Mature Music Is Rewarding Fun
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Obviously retired men can't sing with unbroken voice of a child. But mature music is still fun.
Dame what's-her-name retired when she noticed that her glorious singing voice was no longer fully under her control. Fine, for a world-famous soloist that was possibly the right decision, but if she had been in a barbershop chorus (Sweet Adelines) of mostly retired women, she would have known that a little wobble in her voice was not the end of the world.
I'm in male Barbershop Singing. None of our voices can do what they could do in the past. But our audiences didn't hear me singing fifty years ago, so they can't compare my performance. What matters is the thunderous applause. What matters is an audience that breaks into laughter so that they miss half of what I am singing. What matters is children poking each other to draw attention to my latest antics.
Our local chorus of Sweet Adelines can compete with the world. Members have to stand on the risers for two and a half hours at each rehearsal with no excuses. Some of our members couldn't stand for that long. Others like me, wouldn't. But we still wow the audiences.
One disadvantage is that our members keep dropping off their perches more often than would happen with younger members, but our remaining chorus is usually invited to the funeral to sing in ringing four-part harmony, and the relatives are full of appreciation.
Of course, music for oldies isn't just singing. To play a violin for example, each finger should be able to put 50 lb pressure on the string for good quality. Don't you think mouldy oldies like me could do that? Well, we had a string trio of old ladies at our last performance, and none of them seemed to be having difficulty getting the right tone out of their instruments.
Of course, experience does make music easier. I started playing the organ for a congregation sixty years ago. Last week I was showing a newcomer to barbershop how to sing one melody while playing another, and realized from his comments that he would find it difficult. I have no difficulty when I am playing the organ in church when I get the opportunity to sing a descant above the music that I am playing for the congregation.
I suppose it is hardly surprising that after sixty years of experience my mature music requires no thought. Perhaps I should learn to play a flute to charm a cobra. That would be a new challenge.
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