I Have Had Singing

As many of you probably know, I love to sing.  I've been singing in choirs since the age of six, and my longest period without a choir was during my gap year.  It was one of the things I missed most about being in school, and it's one of the things I miss most now.  Last year was a serious choral high point:  I was president of Chorale, the choir I'd sung with since my first semester at college, and I was in Chamber Singers, an elite ensemble with some of my favourite women on the planet.

My last choral performances were the weekend of commencement, and we had a program that really tugged at the heartstrings.  I Have Had Singing is a gorgeous a cappella piece that we had also sung at Baccalaureate my sophomore year.  The Storm is Passing Over is a gospel piece full of soul and promise and optimism.  Lechkhumuri maqruli was another familiar favourite for us, a Georgian song about a woman bringing light into a new space.  Our senior song, Parting Friends from Sacred Harp, was the perfect farewell to our choral sisters.  We closed our first concert with Goodnight Song, a traditional college song written nearly a century ago.  Finally, at Baccalaureate, right before my speech to my fellow graduates, we sang The Road Home, which also closed Vespers my junior year.  The zinger of that one:  "there's no such beauty as where you belong."

Thanks for indulging my trip down choral memory lane; and I swear, I have a point.  Today wound up being a weird day.  Usually Friday means science lab all morning, a bit of time in the theatre in the afternoon, and closing out the week with my kiddos.  Not so this week -- I got a text from the TD of the theatre this morning that he was going into Seoul with the purchasing folks from our school to get us a digital sound mixer, and could I take care of setting up for this afternoon's assemblies?  No problem.

This wound up being no small task.  The US music teacher and I were setting up in the atrium for her choir's performance, and I had to run over to the theatres at least three times for various cables and adapters and gear.  On one trip back, I was near the MS choir room and I heard the strains of a familiar and much-beloved piece -- they were singing The Storm is Passing Over!  I paused for a moment, closed my eyes, transported myself back to senior week.  I was standing next to my best friend; I was smiling out at our director, my dear friend; I was surrounded by warmth and filled with joy at being part of such an incredible musical community.  A deep breath, then I opened my eyes and plunged back into reality.

Later in the afternoon once everything was finally up and running, I ran sound check for the choir.  For the first three pieces I was in sound engineer mode, fully absorbed in listening for a good mix.  Finally, during the last piece they rehearsed (For the Beauty of the Earth), I got to stand back and listen for a while.  I saw teachers, students, and visitors wander into the hallways to listen, drawn by their pure tone.  I watched one girl in the front row, her joy in music so apparent in her face and body.  It reminded me of watching my best friend sing, full of joie de vivre.  Suddenly tears filled my eyes, and my heart truly ached for my choral past.  An hour later, they performed brilliantly for their peers -- students from pre-K to grade 10 were rapt as they sang, and I rejoiced in the role that music has in bringing a community together.

Conclusion?  This is a sign from the universe, people.  Starting when I get back in January, I need to get my butt back into a choir.  Come hell or high water, I will find a way to sing again!  But for now, I'm grateful that I can have a role in helping others to enjoy music.  As my college's director told us before each performance, "Someone out there needs this concert."  Today, it was me.

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Currently reading:  The Boleyn Deceit
Current high:  my college's Founder's Day!  Meaning one year ago today was another of my favourite performances, singing To Walk Beyond Dreams with Chamber Singers at the 175th anniversary celebration :)
Current low:  crazy busy day meant no time for lunch and very little time with my kids!