Back In Business

Ahh, Chorale.

When we got to that last concert in May, I was, to be honest, ready for the summer break. Those first few Monday nights without rehearsal were glorious. But now we're at the end of August, and I'm ready for Fall and all that comes with it--crisper air, turning leaves, soup...and, of course, a new Chorale season.

I arrived at tonight's Summer Sing an hour early, so excited was I to see everyone. And, I admit it, I wanted what I've come to think of as my personal spot--very end of the front row. Meg's Spot. "I'm sorta claustrophobic," I always tell people with a self-deprecating grin. It's true--don't crowd me in or I might start getting a wee bit pushy and panicky on you.

Anyway, a friend needed some advice so I spent most of that hour before rehearsal on the phone, outside. When I came back in, I found that my purse and choir bag had been moved over.

>:-(

Oooohhhh-kay. Fine. Well, two sopranos were hustling into the pew where I'd left my things, making it pretty much impossible to reclaim my spot. So I took a seat in the pew behind them (normally we rehearse in the hall, in chairs, but tonight was special so we were in the actual church) and sat down.

About five minutes before rehearsal was to start, Costume Lady came in, and insisted I scoot over so she could sit down.

Costume Lady and I have had our run-ins ("You have white on your shoes!!"), but in reality, I love her to pieces. She's 81, with flaming red hair and personality to match. I love CL and she's been one of my biggest cheerleaders with my weight loss. But sometimes, she really is a snot.

I looked at the girl next to me (we'll call her New Girl, because I don't know her). She apologized and said, "I'm saving this spot for a friend." I turned to tell CL this, and CL responded with an impatient, "We can all fit!" and the biggest, fakest smile ever.

Not wanting to start an argument so close to the start of the rehearsal, I scooted over until I was almost sitting on New Girl's lap. Nice. CL sat down--half on my lap, half on the hard wooden edge of the pew--and said, "There! This is fine."

This is not fine.

I sat there for about thirty seconds, feeling irrationally angry and ready to scream. I sighed, rolled my eyes, and said, "Know what? I'll move." I got up and huffed my way across the aisle to the next pew, a much poorer spot than where'd I'd started an HOUR BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE GOT THERE, and sat down, feeling just a little bit put-upon.

The rehearsal went very well. Our new director is demanding, but in the most agreeable way. She pulls beautiful singing out of us and makes it look so easy. The Mozart is going to be a joy to sing--such an amazing piece of music and I'm so happy to have this opportunity.

And in the end, I'm not really all that put out by CL and other seat-stealers. It's part of what I love about being in Chorale. We're musicians--we fuss, we argue, we laugh, and at the end of the day, we make incredible music.

Besides, CL apologized at the end of the evening for being (her words!!), "a bitch." It was quite gracious of her, considering I've never apologized for having white on my shoes at my first Chorale concert, almost two years ago.