Let’s Just Enjoy Ourselves - Waltzing Matilda

Playing Waltzing Matilda in our string quartet at the lunchtime concert was a lot of fun.

I played the second violin part. Most of the time, I was playing underneath the first violin, so my part didn’t always stand out. But as we rehearsed, I started to realise that this was actually a very important role. I needed to listen carefully, keep the rhythm steady, and help create the right balance between the voices.

We only rehearsed the piece a few times before the concert, so there wasn’t much time to make everything perfect. So when we walked onto the stage, I thought: Let’s just enjoy ourselves.

And we really did.

Once we started playing, I stopped thinking so much about whether everything was perfect. Instead, I listened to the others, felt the rhythm, and enjoyed being part of the quartet. There was a real sense of energy that only comes from making music together.

That is probably what I enjoy most about playing in an ensemble. You’re not just playing your own part. Your friends are right there with you, making music together. You listen to each other, respond to each other, sometimes support the melody, sometimes carry the rhythm, and somehow all the individual parts become one piece of music.

There is something special about simply being together, listening, playing, and enjoying the music.

Liver performance of Waltzing Matilda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=47&v=dJOeyx2k_r4

Waltzing Matilda Traditional arr. Stephan Koncz (b.1984) at Lunch time concert.