Today was the culmination of five days of really concentrated work in the beautiful town of Lübeck. As you may know we’ve been teaching six different ensembles from as near as Hamburg and as far away as Chicago. Each group has varying ambitions from wanting to get better and enjoy music-making, through to wanting to become semi-pro or full-time, even. Our goal this week was to open the ears of the participants and encourage them to take greater ownership of their identify, both as a group but more importantly in terms of their sound. Whilst this evening’s performance will be a highlight for many of us, next week, next month, next year is what I wanted to focus on this week. What are they going to do when we’re not in the room with them? So that’s what formed the basis for my teaching: giving them skills to be able to continue to grow and develop in the future. I worked with a fantastic young female ensemble called EVA vocaal ensemble. They worked their socks off this week and I’m planning on meeting up with them again in the coming year for some more coaching. I’m also pleased to say that every group made significant steps forward on each of their musical journeys and I can’t wait to hear them again in the future! (Proud father speech over)I recently paid a visit to the dentist’s and came away with a clear mouth-guard type aligner, moulded to both sets of teeth. It’s called Invisalign and it’s an unobtrusive ‘invisible’ teeth correction procedure that I’ll be adhering to until November. For those who don’t know much about it, here’s what I know. As someone who once upon a time had a fixed metal brace on my lower set of teeth as a teenager, I remember how uncomfortable and restrictive it was, not to mention how self-conscious I felt at having ‘train tracks’, singular though mine was. I couldn’t eat certain things unless they were chopped up and cleaning the brace was quite a pain. The difference with Invisalign couldn’t be more contrasting. I went in and had my teeth scanned and they created a 3D image. This was then put through their software which allows you to see what the teeth will look like after the period of treatment. It’s a way of feeling fairly certain what you’ll end up looking like and this all happens before you make a not-insignificant financial commitment. I was happy with what I saw and so I went through with it. I have to keep each aligner on for as close to 22 hours per day as I can and then every 2-3 weeks (depending on how long I’ve been able to wear them) I change to the next aligner, which is moulded ever so slightly differently. There was a bit of discomfort earlier this week when I changed to the second retainer but nothing like when my braces needed tightening. That was agony! I was on liquid meals for days!One thing I was concerned about was to what effect this would have on my singing. Would I have a slight lisp? Would I need to take out the aligners for rehearsals and concerts? I knew I would struggle to get even remotely close to 22 hours of wear on concert days if that were the case. So it was with a tinge of trepidation that I began this journey of discovery. Some of the answers to the questions were slightly fast-tracked in Tewkesbury Abbey recently. I had removed the aligners for the Classic FM Facebook Live recording but kept them in for the rehearsal and pre-concert. We walked in to open the concert with Domine, Jesu Christe – as we have all year – and then I realised I was still wearing them! We then had a 15 second walk to get back to our stands and I knew I didn’t have the time to remove them so I just had to figure it out and hope for the best! I was so conscious of when I smiled at the audience and thought how obvious it must’ve been to everyone in the front row. We began ‘We are’, which has also featured in almost every show this year, and after the first verse I had that moment of realisation when in the few bars rest before my solo I knew I had to deliver the line that any person with a lisp around the world would dread: ‘I’ve sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land...’ My heart rate went up just a little and then it was the moment of truth. I tried to relax and concentrate on not sounding like Bugs Bunny (!!) and once I sang it successfully I felt so good for the rest of the show. Phew!I have now worn them for all the concerts since Tewkesbury Abbey: Ratzeburg, Meldorf, Wotersen, Kiel and Lübeck. I’ve noticed that some of the fast repeated instrumental sounds in the William Tell Overture can be challenging. Also, some of the German language pieces require extra concentration. All in all though, it’s been successful so far. I hope anyone reading this who is unsure about whether or not their singing will be adversely affected thinks again. I feel like my job is very much in the public eye and even speaking to people after the concert has reassured me that most people don’t even notice the aligners when I’m right in front of them. So go for it!Bedtime for me now before singing some Bach in his backyard tomorrow.Bye for now!
