The buzz of the morning after the night before

I’m usually slow to wake up in the morning; I usually do that thing of re-setting my alarm a few times before eventually dragging myself out of bed. Once I’m up, I’m fine and tend to be a cheery morning person – it’s just the dragging myself out of bed bit that’s the problem! However this morning, with no alarm set from the night before as today’s Sunday, I woke up with a real ‘ding!!’. You know what I mean? It was as if someone flicked the ‘WAKE UP!’ switch inside my head instead of pulling down slowly on the ‘Aw ..naw.. it’s.. time.. to.. wake up..’ lever!

The fact that the sun was streaming through the bedroom window probably had a bit to do with it, but I’m sure it was more down to the fact that the adrenalin was still flowing after last night’s choir concert. What a brilliant night! It wasn’t the biggest audience we’ve played to (though, as my choir buddy Mair said, “it’s the quality of the audience that counts, not the quantity!”) but it definitely was one of our best gigs.

I’d forgotten what a nice wee venue Falkirk Town Hall is. It’s a cosy theatre, and there was just a really good ‘feel’ about the place; even before the audience arrived. And, they’ve got a fantastic sound system. I always think it must be so frustrating for Annie when we turn up at a gig and the sound arrangements aren’t geared up for our large choir and its accompanying musical instruments. The family members and friends of mine who were in the audience last night - most of whom have been to at least one of our previous concerts - all commented on how different the quality of the sound was. The choir and the band were doing the same as they always do, but when the microphones and other sound equipment are of good quality and set up properly, everything seems to pull together so much better. I guess the audience appreciate the choir and respond more when they can hear all the soloists and harmonies and instruments as they’re meant to be heard. And that must be so satisfying for Annie and Jane too – knowing that all their superb arrangements are being heard, just as they’d intended them to be heard the first time they sat down to work them out! And, as I said, the wee audience were great; whooping and cheering and clapping along.

Ocht, I’m still buzzing – you really can’t beat this feeling. I also had a tiny wee taste of how nerve-wracking it must be to take centre-stage and do a solo! Before we went on stage, Annie and Jane’s sister, Alexis, asked me if I would do the ‘Thank You’s’ at the end of the concert. “The kids are going to come on when the concert's finished and present Annie and Jane with the flowers from the choir, so you'd just need to take the mike and say a few words to thank everyone. Is that OK?”. Well, I definitely wasn’t going to say no – I was deeply touched that Alexis had asked me – but it did make me come out in a bit of a cold sweat! The only time I don’t feel really nervous when I’m speaking in front of an audience, or even a small group, is when I recite one of my poems – so, I sat at the interval and scribbled a few wee verses of thanks! It was a real test of my ability to do ‘speed poetry!’, but I managed to throw enough words together to enable me to take the mike without shaking too much in my shoes (or, to be more accurate, stocking soles) and do the necessary. It was a real privilege to be able to say a heartfelt thank you to the band and Annie and Jane - on behalf of the whole choir - in the way that I love best. Somehow it's always easier when speaking straight from the heart!

So, I’m sitting here bright eyed and bushy-tailed at 8.30 on a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning, looking out at the snow-capped hills and – once again – thanking my lucky stars for that day that Gordon said “Mum, I think I’ve found you the singing group you’ve been looking for.....”