Performance with Andrea Baker

In May 2012, I am to accompany Andrea Baker, a mezzo-soprano opera singer, on piano.

Nervous!

I have not done anything as large as this yet, and so am looking forwards to the experience, but with a sense of vague fear. Not much can go wrong though.

It's funny how it all started really.

I was learning the parts to a choral piece that the choir will be doing with her in May 2012, and her pianist had left about an hour ago. My music teacher suddenly realised that we were going to need someone to teach the choir the parts.

'I know!' she said, relief lighting up in her eyes. 'We can get Alex to do it!

'No no no, please no,' was my response. I wasn't quite expecting that, but agreed, and after lunch taught the choir their parts.

And I thought that was the end of it, at the end of the day, going home. Just taught the choir their parts.

At school two days later, mashing some Bach on the piano, and the conductor of the King's Men comes up to me.

'Alex,' he says. I look up from the keyboard and he smiles, and calmly explains to me that Andrea Baker would like me to accompany her playing some pieces for a matinee performance in the afternoon before the choir performance in the evening.

I actually went light-headed.

I got a round of applause when I walked into choir the next week.

Still slightly excited!