Singers - where art thou? Dance, tinitis - Adrian and mashed potatoe

Well, it's about a week since I put out the call for singers...initially I had a good response with 9 singers contacting me and I thought things were beginning to roll... but it's all gone very quiet! I am beginning to wonder if my email address isn't working!

Today I put out some ads. for people to put up in public places singers frequent - colleges, theatres, music venues etc - and Lyn my librettist - who lives in the West End - took ads to all West End theatres showing musicals... plus the opera houses and the South Bank Centre etc.

Luckily I have a good long lead time of 6 weeks on this audition. So I'm not panicing yet! But I am a bit down hearted today.

Also - having printed the piano reduction on tuesday and had 16 copies made I think it was a huge moment of letting go and exhaustion has crept up on me. It took me seven months to get the vocal score looking right. So many things to sort out and proof read. Had a couple of days away from looking at music on the screen - while I psych up for the final furlong with the full score. So much proof reading to do there.

But it is worth writing this blog - I thought no one was reading it and I was just writing into the void - but a lovely lady contacted me having read my last entry saying she had a direct contact for the Australian Dance Theatre if I wanted an introduction! It made my day. Still waiting to hear back on that... (say no more).

I thought the Australian Dance Company gig at Sadlers Wells was a little too crazy heavy - punk electronic music for 75% of the hours show - and then this stray piece of Chopinesque piano music out of nowhere.... they do have a lyrical side but concentrated a lot on the wildly acrobatic and group herd instinct type energies. It was sensational and only occasionally touching. Still the power of beauty of their work is flagrant. And the photography on large screens of the dancers and the slow mo film - frame by frame of their dance - was exceptionally effective.

I guess I should just ride this low out and recognise I have just achieved a huge amount in printing the vocal score. It's there forever now and that feels good.

I might try contacting some casting departments tomorrow. Adrian Lee, my good friend and advisor suggested that. He is helping me project manage this process now. He has really good ideas - being a composer/producer - notably with the RSC.

i am getting tinitis at the moment - intermittently - but like when I lie down on my pillow my ear starts to whistle! It's quite invasive. I am going to get my ears candelled. It's an American Indian technique.

I'm flat as a pancake tonight. Tired after having had the vocal score printed on tuesday. A big relief. Just wanted to eat mashed potatoe like my mum used to make it this evening. So I did. And felt like I was ten years old again. Sitting watching TV, having dinner - zonking out. Now to bed to read - Embraced by the Light - about a near death experience.