For the past week I've been doing volunteer work for ChamberFest. I did not get all the shifts I wanted because they had lost my original sign up sheet with my schedule and availablility. They also seem to have forgotten or lost my experience and job preferences because most of my shifts are as an usher. I expressed a preference to be working at ticket sales, merchandise sales, head usher or house manager. One evening, Friday, when I had 2 back-to-back shifts I was taken off head usher duties to make it possible for me to do house manager at the later concert. I had to leave right after intermission to make it to the other venue for 9:30. Through a series of several mix-ups (some just plain screw-ups) I did not have access to my HM's kit, the previous concert was running late and my team and I only had 45 minutes to set up and prepare for the concert where we would normally have 1 to 1 1/2 hours. We started the concert on time despite that but there were other problems... the kit had next to nothing in it so we had to borrow from the previous concert's kit and 2 ushers just disappeared during the concert leaving the rear exit (and thus the 'green room') unattended. We caught an earful about that. My original roster was short a person but I had, luckily, recruited another volunteer at a concert a couple of nights previous to fill the empty slot.
So far I've work the following d times and enjoyed the concerts:
26 July 11:00pm Chamber Music from Persia
27 July 8:00pm The Evergreen Club
29 July 8:00pm Julie Nesrallah
29 July 11:00pm Late Night Brazil
30 July 2:00pm Borodin Quartet (Complete Shostakovich Quartets III)
30 July 8:00pm Mark Fewer & Peter Longworth
I've been to another free concert at Rideau Hall today which I thoroughly enjoyed... Quartetto Gelato Travels the Orient Express. They did the entire 1 1/2 hour concert without an intermission inspite of one being scheduled. I think they were concerned about the weather... heavy dark clouds loomed on the horizon then overhead for most of the concert.
I'm scheduled to work another three concerts and I want to see those concerts but I am unhappy with the OCMS staff right now. They forgot, or omitted, my name on the "Thank you Volunteers!" section of the program. That after I had done two shifts (one long, hard, hot and sticky one that caused me to miss my much needed dance practice time) of volunteer work during the months leading up to the festival. And I did not get to hear the concerts at those times. Plus the mess up of my schedule so that I missed out on both the Opening Gala and the Closing Extravaganza along with a few other concerts I wanted to attend.
On top of all that there was a recent incident, which I won't detail here, that has me extremely upset, and angry, for which I may never forgive them. I intend to demand an apology. But still, I don't much feel like doing these last three shifts except it is the only way to see these concerts I want to attend. And the people who will suffer most from me not being there will be other volunteers. I won't work certain jobs anymore though, that's for certain. They will not be getting my help next year either because I'm good at learning from my mistakes. Also, now several other volunteers fear the same sort of thing could happen to them too. The whole thing has me so upset that I had trouble sleeping last night. And... I used the F word while explaining to my house manager last night why I would not do the job I had promised I'd do for her. I just took the original slot of usher. But I did help out the other ladies when they asked for it. I am such a sucker.
This past Tuesday night was the BluesFest Volunteer Appreciation party too. I went to it, had my 2 free beers, sat around chatting for an hour or so , then left for my Chamberfest shift which began at 10:00pm. It was a better party than the 2 previous, boring, ones that I attended were. The best part was being able to spend a little time with Elizabeth and Peter who I never get to see as often as I'd like.
Last night I was at the concert venue quite late (at least an hour) helping withtthe final reconciliation of the ticket sales so I'm very tired today. I was almost late meeting Tom for brunch today because I overslept this morning after tossing about half the night. Came home after and got some chores done before going to the GG's for the ocncert. I've had a nice supper and am yawning heavily. Maybe I'll take a short walk to the store for desert ;-)
Tomorrow I plan to go snorkling with a friend from the SCUBA group. She hurt her back in June and has been shore-bound, like me, ever since. So we're going to go get wet! Maybe we'll have lunch in Wakefield and do a little shopping while there.
More updates later. Good night all!
Posted by gailene at July 31, 2005 08:06 PM