Am Anfang der Welt...: Play for the Queen

Now the November has started the days are growing really hot although I even wear my summer uniform !
And then we had to play tennis in ODP! Kata showed me how to,
I was actually not bad and it was really quite fun.
My Integration Mocks test in Maths went quite alright, at least
I achieved quite well.
There was also a rehearsal for Daniel's opera planned at Lunch, but noone else turned up so I could just lie in the sun at the Spot (where my friends and me always meet).
After school I got photos and signatures from everyone in the International Department. My flag is so full already !!!
It was too hot to do something other than reading in the garden and having a picnic outside.

On friday the 2nd of November I won the Drama warm up for the 2nd time with
"10 big buddhas" !! James conducts Feller from Fortune, a really fun piece to sing, and now we finished everything else in Music
I rerecorded my violin composition.
In Outdoor Ed we had a little barbecue, it was just toooooo
hot for sports !
After school Bel Canto recorded the 2 songs composed by David Smith ("Dreamers of the world unite" and "New Zealand !
New Zealand !").
The piano lesson was cancelled this week, but after my violin lesson I was alone at home anyway because the others were at Operation Friendship which was too far to cycle to...
I read and typed my SMP portfolio.
Daniel sent me two other songs from his opera to sing on sunday if possible... great... but I love challenges ! I think I can do it !
When my family came home at 10 we had some small fireworks in the garden ! The festival was about Guy Fawkes who had tried to kill the king with a bomb but it didn't work and he was executed, and that's a festival ! Terrible story !
I learned the new songs the whole evening with Tim on the piano and I could almost sing them already.

My saturday started with a 12 to 12.30pm rehearsal at the CBS Arena, where we would play with the CSO, many little kids and some adults, Selena, Lawrence, Yanlu, Katarina and Hannah (all from the school orchestra) one verse of "God save the queen". It is the english queen they are singing to, because tonight would be the concert for the last night of the Proms.
After our 20minute rehearsal we stayed till 1.15pm to listen to the adults play. Backstage we then met my SMP teacher Mr Atlas with his wife Amanda, both have very beautiful and strong opera voices, who were going to sing tonight as well. :)
The concert started at 7.30pm and we were supposed to wear blue/red/black or white and some people were REALLY dressed up british ! With flags, stripes, hats, facepaint...
We could sit in the audience for the first half and all were supposed to sing a few songs together, but I didn't even know them... The 2nd half started with our little piece. It was a world record of so many people (about 30) playing together at once in the CBS Arena this year... great record. :D
After that we went back to our seats and watched Ravil and Amanda Atlas and the CSO perform.
The bus did not take me home before 11pm.

my violin teacher sitting amongst the CSO

Startled I woke up at 9 on sunday morning by Beth playing her trumpet in my room, well, that's a wake up call !
And so the probably busiest day began with a piano lesson at 10.30am, where I got a new piece, "May it be" from Lord of the Rings, to play.

my great piano teacher Joanna

Shortly after that I walked to Daniel's where I rehearsed with him and Theo for the opera. His mum makes us nice lemon tea, sandwiches and sushi and also drove Theo and me to the Court Theatre at 3pm to see a Masterclass with Amanda Atlas and the other 2 singers from this concert on wednesday, VERY good ! It's unbelievable how much better they sounded when this guy only told them how the other person in the opera would react and gave them the right pictures in their mind !
Afterwards we could talk a little with the performers before Theo's parents came and gave me a lift home where I got changed, ate a bit and was already off again with Lisa to Edgeware to pick
James up.
Daniel's concert was to be at Rangi Ruru Girl's School. When we arrived at 6.20pm we were earlier than everyone else except the Tech Crew students and helped to set up.
When all performers were there we started a short rehearsal of the opera and Sophia's Agnus Dei and discussed the staging.
All of the Mitchells come exactly at half past to watch (I already got nervous).
It was really a great concert! The opera came first (no communication was allowed with Theo because in the opera I don't know he's there, but the audience didn't know that so it must have looked a little awkward and insecure... well, never mind).
A rock guitar followed and it was... loud.
"Even such is time" from Alice, "Sanctus" and "Agnus Dei" from Sophia (we went completely out of time with each other, it was SCARY ! But somehow James got us together again in the end, puhhh... by the way, he's a great conducter !) Unfortunately Sophia started coughing so I was the only soprano...
Interval: nibbles prepared by Daniel's mum :)
Quite a few people told me I was pretty good. :)
Daniel talked a bit too much, Julia started dancing on Tim's lap and everyone adored her and Isla Norman sang really good !
This night of original music (meaning: every single piece was self-composed by a Burnside High music student) ended at 9.40pm and soon the Mitchell's went home (it was very late already for the little ones), but I went in Sylvia's car with the other performers to McDonalds at 10.30pm or so where I had a frozen Fanta and we talked mostly about music and conducting.
I had to be home at 11pm so we slowly found our way back after curving through whole town, what an adventure !