A merry little Christmas

The year is over.  Almost.

After the Christmas concert, there is one more singing lesson.

I discover that Rohan has a sneaky plan in store for me.

Because I am guilty of a "choir girl" crime.  I sing the music exactly as it is written.

In a choir, everyone must read and sing the music accurately.  You can't have someone holding a note longer than the person next to them.  Everyone has to enter at exactly the same place and everyone has to finish together.  There is no room for individuality; everyone is part of a whole.

But now that I am singing solo, I am supposed to interpret the song.  The trouble is, I don't really know how to do that.  I am stuck in the idea that you should sing what is written, and I don't know how to do otherwise.  All year he has been encouraging me to break free from the dots, to "push and pull"; "bend the phrases".  Coded messages again; I don't know how to comply with these instructions

Being able to read music is a very useful skill, but in this respect it is a curse.  I don't know what it feels like to interpret, and deep down I feel I have no right to do it.  Someone wrote the piece of music; who am I to undo it and create my own version?

So I turn up to my final lesson for the year and Rohan produces a "cheesy" Christmas carol - "Have Your self a Merry Little Christmas".  I've never liked this song; in fact, most Christmas songs leave me cold.  But OK, it's an exercise.  I will suspend my scepticism.

I sing the song once through; he accompanies me on guitar.  I've got the melody; I've got the lyrics; ho hum, yawn.

He takes away the sheet music and says "Now we're going to swing it".  He changes the rhythm; it means I have to adapt the way I sing the song, or it's going to sound terrible.  I can do whatever I like with it.  The first time through I'm tentative.  I don't know what to do.  But I can see that there's no right or wrong.  Second time, it's fun!

It is a real an eye-opener.  Finally I know what it feels like to break away from the "dots".  This is the start of something new.

And I've even started to like the song.