box musings

I’m writing this from the sound box in the theatre at school. Well, I say “from” the sound box, I actually mean “on”. It’s a box. And I’m sitting on it.

With me is Seedy the CD player, Andy the amp and a host of wires and blinking things that go foom. Unfortunately they often go foom in the middle of delicate scenes.

Anyway, this is a rehearsal for the senior play, which this term takes the form of a “Scenefest.” For the uninitiated, a Scenefest is an opportunity for competition (healthy) experimentation (no rob, not dodgy) and exciting cooperation (everyone shouting at everyone else – hence, cooperation). Sales pitch aside, it’s basically a competition between four groups each doing a few scenes from the Northern Lights play. Between them they do the whole thing, and the best one wins. I’m on sound as you may have worked out for yourselves.

This week (and the one before it) has been somewhat busy and promises no less for the coming days. Scenefest took my Sunday, my Monday and now my Tuesday and is certainly to dominate my Thursday and Friday. We have a return to Shrewsbury School UK style rehearsals which extend into the later hours of the evening. At last back home I had an extra hour in bed. Wednesday is to be the concert to end all concerts. Well, maybe not, but it will include songs from every class in years 6, 7 and 8. Since I helped teach one of the classes I have a vested interest. The Chamber Choir (i.e. the teachers foolish enough to like singing and think they’re good at it, i.e. me) will be singing, followed by the Orchestra, in which I’m playing an instrument I’ve been playing for 3 weeks, and a piece I’ve practiced once.

To top that my leg hurts for no apparent reason and I absolutely refuse to ask the internet since it will tell me that I’ll be dead in two weeks. I can imagine overhearing this conversation at the doctors:

Doctor: “Now, my dear Mr. Barnard there really is nothing for you to worry about, you will be completely free of symptoms within a fortnight.”
Patient: “That’s not what the Internet says, you incompetent ass!”

Sad times.

Dom