The Wedding Singer

My new bed arrived on Monday, ended my days of sleeping on my quilt and bed sheets, with no air-con at night – it was too cold to sleep on the floor with the air-con on. It’s a super single bed, I had to buy new sheets…I splurged on my two new sets, 330 thread count…not knowing whether it is the highest available in Aussino but it kind of maxed out my budget so I stopped at 330 thread count, this is the best I have ever owned all my life.

On a separate note, speaking of material achievements…when sweet J presented me with these gifts I thought it was the most romantic thing – he had bought me a 2006 annual planner and a note book to go with the planner. “This planner is for you to record all your singing activities and your plans for singing in 2006, the notebook is for your to keep a diary of your singing exercises everyday.”

And speaking of singing, my first wedding gig (a gig, basically one that I was hired for, and not appearing as a singing guest like one I did at SM’s beautiful wedding in June. went extremely well after a nightmarish sound check. I thought I sounded like Nina Simone with my nose all blocked with bad flu, except it was more like a Nina Simone gone bad. By performance time my nose cleared up and I was more comfortable with the mike and the monitor helped a lot.

Although some of my new repertoire, ok, definition of the word repertoire:

The stock of songs, plays, operas, readings, or other pieces that a player or company is prepared to perform.

Although some of my new repertoire that evening did not go as badly as I dreamed about, I certainly thought I did `ok’…which explained why my jaw dropped totally when the couple repeated their thanks and happiness on my `fine performance’. I stayed back to nibble on the dinner they served my accompanist and I after the party and the bride again reminded me how happy they were that I sang that evening. I couldn't’t think of anything more rewarding to me as a singer, than what she told me, “You’ve made our wedding so beautiful.”

Now I just need to make sure that I get their elaborate reference/testimony in my bio next.

And how can I not talk about my wardrobe that night! I avoided the sexier collection I have and opted for my ever so safe and elegant Ala Audrey-Breakfast-At-Tiffany’s evening dress I bought from my Sydney trip years ago, at a King’s Cross Sunday flea market. This time I updated the dress with my new corsage that went on with an organza ribbon as a belt.

I guess I could still get intoxicated for a while with making some couple genuinely happy (or appreciative) at their wedding parties…though I know singing at weddings is not just about singing for the marrying couple, you have to face their excited, intoxicated parents, uncles, friends, hungry guests…etc. Good thing for now I have plenty of enthusiasm in singing my heart out in front of strangers, indifferent looking or distracted. I noticed people turned to look at the singer when I started on a popular ballad that gets lots of airplay.

I walked away from this gig and back onto the full swing M Opera rehearsals that are enjoying its high momentum at the moment with renowned Roland Peelman conducting intensive week long vocal workshops. The acting rehearsals have been mind blowing and stimulating; the music is…simple electrifying and a real killer. You can literally smell the eagerness of the cast when you walk into the rehearsal, how much we want to put this show on and burn on our passion for creative things.

Look out for M! The Opera, the most exciting project...coming to the theatre near you.