To be in Panto, we have had to put our social lives on hold, especially those of us in the chorus as we have had rehearsals six days a week since mid-October. I haven't really minded myself because it's not like I had much of a social life to begin with, heheh, but now as Christmas approaches we also have to miss out on the social activities that the season brings with it - dinners with family, dinners with colleagues, school concerts and so on.
Well, the Panto veterans say that if you do Panto, you basically don't have a Christmas, but I intend to make the most of our two days off for Christmas proper. My mother said that she doesn't mind if I don't go over on Christmas day because I need to rest due to Panto, but I have assured her that nothing short of a natural disaster will keep me from being there.
Tonight is the second Christmas event that I am missing in order to be in Panto - I was invited, along with my husband's family, to a celebration thrown by a friend of their family called Leli. He's got a plot of land that is mostly fields but includes a small building with basic amenities including kitchen and bathroom, and also a large barn usually used for storage.
Leli invites a few dozen of his nearest and dearest, sets up trestle tables in the barn, and cooks the main dish in his outdoor wood-fired oven that will remain warm for twelve hours after the fire goes out. The womenfolk pitch in with ħobż biż-żejt, timpana, and other wonderful home-made food.
After everyone has eaten their fill (and drunk as much as they can safely handle of Leli's potent home-fermented wine), then we break out the instruments. Usually either my husband or Leli leads on guitar and sings, I play backing guitar and jump in wherever I know the words, my brother-in-law plays keyboard, and we work our way through a repertoire of folk-songs and hymns. I really like it when Leli sings spirtu pront, it's hilarious even when it's me he's making fun of. All this sounds a bit corny, but it's wonderful fun to be singing with a bunch of people who are just enjoying eachother's company.
I'm sorry to be missing it tonight but I can't be in two places at the same time. For everything there is a season - right now this is my Panto season. I am determined to enjoy it fully, and so far it has been worth all the sacrifices that had to be made. And at Leli's next get-together I shall sing extra-loud to make up for this one.
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