Viva in Southern Ireland........
| Type of post: | Chorus news item |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | Michelle Daniels |
| Status: | Current |
| Date Posted: | Sun, 10 Nov 2024 |
Written by one of our newest members, Ruth
Of course I had watched and celebrated with Viva when they won gold in Spain, but this time I was actually going to be a part of it too!
The Viva chorus is full of wonderful ladies, all working in various teams. The travel arrangements and accommodation were booked without a hitch, at least without a hitch to the rest of us, despite differing individual requirements. Some of us arrived a day early and were able to wander into Killarney and explore the delightful surroundings, as well as familiarise ourselves with the hotel and the weekend agenda. The Gleneagles Hotel is large, with plenty of bookable rooms. Round every corner new music bathed our ears from choruses having final rehearsals - it was all becoming very real!
Quartet competition day was upon us and I was keen to learn all I could. My first lesson and maybe small shock to the system, was that the auditorium - where we would be competing - was just huge! I was soon in the swing of things though, and began to see the differences, not just in sound produced, but the individual performances.
When I joined Viva, my music training had been very traditional and so the performance part of barbershop was completley new - I had a lot to learn! The day was made more exciting because we had three of our very own quartets performing - they were fabulous!
After an early night it was competition day at the Irish Association of Barbershop Singers (IABS). The day was planned to a 'T' by our amazing Presdient and Musical Director and ran like clockwork. There was time factored in for early morning exercise for those who wanted that and then, after final makeup, hair and outfits were complete, we were in to our very final warm-ups; physical, mental and vocal. We were ready!
Every lady in Viva is enormously supportive of everyone else. It is an amazing environment to be part of. So, was I nervous? No, not really....excited for sure. Once in place on the risers, with the lights on us and our MD as our focus, there was nothing else to think about. We were all very proud of our performance, we gave everything. We were delighted to take the Silver medal behind an enormous and fabuous mixed chorus, who have previously placed 4th in the world. We were in a good place!
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What was the very best part of the competition day? So many wonderful parts, but perhaps the Afterglow. In every corner of the hotel there were groups singing. We were totally relaxed and joyous, making music with our own chorus and with friends from other groups. What is not to love?
Of course I had watched and celebrated with Viva when they won gold in Spain, but this time I was actually going to be a part of it too!
The Viva chorus is full of wonderful ladies, all working in various teams. The travel arrangements and accommodation were booked without a hitch, at least without a hitch to the rest of us, despite differing individual requirements. Some of us arrived a day early and were able to wander into Killarney and explore the delightful surroundings, as well as familiarise ourselves with the hotel and the weekend agenda. The Gleneagles Hotel is large, with plenty of bookable rooms. Round every corner new music bathed our ears from choruses having final rehearsals - it was all becoming very real!
Quartet competition day was upon us and I was keen to learn all I could. My first lesson and maybe small shock to the system, was that the auditorium - where we would be competing - was just huge! I was soon in the swing of things though, and began to see the differences, not just in sound produced, but the individual performances.
When I joined Viva, my music training had been very traditional and so the performance part of barbershop was completley new - I had a lot to learn! The day was made more exciting because we had three of our very own quartets performing - they were fabulous!
After an early night it was competition day at the Irish Association of Barbershop Singers (IABS). The day was planned to a 'T' by our amazing Presdient and Musical Director and ran like clockwork. There was time factored in for early morning exercise for those who wanted that and then, after final makeup, hair and outfits were complete, we were in to our very final warm-ups; physical, mental and vocal. We were ready!
Every lady in Viva is enormously supportive of everyone else. It is an amazing environment to be part of. So, was I nervous? No, not really....excited for sure. Once in place on the risers, with the lights on us and our MD as our focus, there was nothing else to think about. We were all very proud of our performance, we gave everything. We were delighted to take the Silver medal behind an enormous and fabuous mixed chorus, who have previously placed 4th in the world. We were in a good place!
What was the very best part of the competition day? So many wonderful parts, but perhaps the Afterglow. In every corner of the hotel there were groups singing. We were totally relaxed and joyous, making music with our own chorus and with friends from other groups. What is not to love?