Today was the culmination of five days of really concentrated work in the beautiful town of Lübeck. As you may know we’ve been teaching six different ensembles from as near as Hamburg and as far away as Chicago. Each group has varying ambitions from wanting to get better and enjoy music-making, through to wanting to become semi-pro or full-time, even. Our goal this week was to open the ears of the participants and encourage them to take greater ownership of their identify, both as a group but more importantly in terms of their sound. Whilst this evening’s performance will be a highlight for many of us, next week, next month, next year is what I wanted to focus on this week. What are they going to do when we’re not in the room with them? So that’s what formed the basis for my teaching: giving them skills to be able to continue to grow and develop in the future. I worked with a fantastic young female ensemble called EVA vocaal ensemble. They worked their socks off this week and I’m planning on meeting up with them again in the coming year for some more coaching. I’m also pleased to say that every group made significant steps forward on each of their musical journeys and I can’t wait to hear them again in the future! (Proud father speech over)I recently paid a visit to the dentist’s and came away with a clear mouth-guard type aligner, moulded to both sets of teeth. It’s called Invisalign and it’s an unobtrusive ‘invisible’ teeth correction procedure that I’ll be adhering to until November. For those who don’t know much about it, here’s what I know. As someone who once upon a time had a fixed metal brace on my lower set of teeth as a teenager, I remember how uncomfortable and restrictive it was, not to mention how self-conscious I felt at having ‘train tracks’, singular though mine was. I couldn’t eat certain things unless they were chopped up and cleaning the brace was quite a pain. The difference with Invisalign couldn’t be more contrasting. I went in and had my teeth scanned and they created a 3D image. This was then put through their software which allows you to see what the teeth will look like after the period of treatment. It’s a way of feeling fairly certain what you’ll end up looking like and this all happens before you make a not-insignificant financial commitment. I was happy with what I saw and so I went through with it. I have to keep each aligner on for as close to 22 hours per day as I can and then every 2-3 weeks (depending on how long I’ve been able to wear them) I change to the next aligner, which is moulded ever so slightly differently. There was a bit of discomfort earlier this week when I changed to the second retainer but nothing like when my braces needed tightening. That was agony! I was on liquid meals for days!One thing I was concerned about was to what effect this would have on my singing. Would I have a slight lisp? Would I need to take out the aligners for rehearsals and concerts? I knew I would struggle to get even remotely close to 22 hours of wear on concert days if that were the case. So it was with a tinge of trepidation that I began this journey of discovery. Some of the answers to the questions were slightly fast-tracked in Tewkesbury Abbey recently. I had removed the aligners for the Classic FM Facebook Live recording but kept them in for the rehearsal and pre-concert. We walked in to open the concert with Domine, Jesu Christe – as we have all year – and then I realised I was still wearing them! We then had a 15 second walk to get back to our stands and I knew I didn’t have the time to remove them so I just had to figure it out and hope for the best! I was so conscious of when I smiled at the audience and thought how obvious it must’ve been to everyone in the front row. We began ‘We are’, which has also featured in almost every show this year, and after the first verse I had that moment of realisation when in the few bars rest before my solo I knew I had to deliver the line that any person with a lisp around the world would dread: ‘I’ve sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land...’ My heart rate went up just a little and then it was the moment of truth. I tried to relax and concentrate on not sounding like Bugs Bunny (!!) and once I sang it successfully I felt so good for the rest of the show. Phew!I have now worn them for all the concerts since Tewkesbury Abbey: Ratzeburg, Meldorf, Wotersen, Kiel and Lübeck. I’ve noticed that some of the fast repeated instrumental sounds in the William Tell Overture can be challenging. Also, some of the German language pieces require extra concentration. All in all though, it’s been successful so far. I hope anyone reading this who is unsure about whether or not their singing will be adversely affected thinks again. I feel like my job is very much in the public eye and even speaking to people after the concert has reassured me that most people don’t even notice the aligners when I’m right in front of them. So go for it!Bedtime for me now before singing some Bach in his backyard tomorrow.Bye for now!
