thepianoplayer416 I have reduced the pressure this afternoon by making an acceptable(hopefully) recording of the carol that my acquaintance had requested. I was sent the score on Tuesday 29th Oct so not had a great deal of time to learn it. Indeed I haven't learnt it but used a trick that my piano teacher advised when faced with playing something when time is short....remove some notes that you can get away with.
Playing in a recital….
@ShiroKuro Of course, the worst thing in a recital like this is waiting for your turn to play. You can't really listen to the other players, you have a million thoughts going through your head - everything but what you should be thinking about. I usually play from memory, so I am thinking - "How does it start?"
My worst experience about playing with a bunch of kids was at a music teacher's group recital. Each teacher sent their best students to play. The teacher in charge of the recital made all the performers sit in the same row, in the order they would be playing. So there I was, sitting with little kids on each side of me. I definitely felt out of place. I did not play my best!
It's all good though. All grist for the mill...
Good luck!
ShiroKuro As far as I know, I will be the only adult in this recital. Also, I think they pick the performance order loosely based on the difficulty of the piece, so I’ll probably be playing near the end, but also probably not at the very end. Hopefully there will be some hot shot high school student playing something really advanced after me.
Do you know the age ranges? Just curious. I've mentioned here before that I played in my first teacher's recitals twice (and a 3rd time was planned but I chickened out at the event and just listened). Her students were between 5 and 18; the majority seemed to be under 10 or 12. She had a handful of adult students...some performed intermittently and some flat-out refused.
ShiroKuro Hopefully there will be some hot shot high school student playing something really advanced after me.
I would think that's a given. 
There were 4 high school students performing at my recitals and they were all amazing.
Sam The teacher in charge of the recital made all the performers sit in the same row, in the order they would be playing. So there I was, sitting with little kids on each side of me.
I can relate! At the recital I bowed out of, initially I sat over in the "performer's" area. Once the little kids started filling up the seats around me, I suddenly felt very conspicuous (and a bit ridiculous) and quietly snuck away to the audience seating.
Ithaca Would it help to think that every time you make a mistake, or play a phrase a little less well than you'd like, that you're doing a huge favor for the kids?
What a nice positive spin. I wish it could have worked for me! What I experienced was the young kids not paying attention to anything until it was their turn to play, and the older kids were all way better than me. It's hard to imagine my mistakes did anything for them, but who knows...
I wish you luck @ShiroKuro, and looking forward to hearing about it. 
No matter how it goes I expect the experience will be beneficial, especially as a rehearsal for your upcoming event.
Sam So there I was, sitting with little kids on each side of me. I definitely felt out of place.
Yeah, I really hope they don't do that!
It's all good though. All grist for the mill...
I agree. This will be a learning experience, if nothing else! And that's why I signed up for it! I just need to remind myself of that...
@Ithaca your comment is a good reminder just of the importance of being a good role model. No matter how well or poorly one plays, being gracious and kind to oneself is the key.
@JB_PT I have almost zero information about the event or participants. I take lessons at this music school once a week, and although there is the occasional adult student (usually guitar, though, not piano), most of the other students there all look to be well under elementary school grade 6.
However, there are enough students that the school breaks its recital up into six slots over two days, 15 performers (max) in each slot.
So I am seeing only a very small slice of the students. The last time I asked my teacher about it, he didn't seem to have an idea either, although maybe he will know more now. I'll ask him at our lesson this week.
Hmmm, I might change my recital piece (assuming it’s n to too late, I don’t know if they’re printing programs)
Anyway, I don’t think this piece is ready. And it’s a lot of pressure knowing this is the only piece I’m going to play at the recital (I always do better when I play two pieces, easy one first).
But the other two pieces I’m planning to play at the concert are both more ready, and easier….
I will see how my practice session goes tomorrow and probably pick one of the other pieces.
There’s no reason to set myself up for failure…
Oh good grief. So, I just listened to yesterday’s practice recording…. It actually sounds pretty good. Much, much better, in fact, than I realized.
There are two spots where I kind of get stuck, but I played through them. But in general, it’s actually pretty musical and conveys (I think) the qualities about the piece that I love and that are the reasons I picked it in the first place.
I should see if I can upload this recording so some of you can listen to it and tell me what to do. 
Ok, here's my practice recording from yesterday. There's a 10-15 second blank at the beginning (sorry, I didn't edit it out.) Also, fyi the recording quality sounds terrible on my PC speakers, but pretty good on my iPhone (how I recorded it) and on the EarPods headphones.
It's about 4 and half minutes long.
So, what say you? Should I play this at the recital on Sunday?
Thanks!
I think I have a tempo problem.
Because the original recording (by the composer) is just under 4 minutes. And you better believe it doesn’t sound rushed!
But I am playing at 4 minutes 30 seconds.
So in theory I’m playing slower but I am sure you’re right. So if there are spots where it sounds rushed, what does that mean?
