A blog from the celli, by Ellen & Sinead

On the third day, we rose again; the five sleepy-heads of room 19. After nice hot showers and a rush to breakfast, rehearsals began yet again. But this time it was different. Finally all the strings had come together for the first time, after two days of sectionals. It was lovely to hear the full blend of string sound and hear how the melodies complimented the accompaniments. Only one more rehearsal until we would all come together as a family once again!

The excitement at lunch was immense (not only because it was pasta) but also because Gearóid Grant was in the building! At 13.45 we were all in our seats ready for tuning. Gearóid entered the hall to rapturous applause! And it was straight to work..

We began with Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. We played through the whole piece (flawlessly, of course) and everyone was taken aback by how well it went, having never played together before. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm on everyone’s face, old and new, especially this year as we are delighted to welcome 44 new members!

When rehearsal ended, it was announced by Conor Palliser (one of our friendly staff members) that we shall be performing a J musical as tomorrow’s evening activity. Each section has their own scene, which they must make up themselves based on a few guidelines given to us by the staff. Let’s just say it promises to be an interesting show, with each section holding private meetings and rehearsals throughout the day to discuss costumes, props, lyrics etc.

After a very successful evening rehearsal, it was finally time for some relaxation (and some more musical rehearsals!). We reflected on the days accomplishments and went to bed feeling inspired and extremely excited about what tomorrow will bring!

Back to room 19, goodnight!

Ellen & Sinead