Today was the culmination of five days of really concentrated work in the beautiful town of Lübeck. As you may know we’ve been teaching six different ensembles from as near as Hamburg and as far away as Chicago. Each group has varying ambitions from wanting to get better and enjoy music-making, through to wanting to become semi-pro or full-time, even. Our goal this week was to open the ears of the participants and encourage them to take greater ownership of their identify, both as a group but more importantly in terms of their sound. Whilst this evening’s performance will be a highlight for many of us, next week, next month, next year is what I wanted to focus on this week. What are they going to do when we’re not in the room with them? So that’s what formed the basis for my teaching: giving them skills to be able to continue to grow and develop in the future. I worked with a fantastic young female ensemble called EVA vocaal ensemble. They worked their socks off this week and I’m planning on meeting up with them again in the coming year for some more coaching. I’m also pleased to say that every group made significant steps forward on each of their musical journeys and I can’t wait to hear them again in the future! (Proud father speech over)I recently paid a visit to the dentist’s and came away with a clear mouth-guard type aligner, moulded to both sets of teeth. It’s called Invisalign and it’s an unobtrusive ‘invisible’ teeth correction procedure that I’ll be adhering to until November. For those who don’t know much about it, here’s what I know. As someone who once upon a time had a fixed metal brace on my lower set of teeth as a teenager, I remember how uncomfortable and restrictive it was, not to mention how self-conscious I felt at having ‘train tracks’, singular though mine was. I couldn’t eat certain things unless they were chopped up and cleaning the brace was quite a pain. The difference with Invisalign couldn’t be more contrasting. I went in and had my teeth scanned and they created a 3D image. This was then put through their software which allows you to see what the teeth will look like after the period of treatment. It’s a way of feeling fairly certain what you’ll end up looking like and this all happens before you make a not-insignificant financial commitment. I was happy with what I saw and so I went through with it. I have to keep each aligner on for as close to 22 hours per day as I can and then every 2-3 weeks (depending on how long I’ve been able to wear them) I change to the next aligner, which is moulded ever so slightly differently. There was a bit of discomfort earlier this week when I changed to the second retainer but nothing like when my braces needed tightening. That was agony! I was on liquid meals for days!One thing I was concerned about was to what effect this would have on my singing. Would I have a slight lisp? Would I need to take out the aligners for rehearsals and concerts? I knew I would struggle to get even remotely close to 22 hours of wear on concert days if that were the case. So it was with a tinge of trepidation that I began this journey of discovery. Some of the answers to the questions were slightly fast-tracked in Tewkesbury Abbey recently. I had removed the aligners for the Classic FM Facebook Live recording but kept them in for the rehearsal and pre-concert. We walked in to open the concert with Domine, Jesu Christe – as we have all year – and then I realised I was still wearing them! We then had a 15 second walk to get back to our stands and I knew I didn’t have the time to remove them so I just had to figure it out and hope for the best! I was so conscious of when I smiled at the audience and thought how obvious it must’ve been to everyone in the front row. We began ‘We are’, which has also featured in almost every show this year, and after the first verse I had that moment of realisation when in the few bars rest before my solo I knew I had to deliver the line that any person with a lisp around the world would dread: ‘I’ve sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land...’ My heart rate went up just a little and then it was the moment of truth. I tried to relax and concentrate on not sounding like Bugs Bunny (!!) and once I sang it successfully I felt so good for the rest of the show. Phew!I have now worn them for all the concerts since Tewkesbury Abbey: Ratzeburg, Meldorf, Wotersen, Kiel and Lübeck. I’ve noticed that some of the fast repeated instrumental sounds in the William Tell Overture can be challenging. Also, some of the German language pieces require extra concentration. All in all though, it’s been successful so far. I hope anyone reading this who is unsure about whether or not their singing will be adversely affected thinks again. I feel like my job is very much in the public eye and even speaking to people after the concert has reassured me that most people don’t even notice the aligners when I’m right in front of them. So go for it!Bedtime for me now before singing some Bach in his backyard tomorrow.Bye for now!