This isnt exactly a rhetorical question … more like .. ok, hmm now what do I do. Because I don’t want to slow down more. But I definitely don’t want it to sound rushed.
For the record, here’s the original. It has a quiet stillness… for starters
Hi ShiroKuro
Just listened to your recording and it sounds fine to me. Not perfect, but it'll never be!
I played at my Teachers recital this year, where like you I was the only adult, the rest were children/teenagers. I actually quite liked that situation. My performance was nowhere near perfect, and I certainly made mistakes. And if you make a mistake, or even if you come to a complete stop, it's not the end of the world. Just gather yourself and carry on.
I assume you are playing from music? I wouldn't try doing it from memory. At my recital everybody played from music. If playing from memory was required I wouldn't have been there.
At my teacher's previous years recital I played Maple Leaf Rag and I had it almost completely memorised, because I've played the piece for decades. However I had very little practise prior to the recital because my Mum had died a few weeks earlier. I got 3/4 way through playing it from memory (but with music in front of me) and then went blank. I didn't know where I'd got to in the sheet music in the heat of the moment, and had to go back to the start of the section I was in. Nobody mentioned it and indeed my teacher's husband, who is an ex concert Pianist (and a much better Pianist than my Teacher) came up to me and congratulated me. To some extent I'm sure he was being polite! I've since had a lesson with him (earlier this year), now that made my hands sweat! But I needn't have worried he's a lovely man.
Just go along and do your best. Good luck
Simon
All round average Jazz, Blues & Rock player.
Currently working towards ABRSM grade 8.
ShiroKuro That's a beautiful piece, I can see why you chose it. The piece is way beyond my playing level and I would never have the courage to perform in a live recital, but since you asked for opinions here are my thoughts about tempo issues. You play the piece in a steady way, but I think the issue is that you are not differentiating enough between the lengths of short and long notes - you are playing them too "similarly" to capture the nuances in the tempo. If you listen to the professional recording and immerse yourself into that process, you can imagine waves rolling gently up onto a sandy shore, they approach slowly and build up, then there is the cascade of water as they break. That is the sort of feeling I have when listening to this piece - I find myself mentally anticipating the next musical "wave". Maybe if you try this you might get a better idea of which sections to speed up slightly and be more conscious of the rests.
It sounds like a good idea to play an easier piece before this one, as it might help to relax you before playing this piece. You are clearly a talented and confident player and with time I'm sure you can finesse this piece, but if you feel you need more time then perhaps just play the other two easier pieces at the upcoming recital, to take the pressure off.
"Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)
ShiroKuro I take it back, he's written it so it's a little off-beat but it's intentional! I would try to play it softer and more delicately in the left hand like he does; maybe hearing the off beats in the left hand so clearly was why I thought it a playing error. Or maybe I just was hearing something else in my head
I think the original tempo has more momentum but your tempo is also good and I wouldn't force yourself to go faster. I think you're ready to perform this
- Edited
Thanks everyone, lots of food for thought here! And also, I feel very encouraged! I'm definitely going to play this on Sunday!
@Simonb yes, I'll be playing with the score out. I always use a score in a performance situation.
@Nightowl , those are great comments, thank you! Re playing multiple pieces, the recital I'll play at this Sunday only allows one piece. It's the concert I'll play at in late November where I plan to play three pieces, and this piece (Sept Song) will be the middle piece.
re your comment here:
You play the piece in a steady way, but I think the issue is that you are not differentiating enough between the lengths of short and long notes
This is such an interesting comment! I think it's because I'm playing with some degree of "fear" -- IOW, fear of messing up, fear of getting lost or fear of moving into the wrong next section.
I like it very much and if you played to that standard at the recital you'll do extremely well.
Never compare yourself to a professional.
Thank you for the nice compliment! And the important reminder!! 
I take it back
No, no, don't!
Jokes aside, my teacher uses the term "convincing" -- this was in the context of me talking about the parts where I'm not playing it as written, and he'll say "yeah, it doesn't matter as long as it's convincing."
I think your original reaction shows that I'm still not there yet, because how I played it wasn't quite convincing. It's getting close, but not there yet.
he's written it so it's a little off-beat but it's intentional! I would try to play it softer and more delicately in the left hand like he does
This, definitely. Ffrench is excellent at voicing, and he brings a softness to spots where I'm just pounding desperately at the keyboard ....
ShiroKuro This is such an interesting comment! I think it's because I'm playing with some degree of "fear" -- IOW, fear of messing up, fear of getting lost or fear of moving into the wrong next section.
Totally understandable, I'd never be brave enough to play in a live recital. You've done the hard part - you're playing all the right notes (and there are a lot of them). I agree with @Player1 - you should never compare your playing to a professional, that way misery lies. But it is good to listen to the original recording for inspiration and to help identify those areas where notes need to be played faster/slower. If you love the piece (and what's not to love about it?), that also helps. Good luck, brave person!
"Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)