Pirates of Penzance was a terrific experience. Conducting again, after a year's passing, teaching young students what it's like to sing with diction, sing with a conductor in a pit, and sing with intention, was all loads of fun!
Glad it's over, though.
The orchestra ended up playing the piece extremely well. It was comprised solely of students, except for the concert master (an amazing Timothy Christie) and a trombonist who subbed in for an ill student. My viola section showed up for one rehearsal with eye patches and bandanas, so I referred all of my viola notes to the Pirate section. I had a good feeling from them, and aside from the usual blips that one hears from ALL orchestras, their performance was splendid. The cast was great too. I had to talk to them about not listening to the orchestra and then singing behind because of said listening (it's an evil little loop that so few conductors understand); frankly I wonder what anyone is teaching young singers nowadays in their schools when it comes to singing with orchestras in pits...
I digress.
A lovely time was had by all, including the sold-out audience of almost 1900 people.
Time to move on. Time to focus on the November 2010 Black Box Festival at McGill (I'm now thinking about doing a VERY German opera...), La Boheme, Imeneo, the outreach programs to start up in Montreal, plus the new-yet-not-done-when-will-it-be-done website (ACK!), the in-laws coming in September, and putting the Montreal West house together (as in UNpacking all those bloody boxes.)
Plus I have to finish "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius". So far, it is just that.
