When members of the RCS choir were approached to take part in the season finale of the RSNO (Royal Scottish National Orchestra) ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ I knew that the experience was going to be amazing. When these opportunities cross your path it is always best to grasp them tightly with both hands and enjoy every second of them.
The rehearsals took place every Wednesday 7:30-10pm at the RSNO centre in Glasgow. When the rehearsals first started earlier this year I would step out of the murky Glasgow evening into the converted church venue to find myself immersed in the most beautiful of music, I immediately knew that this was going to be a truly exhilarating experience.
For each rehearsal the magnificently organised Christine Walker would have a seating plan set up and every chair perfectly positioned which made my life as chorus member of a large ensemble so much easier and I’m very grateful to her 🙂
The RSNO chorus were extremely friendly and welcoming of all the members from the RCS, it was a pleasure to work with them and hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to be part of their ensemble again should they ever need to boost their numbers for another production. I would especially like to thank Heather Keating, a member of the RSNO chorus who provided me with chocolate which gave me real boost during rehearsals.
However the music truly came alive at the final rehearsals with the orchestra and the soloists at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow. During these final rehearsals I really got to experience what I was about to be a part of, the sheer scale of the production and the intricacy needed to bring it all together was just stunning. There were 252 choral singers, 8 soloists and the full RSNO orchestra.
The final night arrived, our performance at Usher Hall in Edinburgh the previous night had left me on a natural high and when I arrived at the concert hall in Glasgow I was still buzzing.
The concert started and when the chorus was combined with the huge orchestra and the children’s choir the sound exploded in the concert hall around us. It was such an amazing feeling and it set my love for music on fire! I knew in that instant this is definitely the life for me. I would love to sing the Soprano 1 part one day!
The only downside to the event was that I missed my baby brother’s 18th birthday 🙁 I had to join in on FaceTime on my computer.
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