When the soprano doesn't know the song, either...

...you know it's going to be touch-and-go for the next three minutes.

I've never before sung in a three-person (two trebles and a man of unspecified part) choir with organ and congregation, but things seemed to go well this morning. Despite the fact that most of the choir was sitting out to serve Communion and that not even the soprano knew all the hymns, we made it through. Her track record was better than mine, as I knew exactly one hymn ("Crown Him With Many Crowns") and one tune (69, to the words on 34) out of five hymns, and was sight-reading everything else. When the alto line got too confusing, I gave up and jumped to the melody, though no one seemed to mind - with a group that small, part-jumping's a common phenomenon.

A postgrad from Texas may be joining next week, which would be great - another alto to muddle through unfamiliar hymns!

The only downside to this morning was a bad attack of first-performance nerves, worse than usual because I hardly knew the music (there's not even a piano in the practice area, nor was there a warm-up). Fortunately, the shaking was limited to my legs. Thirteen years of choral singing has taught me at least a little upper-body control! Still, even though a long skirt and the organ hid the worst of the tremors, it was rather annoying to be shaking during the service. It's not as if anyone was going to boo in church...