Dear Ella,
Funny evening and moment last night - for a fleeting moment I tasted what life might be like when I pass beyond 70, 80 or beyond and its all your fault!
You told me to get singing - and as you know from my various letters I have done just that. I joined the Gurt Lush choir and started in September with a few carols and other numbers in the alto section, pushing on through to some Ennio Morricone numbers in the first sopranos and year end concert at the Colston Hall. Please don't think for one moment that moving from altos to sopranos means I have a great vocal range, rather the opposite - I just preferred the company on that side of the room - shallow I know!
Anyway - I did it and can report back that it was all good fun, not sure that my singing is any better, but I laughed a lot and for sure got a bagful of some kind of therapy. Don't know what sort - but after every sing, I generally walked home feeling rather contented and at one with the world - if not a little smug.
Last night saw the end of year choir social. A gathering of well meaning folk - all bought food and drink which we duly shared, whilst chatting and reminiscing about the choir year and how wonderful the concert had been. AND then - some tunes were knocked out on a piano, we pushed our chairs to the edge of the room and sang some random songs starting with "My Old Man said follow the van". I looked around the room and for one shocking moment thought I had been transported to an OAP's social or as Grandad would call it "God's Waiting room" - a group of "elderly" people, singing badly, but with gusto, making up the words, smiling and nodding and looking slight bemused - and I was one of them. I laughed out loud!
We were having a lovely time - but I didn't stay long, plenty of time for that in the future. However, I do now understand on more than one level why singing is so therapeutic.
Will be back for more (not the OAP type) singing in September - time now to rest the vocal chords.
Lots of love
Mum
XX
"God's waiting room" is what they call one of the pubs in Windsor, the queue is not so long these days!
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