Diction and Cleavage

Last night was my first rehearsal with the Madison Opera. We are gearing up for Opera in the Park, a concert featuring well-know selections from famous operas. I was a little nervous approaching rehearsal with a new group, but I saw many familiar faces from Madison Symphony Chorus and the group is hard-working, yet extremely relaxed. We spent the entire two hours singing and rehearsing, but every so often someone would make a joke that only singers could make: The sopranos being "top heavy" (a rather busty soprano in the front row announced that even sopranos can't control genetics!) and many an IPA joke (namely the appropriate pronunciation of the French word "jus-qu'a" so we don't sound like we are offending a certain religion)! Singing and laughing are two of my favorite things to do and I think the Madison Chorus will be an excellent place to do just that! For those of you opera buffs, some our selections include The Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore (or Looney Tones), Ainsi que le brise legere from Faust, Italian Street Song from Naughty Marietta, and Nessun Dorma from Turandot. This should be an excellent concert!