A Singer's Perspective: From the Audience

Occasionally an MCE member is unable to sing in a concert, for various reasons, so will sit out in the audience and absorb the experience from that perspective.  It’s quite different for them to hear it from the “outside,” as it were.  They’re usually “inside,” making the music, instead of receiving it.  It can have quite an impact to hear the chorus from the audience.  One of our tenors sat among the listeners for our Sound Imaginarium concert, and below are his observations, reactions… and longings to be up there with us!

Dr. Linda Gingrich

Artistic Director and Conductor

Master Chorus Eastside

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Being an MCE singer in this afternoon’s Sound Imaginarium concert audience gave me a new insight into our chorus.

I've rehearsed this interesting and extraordinarily difficult music steadily, but took myself out of the concert when I got really sick during a rehearsal. I felt well enough to attend this afternoon’s concert, and enjoyed it tremendously. The group sang all of the difficult note and word “curlicues” cleanly, and they recovered quickly from any “muffs” and sang on with flair.

Particularly effective was Past Life Melodies, an Australian number containing vocal sounds evoking mystery and spookiness. Sung in the large confines of the Bellevue Presbyterian Church, we needed only dark mood lighting to send me to the Outback with the dark, the desert, the sand and the stars.

It's quite an experience listening to a group you've sung with for years, and to music you know well. How I wanted to be singing!  I think it's in the blood of all of our singers, this vital expressiveness which picks up a composer's creative powers and seeks to pour them into our listeners. I look forward to singing in our next concert.

Bill Stanley, tenor

Master Chorus Eastside