Day 11 - Les Misérables

11th January 2013

As part of Nich's visit this week we went to see Les Misérables at the cinema. This was booked at the beginning of December, so desperate were we to ensure we got seats, and awesome ones at that. We went to the Odeon in Leicester Square and sat in the Royal Circle, pretty much dead centre. It was brilliant.

You know that I love music and singing, so I'm wondering if any Mark Sloanes out there have figured out that I love musicals. I do. I really love them. I love those moments when they are just belting out that amazing note that make your insides quiver with feeling. I love it. Did I mention I'm quite enamoured of this general situation?

When I was about...13 or 14 I think, I started attending Spotlites, a local youth theatre. A few people at school went, so I joined them. I enjoyed performing a bit, it seemed fun. It was a funny place to be overall. I have no doubt that it shaped my teenage personality - I was there until I was 18. I met some incredibly dear friends there, including the beautiful Ally for whom I am so proud to be maid of honour later this year! I was in two shows whilst at Spotlites...well...three if you include a workshop...four if you include a showcase. I don't, I count the two. Scrooge (the musical) and Pippin (the musical). Both were utterly exhausting, but so much fun, and I got to do a lot of that lovely singing.

I think I was about 16 when I started having singing lessons there. Those half hours every friday night were by far my favourite time of the week. My singing teacher, Marcus, was brilliant. I loved him. I still use so much of what he taught me every time I sing (including in my main arena, the shower) and have passed on some things to the choir at school. I still have the daily exercises he gave me blue tac'd up on the wall at Pogles.

I loved the feeling I had when I hit a note I couldn't before, of singing a song and it actually sounding good, of just having 30 minutes every week where I knew all I would have to do, all I would have to think about, was singing. One of the first songs I learnt with Marcus was I dreamed a dream. It holds such a special place in my heart, and I will never sing it without thinking of the funny little singing room downstairs at Spotlites. Anne Hathaway does an alright job I guess. This may or may not mean that tears were rolling down my cheeks, and when I say may or may not I mean may and when I say may I mean there were definitely.

Since then I've sung in a choir and group with my mum. Singing in parts is something I love, harmonies really do it for me. That moment, mostly seen at the end of a big number in a musical, where all the harmonies are going and it sounds like one note but so rich and full and vibrant....wow.

There's a bit of a disconnect for me with singing though. As you may have picked up on, Mrs Fletcher, I really quite enjoy it. But for the most part it's for my own pleasure. In groups I can sing in front of a crowd, but if given any solos or being asked to sing a whole song by myself I go all aflutter and I can't do it. Similar thing with playing music, I'm happy to play with others, but the occasions where I will play by myself for other people are very few and far between. So those who have been privy to such moments you know I must utterly trust you. Singing with my mum and brother in law at my brother's wedding was terrifying. I don't remember it at all. Blacked out. It's not that I think I'm really bad, but I just know I'm not overly good either. Literally "not bad".

So that's today. Slightly out of kilter with the photo, but what are gonna do, fight me?! Tomorrow I know that I dreamed a dream and On my own are going to feature on both my internal playlist and literal playlist. I shall be checking the door to see the others are out before I really gie it laldy.

Stephie

xxx