Today was the culmination of five days of really concentrated work in the beautiful town of Lübeck. As you may know we’ve been teaching six different ensembles from as near as Hamburg and as far away as Chicago. Each group has varying ambitions from wanting to get better and enjoy music-making, through to wanting to become semi-pro or full-time, even. Our goal this week was to open the ears of the participants and encourage them to take greater ownership of their identify, both as a group but more importantly in terms of their sound. Whilst this evening’s performance will be a highlight for many of us, next week, next month, next year is what I wanted to focus on this week. What are they going to do when we’re not in the room with them? So that’s what formed the basis for my teaching: giving them skills to be able to continue to grow and develop in the future. I worked with a fantastic young female ensemble called EVA vocaal ensemble. They worked their socks off this week and I’m planning on meeting up with them again in the coming year for some more coaching. I’m also pleased to say that every group made significant steps forward on each of their musical journeys and I can’t wait to hear them again in the future! (Proud father speech over)I recently paid a visit to the dentist’s and came away with a clear mouth-guard type aligner, moulded to both sets of teeth. It’s called Invisalign and it’s an unobtrusive ‘invisible’ teeth correction procedure that I’ll be adhering to until November. For those who don’t know much about it, here’s what I know. As someone who once upon a time had a fixed metal brace on my lower set of teeth as a teenager, I remember how uncomfortable and restrictive it was, not to mention how self-conscious I felt at having ‘train tracks’, singular though mine was. I couldn’t eat certain things unless they were chopped up and cleaning the brace was quite a pain. The difference with Invisalign couldn’t be more contrasting. I went in and had my teeth scanned and they created a 3D image. This was then put through their software which allows you to see what the teeth will look like after the period of treatment. It’s a way of feeling fairly certain what you’ll end up looking like and this all happens before you make a not-insignificant financial commitment. I was happy with what I saw and so I went through with it. I have to keep each aligner on for as close to 22 hours per day as I can and then every 2-3 weeks (depending on how long I’ve been able to wear them) I change to the next aligner, which is moulded ever so slightly differently. There was a bit of discomfort earlier this week when I changed to the second retainer but nothing like when my braces needed tightening. That was agony! I was on liquid meals for days!One thing I was concerned about was to what effect this would have on my singing. Would I have a slight lisp? Would I need to take out the aligners for rehearsals and concerts? I knew I would struggle to get even remotely close to 22 hours of wear on concert days if that were the case. So it was with a tinge of trepidation that I began this journey of discovery. Some of the answers to the questions were slightly fast-tracked in Tewkesbury Abbey recently. I had removed the aligners for the Classic FM Facebook Live recording but kept them in for the rehearsal and pre-concert. We walked in to open the concert with Domine, Jesu Christe – as we have all year – and then I realised I was still wearing them! We then had a 15 second walk to get back to our stands and I knew I didn’t have the time to remove them so I just had to figure it out and hope for the best! I was so conscious of when I smiled at the audience and thought how obvious it must’ve been to everyone in the front row. We began ‘We are’, which has also featured in almost every show this year, and after the first verse I had that moment of realisation when in the few bars rest before my solo I knew I had to deliver the line that any person with a lisp around the world would dread: ‘I’ve sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land...’ My heart rate went up just a little and then it was the moment of truth. I tried to relax and concentrate on not sounding like Bugs Bunny (!!) and once I sang it successfully I felt so good for the rest of the show. Phew!I have now worn them for all the concerts since Tewkesbury Abbey: Ratzeburg, Meldorf, Wotersen, Kiel and Lübeck. I’ve noticed that some of the fast repeated instrumental sounds in the William Tell Overture can be challenging. Also, some of the German language pieces require extra concentration. All in all though, it’s been successful so far. I hope anyone reading this who is unsure about whether or not their singing will be adversely affected thinks again. I feel like my job is very much in the public eye and even speaking to people after the concert has reassured me that most people don’t even notice the aligners when I’m right in front of them. So go for it!Bedtime for me now before singing some Bach in his backyard tomorrow.Bye for now!
