ON MY RETURN
I went to the PAU concert in the Seymour centre on Thursday night, the 27/3/03. This was the first PAU concert I had ever been to that I hadn't played in, so as you would expect it was a bit of a nostalgia trip for me. Of course I still wish I was in the Orchestra, but at the end of the day you just have to move on to the next thing with enthusiasm and without any regrets. I've never believed in clinging to the past.

 
Ah, who am I kidding? I nearly burst into tears during the Schubert! I WANT TO BE IN THE ORCHESTRA AGAIN!!!! I'TS NOT FAIR!!! UNI SUCKS!!!
THOSE WERE THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE!
Me bawling my eyes out during the performance. Actually, have you ever noticed that David Duchovny looks a lot like Marty?
Ahem. Seriously though, we had rehearsed the Schubert last year, but never performed it for some reason. So they were really twisting the knife they had shoved into my heart. Luckily, I brought a shoulder to cry on for the performance  - Sophie "Statuatory Rapist" M, who was very accommodating.
"I DON'T WANT TO GROW UP!....Oh, hey baby!"
Don't grow-up, pick-up!
SOME THINGS WERE DIFFERENT
In fact, quite a few things had changed since I was still in the section, some of which were immediately apparent to me as I glanced over the ensemble before they played. Steve had evidently lost his list of which Violins were to make the section, so he just let them all in. Violins stretching as far as the eye could see. And Raj "The Godfather of Soul" K, formerly of first desk pride, had been demoted to pitiful second desk! What happened, my friend?

There seemed to be more Double Basses too, with Kez now looking even older than before, and probably being even younger. I remember last year I thought he was in year 12, and it turned out he was in year 3 or something.

It was a bit hard to tell with some of the sections in the back, since I'd never really looked at them before. The Cellos (or "Celli"...or "Celloes"...or "Chilli") were being led by a first desk consisting of Bec (not surprising, as Tom will attest to the fact that she likes to be on top), and as Principal...*drum-roll*...Archie!!! They grow up so fast, don't they?!

Next of course, I set my gaze on the best section of the ensemble, the Violas. Jo and Harry first desk...no surprises there. There was some chick I'd never seen before in the back ("second") desk, who Al was busy chatting up. Then I noticed that the girl was sitting on the left, ahead of Alex, maintaining a long standing tradition.

But wait, who's that sitting with the Violas? I suppose it's their tutor. Why look, it's

HOLY FREAKIN' SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PRINGLE IS THE VIOLA TUTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



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SOME THINGS WERE THE SAME
Marty was still the same. And John was pretty similar too, going from human metronome to man possesed in some great conducting. I followed Jess B backstage and saw John, just as he was congratulating Kez for a good performance. "John!" I greeted, arms outsretched. He ignored me. So I guess John is exactly the same.

The first thing Jo said to me was "Why do you hate me?" So she's still the same. Amelia had that general look of uncertainty on her face the whole time she was on stage, as she always used to. And Ursula screwed up at some stage in the performance. So nothing's changed in that department.
So I just collapsed, dazed and confused, into my chair, ready for a fantastic concert. As opposed to SWO and SWE - sheesh!

Hey, come on Elle. I kid because I love.
"Pringle? The Viola Tutor?
Oh Brave New World!"
So what did I learn? Well, as Bill Bryson said, there are two things that are true in life, and one of them is that you can never go home. I can't remember the other one. Because, in a sense, the places we rehearsed in were a bit like my home. In the sense that my home has a roof, and so does ATP. With Erskineville Public it's slightly harder to make that claim.
And the Orchestra was a bit like the family I never had. Although I wouldn't go so far as to say that the girls were like my sisters. I would feel VERY dodgy then.
But maybe the guys were like my brothers. Well, not all of the guys. I am in NO WAY related to Ascha. Marty was always kind of a father figure to me. Ditto Paris.

Anyway, the point is, leaving Orchestra and going on to some new jerk place is like leaving home. If you really liked your home. And you owned a grand piano.
That's all folks.