Today

Actually managed to get to choir last night. I found that it was easier to hit the top notes than the bottom ones, which were either missing or squeaky. I don't know why that is. My neighbour (a recent joiner with whom I still have to come to terms) expressed surprise. It might be that my voice naturally lies in the higher register; if I was an alto, perhaps it would be the other way round. Who knows; it just happened that way.

Really find this person hard work. Somehow what she says seems so inappropriate. She complained about being hot - was wearing huge jumper and surely knows by now how hot St John's vestry can become with 30 can beltos carrying on. She asked me at what point we were picking up a piece (or I thought she did). When I told her, she said, very loudly, "Don't be so bossy!" I hold up my hands to being bossy on occasions, but on this one I was genuinely trying to help. And she didn't keep her voice down. So I felt a bit annoyed and found myself thinking "Newcomer! Who does she think she is?"

In My Day

Back at the start of the 80's, my sister Beatrice and I joined a chamber choir in Eastbourne. (What was it called? - I can't remember.) The choir rehearsed each week at Eastbourne College under the direction of a somewhat callow youth. Most of the members were music teachers and had known each other for years on the local circuit. For reasons that I cannot fathom we just joined and were never asked to audition. So this may have put noses out of joint.

Whatever the reason, nobody ever spoke to us. At the break, we discovered that people brought their own refreshments, but we weren't offered so much as a sniff of coffee or told the general drill. Given that it was the sort of choir that generally outnumbered its audience by a factor of 3, it wasn't exactly the creme de la creme.

So what I want to know is, am I merely being territorial with a new member or is she actually truly dreadful?