Today was the culmination of five days of really concentrated work in the beautiful town of Lübeck. As you may know we’ve been teaching six different ensembles from as near as Hamburg and as far away as Chicago. Each group has varying ambitions from wanting to get better and enjoy music-making, through to wanting to become semi-pro or full-time, even. Our goal this week was to open the ears of the participants and encourage them to take greater ownership of their identify, both as a group but more importantly in terms of their sound. Whilst this evening’s performance will be a highlight for many of us, next week, next month, next year is what I wanted to focus on this week. What are they going to do when we’re not in the room with them? So that’s what formed the basis for my teaching: giving them skills to be able to continue to grow and develop in the future. I worked with a fantastic young female ensemble called EVA vocaal ensemble. They worked their socks off this week and I’m planning on meeting up with them again in the coming year for some more coaching. I’m also pleased to say that every group made significant steps forward on each of their musical journeys and I can’t wait to hear them again in the future! (Proud father speech over)I recently paid a visit to the dentist’s and came away with a clear mouth-guard type aligner, moulded to both sets of teeth. It’s called Invisalign and it’s an unobtrusive ‘invisible’ teeth correction procedure that I’ll be adhering to until November. For those who don’t know much about it, here’s what I know. As someone who once upon a time had a fixed metal brace on my lower set of teeth as a teenager, I remember how uncomfortable and restrictive it was, not to mention how self-conscious I felt at having ‘train tracks’, singular though mine was. I couldn’t eat certain things unless they were chopped up and cleaning the brace was quite a pain. The difference with Invisalign couldn’t be more contrasting. I went in and had my teeth scanned and they created a 3D image. This was then put through their software which allows you to see what the teeth will look like after the period of treatment. It’s a way of feeling fairly certain what you’ll end up looking like and this all happens before you make a not-insignificant financial commitment. I was happy with what I saw and so I went through with it. I have to keep each aligner on for as close to 22 hours per day as I can and then every 2-3 weeks (depending on how long I’ve been able to wear them) I change to the next aligner, which is moulded ever so slightly differently. There was a bit of discomfort earlier this week when I changed to the second retainer but nothing like when my braces needed tightening. That was agony! I was on liquid meals for days!One thing I was concerned about was to what effect this would have on my singing. Would I have a slight lisp? Would I need to take out the aligners for rehearsals and concerts? I knew I would struggle to get even remotely close to 22 hours of wear on concert days if that were the case. So it was with a tinge of trepidation that I began this journey of discovery. Some of the answers to the questions were slightly fast-tracked in Tewkesbury Abbey recently. I had removed the aligners for the Classic FM Facebook Live recording but kept them in for the rehearsal and pre-concert. We walked in to open the concert with Domine, Jesu Christe – as we have all year – and then I realised I was still wearing them! We then had a 15 second walk to get back to our stands and I knew I didn’t have the time to remove them so I just had to figure it out and hope for the best! I was so conscious of when I smiled at the audience and thought how obvious it must’ve been to everyone in the front row. We began ‘We are’, which has also featured in almost every show this year, and after the first verse I had that moment of realisation when in the few bars rest before my solo I knew I had to deliver the line that any person with a lisp around the world would dread: ‘I’ve sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land...’ My heart rate went up just a little and then it was the moment of truth. I tried to relax and concentrate on not sounding like Bugs Bunny (!!) and once I sang it successfully I felt so good for the rest of the show. Phew!I have now worn them for all the concerts since Tewkesbury Abbey: Ratzeburg, Meldorf, Wotersen, Kiel and Lübeck. I’ve noticed that some of the fast repeated instrumental sounds in the William Tell Overture can be challenging. Also, some of the German language pieces require extra concentration. All in all though, it’s been successful so far. I hope anyone reading this who is unsure about whether or not their singing will be adversely affected thinks again. I feel like my job is very much in the public eye and even speaking to people after the concert has reassured me that most people don’t even notice the aligners when I’m right in front of them. So go for it!Bedtime for me now before singing some Bach in his backyard tomorrow.Bye for now!
