tapes and declared 'ready' to sing in public as part of the chorus.
We wore costume for the first time and learnt how to apply the stage makeup required including the red nails!
Here we are - ready to sing the National Anthem at the finals of the local soccer competition at WIN stadium. Wendy, Anita, Angela and Jan have all moved on ....

It was FREEZING and we couldn't hear ourselves singing and there was feedback so that when we did hear it, we were a phrase behind what we were singing - make sense?

Anyhow it was my introduction to singing in public as part of chorus family.

How it all started ....

Let's start at the very beginning ....
Somehow all things seem to stem from the 'Sound of Music' don't they? LOL.

I first saw Wollongong Harmony Chorus performing Christmas carols at Shellharbour Square Shopping Centre. I was 'blown away' by their sound and they seemed to be having such fun. I thought what a great bunch. I had not long moved to the area after 30 years living in country NSW so was looking for a niche for myself in the big city.
I guess this must have been Christmas 2002 as I joined up after a membership drive at Ribbonwood Centre, Dapto in early 2003.

I wasn't sure where I fitted in relation to voice part so started off and passed my audition singing Bartitone. I soon found out that the bari's sang all the notes that no-one else wanted so 'saw the light' and became a 'Brilliant Bass'!
I feel at home in the Bass section with all my 'bass buddies' (in more ways than one) and I am certainly more comfortable signing in the lower register.

I had to have my photo taken in front of this window!
By now it is May 2004 and we have travelled to Adelaide where I sang in my first Sweet Adeline's Convention. What an experience!

Here we are on stage! We came 5th - my first medal.


And of course we celebrated afterwards ........... the journey had begun!