*So long, farewell~*
I remember last year's Speech Night very distinctly: the thrill of performing in a grand concert hall, the adrenaline rush from having thousands of audience, the satisfaction of pulling off a superb performance, the pride of watching friends receiving awards... last year was fantastic. I remember thinking: I simply cannot wait until next year, when I (and the rest of my grade, of course) will be the centre of it all.
So it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to Speech Night 2005.
But...
This year was extremely disappointing in comparison. For starters, the rehearsals were scheduled so tightly that no one had a chance to come up for air (literally...my sympathy toward the flutes). Even on the morning of Speech Night we attended an utterly exhausting dress rehearsal that started ridiculously early. By 2 p.m. I was groggy, nauseous, fatigued, and wrecked out of my mind.
'Sleeping' in a cafe did nothing for my by-now mushy brain, the sun was conspiring to be as hot as possible, and having zip to do just...wasn't done.
7 something and the night kicked off. (Huh? It - yaaaaawn - started?!) I knew I was in trouble when I had difficulty playing my piece for Jazz Band (I've never messed up that badly before), and I switched to "panic mode" in order to keep my overworked brain from shutting down completely. Unfortunately, my nerves joined in the party.
Night went by in a whizz...somwhere along the way I got an award...played some more...sung a bit...tried not to faint...and Gee Whiz Bam Kazam! It's time to play the Year 12 Leaving Song (I did give it a title...something...something something). Introduction (solo piano) - fine - Year 12s start singing - fine - key change - momentary loss of concentration - whole year level stuffs up - oh my goodness what is going on we are in big trouble - never mind no time to think keep going - band doing great - why isn't anybody singing - oh what the hell who cares - solo okay - rushing toward ending - END!!!!!
Like I said...pandemonium set in.
Mass singing was fun and I managed to locate my family seated on the front row on the left side of the balcony (great seats). The 'altered' Sound Of Music songs might offend true fans, but for me, a chance to yell "I clean my shoes" at the top of my voice on the highest stand on the grand concert hall stage in front of 2000 audience? Freakin' awesome! Balloons and streamers flew (blue and white), and as we walked offstage to the 'hot' trumpets in Mr. Trigg's brilliant arrangement of 'Star Wars', I finally remembered that I was graduating.
Too late though, wasn't it?
Speech Night should be about students, all students, but especially 100 something year 12s + 1 retiring principal. But my Speech Night was squandered - by the hellishly draining non-stop music performances (which I would have loved had I not been so tired and about to graduate), by not even having the time to kiss and hug my friends goodbye...