Today was the culmination of five days of really concentrated work in the beautiful town of Lübeck. As you may know we’ve been teaching six different ensembles from as near as Hamburg and as far away as Chicago. Each group has varying ambitions from wanting to get better and enjoy music-making, through to wanting to become semi-pro or full-time, even. Our goal this week was to open the ears of the participants and encourage them to take greater ownership of their identify, both as a group but more importantly in terms of their sound. Whilst this evening’s performance will be a highlight for many of us, next week, next month, next year is what I wanted to focus on this week. What are they going to do when we’re not in the room with them? So that’s what formed the basis for my teaching: giving them skills to be able to continue to grow and develop in the future. I worked with a fantastic young female ensemble called EVA vocaal ensemble. They worked their socks off this week and I’m planning on meeting up with them again in the coming year for some more coaching. I’m also pleased to say that every group made significant steps forward on each of their musical journeys and I can’t wait to hear them again in the future! (Proud father speech over)I recently paid a visit to the dentist’s and came away with a clear mouth-guard type aligner, moulded to both sets of teeth. It’s called Invisalign and it’s an unobtrusive ‘invisible’ teeth correction procedure that I’ll be adhering to until November. For those who don’t know much about it, here’s what I know. As someone who once upon a time had a fixed metal brace on my lower set of teeth as a teenager, I remember how uncomfortable and restrictive it was, not to mention how self-conscious I felt at having ‘train tracks’, singular though mine was. I couldn’t eat certain things unless they were chopped up and cleaning the brace was quite a pain. The difference with Invisalign couldn’t be more contrasting. I went in and had my teeth scanned and they created a 3D image. This was then put through their software which allows you to see what the teeth will look like after the period of treatment. It’s a way of feeling fairly certain what you’ll end up looking like and this all happens before you make a not-insignificant financial commitment. I was happy with what I saw and so I went through with it. I have to keep each aligner on for as close to 22 hours per day as I can and then every 2-3 weeks (depending on how long I’ve been able to wear them) I change to the next aligner, which is moulded ever so slightly differently. There was a bit of discomfort earlier this week when I changed to the second retainer but nothing like when my braces needed tightening. That was agony! I was on liquid meals for days!One thing I was concerned about was to what effect this would have on my singing. Would I have a slight lisp? Would I need to take out the aligners for rehearsals and concerts? I knew I would struggle to get even remotely close to 22 hours of wear on concert days if that were the case. So it was with a tinge of trepidation that I began this journey of discovery. Some of the answers to the questions were slightly fast-tracked in Tewkesbury Abbey recently. I had removed the aligners for the Classic FM Facebook Live recording but kept them in for the rehearsal and pre-concert. We walked in to open the concert with Domine, Jesu Christe – as we have all year – and then I realised I was still wearing them! We then had a 15 second walk to get back to our stands and I knew I didn’t have the time to remove them so I just had to figure it out and hope for the best! I was so conscious of when I smiled at the audience and thought how obvious it must’ve been to everyone in the front row. We began ‘We are’, which has also featured in almost every show this year, and after the first verse I had that moment of realisation when in the few bars rest before my solo I knew I had to deliver the line that any person with a lisp around the world would dread: ‘I’ve sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land...’ My heart rate went up just a little and then it was the moment of truth. I tried to relax and concentrate on not sounding like Bugs Bunny (!!) and once I sang it successfully I felt so good for the rest of the show. Phew!I have now worn them for all the concerts since Tewkesbury Abbey: Ratzeburg, Meldorf, Wotersen, Kiel and Lübeck. I’ve noticed that some of the fast repeated instrumental sounds in the William Tell Overture can be challenging. Also, some of the German language pieces require extra concentration. All in all though, it’s been successful so far. I hope anyone reading this who is unsure about whether or not their singing will be adversely affected thinks again. I feel like my job is very much in the public eye and even speaking to people after the concert has reassured me that most people don’t even notice the aligners when I’m right in front of them. So go for it!Bedtime for me now before singing some Bach in his backyard tomorrow.Bye for now!
