Hitting the stage running!

LORRAINE BAKER, Community Ensemble Participant

We’re coming to the end of this exciting and wonderful experience of performing in Handel’s Messiah.   I have again participated in the most famous story in the world, the story of Christ.  As a Christian, I have followed and demonstrated this story in different ways but have never enacted this as part of an opera production, however, this experience is one I have greatly enjoyed and the first non-verbal, non-vocal I have done.  This has enhanced my concentration and listening skills, not only with minimal direction but to utilise my movement skills (slowly) after being so used to rushing around all the time in everyday life.

I think my best moment that I won’t forget in a hurry is hitting the stage running (almost literally!) when I had to participate in Act II and didn’t have a clue of what I was supposed to do.  I was just told to follow bench one! Did that and literally walked onto the grass platform and sat on the bench on the other side of the stage.  I was then ushered off by chorus as there was total confusion! And as we entered the song  Let us break their bonds I’ve never had to make such different facial expressions from curiosity, shock, confusion then Happiness.  That was the best bit, Happiness, also calmed me down as I just knew the Director, watching on must have thought “what is she doing?” Standing amongst the wonderful sound of Hallelujah. That’s my favourite bit.

I’m not one for pushing myself into the limelight of publicity but I have performed, danced and sung on stage in the past and this for me is yet another experience I can carry in my journey of life. I’ve been able to demonstrate my talents and gifts with the assistance of Joyce and I am really grateful to Jana and Deborah for giving me this opportunity.  I will never forget.