Today was the culmination of five days of really concentrated work in the beautiful town of Lübeck. As you may know we’ve been teaching six different ensembles from as near as Hamburg and as far away as Chicago. Each group has varying ambitions from wanting to get better and enjoy music-making, through to wanting to become semi-pro or full-time, even. Our goal this week was to open the ears of the participants and encourage them to take greater ownership of their identify, both as a group but more importantly in terms of their sound. Whilst this evening’s performance will be a highlight for many of us, next week, next month, next year is what I wanted to focus on this week. What are they going to do when we’re not in the room with them? So that’s what formed the basis for my teaching: giving them skills to be able to continue to grow and develop in the future. I worked with a fantastic young female ensemble called EVA vocaal ensemble. They worked their socks off this week and I’m planning on meeting up with them again in the coming year for some more coaching. I’m also pleased to say that every group made significant steps forward on each of their musical journeys and I can’t wait to hear them again in the future! (Proud father speech over)I recently paid a visit to the dentist’s and came away with a clear mouth-guard type aligner, moulded to both sets of teeth. It’s called Invisalign and it’s an unobtrusive ‘invisible’ teeth correction procedure that I’ll be adhering to until November. For those who don’t know much about it, here’s what I know. As someone who once upon a time had a fixed metal brace on my lower set of teeth as a teenager, I remember how uncomfortable and restrictive it was, not to mention how self-conscious I felt at having ‘train tracks’, singular though mine was. I couldn’t eat certain things unless they were chopped up and cleaning the brace was quite a pain. The difference with Invisalign couldn’t be more contrasting. I went in and had my teeth scanned and they created a 3D image. This was then put through their software which allows you to see what the teeth will look like after the period of treatment. It’s a way of feeling fairly certain what you’ll end up looking like and this all happens before you make a not-insignificant financial commitment. I was happy with what I saw and so I went through with it. I have to keep each aligner on for as close to 22 hours per day as I can and then every 2-3 weeks (depending on how long I’ve been able to wear them) I change to the next aligner, which is moulded ever so slightly differently. There was a bit of discomfort earlier this week when I changed to the second retainer but nothing like when my braces needed tightening. That was agony! I was on liquid meals for days!One thing I was concerned about was to what effect this would have on my singing. Would I have a slight lisp? Would I need to take out the aligners for rehearsals and concerts? I knew I would struggle to get even remotely close to 22 hours of wear on concert days if that were the case. So it was with a tinge of trepidation that I began this journey of discovery. Some of the answers to the questions were slightly fast-tracked in Tewkesbury Abbey recently. I had removed the aligners for the Classic FM Facebook Live recording but kept them in for the rehearsal and pre-concert. We walked in to open the concert with Domine, Jesu Christe – as we have all year – and then I realised I was still wearing them! We then had a 15 second walk to get back to our stands and I knew I didn’t have the time to remove them so I just had to figure it out and hope for the best! I was so conscious of when I smiled at the audience and thought how obvious it must’ve been to everyone in the front row. We began ‘We are’, which has also featured in almost every show this year, and after the first verse I had that moment of realisation when in the few bars rest before my solo I knew I had to deliver the line that any person with a lisp around the world would dread: ‘I’ve sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land...’ My heart rate went up just a little and then it was the moment of truth. I tried to relax and concentrate on not sounding like Bugs Bunny (!!) and once I sang it successfully I felt so good for the rest of the show. Phew!I have now worn them for all the concerts since Tewkesbury Abbey: Ratzeburg, Meldorf, Wotersen, Kiel and Lübeck. I’ve noticed that some of the fast repeated instrumental sounds in the William Tell Overture can be challenging. Also, some of the German language pieces require extra concentration. All in all though, it’s been successful so far. I hope anyone reading this who is unsure about whether or not their singing will be adversely affected thinks again. I feel like my job is very much in the public eye and even speaking to people after the concert has reassured me that most people don’t even notice the aligners when I’m right in front of them. So go for it!Bedtime for me now before singing some Bach in his backyard tomorrow.Bye for now!
