Bell Choir (Again!)

Since my pregnancy has been so uncomfortable, I've been saying no to a lot of events that sound fun this Christmas season in an attempt to preserve what little energy I do have.  But one thing that was tempting enough to convince me was Christmas bell choir. If you remember, my aunt Heather and I rang with Jessica's group last Christmas, and when she asked us to participate again this year, neither of us could turn it down.

All the ringers were returning members from last year, which was really fun, and meant that we got into the groove of working together faster than we did last year. We performed at the Palo Alto Creche Festival, with our own 45-minute program (last year we just did two numbers as part of another group's program). We did about a dozen songs. It was a little daunting to learn all of the music, but I think we did a great job. Jessica chose beautiful arrangements of religious carols. It's so fun working with this group of people.

Reed took a few videos of the performance. Here is a clip of "What Child is This?":

I got a chance to sing during the program, too. Here is a clip of "Gesu Bambino", with the bells accompanying me underneath:

The Palo Alto Stake really does such a wonderful job with the festival. In addition to the continuous musical programs that serenade visitors, there are hundreds of nativities, grouped by theme or origin. One feature of the festival that we took advantage of this year was the children's room, where volunteers told the nativity story with marionette puppets.

Cal was absolutely transfixed. He loved the show so much that he suggested "Fluffy Marionette" as a name for the new baby. Thanks, Cal. We'll keep that in mind.

Bell Choir

I did something new this year -- I joined a bell choir! My Aunt Heather got me involved, and I'm so glad she did.  It was really fun to try something different this year, and handbells make for lovely arrangements of Christmas carols. We performed in church, and at the Palo Alto Creche Festival.

Bugle Boy Trio

Back in May, when I was in charge of the ward talent show, my friends Teri and Elaine coaxed me into doing a trio performance of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." (These girls are pros, so when Teri explained that we'd be singing in three-part harmony while dancing, I was the only one who was skeptical. I cannot believe how talented they are.)

We had to learn it really quickly, so we basically had one insane practice session where we sang and danced it about fifty times in a row! It was hilarious trying to learn so quickly, and messing up so much, and thinking "This is CRAZY" and then jumping for joy when we finally got it right for the very first time, all with two of my closest friends. It was a hit at the talent show; we wore the awesome costumes pictures above (courtesy of Stars on Stage, Teri's dance company), and wore red lipstick and did our hair in 40s-style curls. It was so fun!

Last week, our friend Viviana asked if we would perform our number again for her, because Elaine is moving to Ohio! So sad! Vivana asked if we could come perform at the school where she worked. It was pretty funny -- there we were, singing and dancing in costume, in an office with about 5 people at their desks! Hahaha! We had a huge laugh about it. Then, they asked if we'd stay and do the number for the teachers in the lounge during recess. We reluctantly acquiesced. The kicker? Teri is the president of the PTA at this school, so most of the teachers knew her (and were maybe a little confused as to why she was dancing in a uniform during their recess?). We laughed so hard about it. Elaine is in Ohio now, which makes me sad, but I will always remember that day with a huge smile on my face. 

Stabat Mater

Another month, another concert! I was asked to sing the soprano solo in a presentation of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. We performed in St. Leo the Great, a parish church in San Jose.

I was unfamiliar with the piece before this concert, and had hardly heard of the composer, Pergolesi. He died when he was 26 (my current age), and wrote the piece only a few months before he succumbed to TB.

Pergolesi

The piece is about the suffering of Mary as she watched her son being crucified. The structure of the piece is just genius, and it makes me sad to think of what other glorious works Pergolesi would have produced had his life not been cut short by disease. There are 12 songs altogether, and 7 marks a change in the piece's focus. While songs 1 through 6 focus on Christ's suffering, songs 7 through 12 exhibit a commitment on the part of the viewer to share that suffering. Because of the natural break, the father at St. Leo's took the opportunity to give a brief sermon on the subject before we finished the last half. The whole effect was wonderful, and as I've mentioned before, gave me a much-needed moment to focus on the true meaning of Christ's final week.

Below are a few of the excerpts various viewers (including my wonderful husband) were kind enough to capture for me. Sorry it's so dark, but hopefully the sound is okay.

Cujus animam gementem, contristatam et dolentem pertransivit gladius.

"Whose soul moaning, sorrowing and pained, was pierced by a sword."

More to come...

Concert!

Another successful choir concert! This most recent concert was meaningful for many reasons. First, the location was not our usual one. Instead we were in the First Methodist Church in Palo Alto. Take a look at this awesome architecture:

A far cry from deseret brick, no?

Second, the music was glorious. It was all new to me. Well, I was certainly familiar with Frostiana, but I had never performed it in its entirety. The text comes from various Robert Frost poetry, and it is just superb.

Robert Frost

Such a lovely, singable suite.

My favorite of the suite (and one of my favorite Robert Frost poems ever) is "The Pasture".

"The Pasture"

I'm going out to clean the pasture spring;

I'll only stop to rake the leaves away

(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):

I shan't be gone long. -- You come too.

I'm going out to fetch the little calf

That's standing by the mother. It's so young,

It totters when she licks it with her tongue.

I shan't be gone long. -- You come too.

The Frostiana suite is just so melodic and natural, it was a wonderful, generous way to open the concert.

Next came the "Five Mystical Songs" by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. If you are unfamiliar with these song, as I was before this concert, just know that they are completely glorious. The choir has a minor part in the piece, as most of the text is sung by a baritone soloist. We had been rehearsing only our small part, and the baritone only joined us for the dress rehearsal and performance, so I hadn't really looked at large portions of the text. When I finally heard Song #3: "Love Bade Me Welcome" for the first time, it was all I could do not to weep!

Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back.


Guilty of dust and sin.


But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack


From my first entrance in,


Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning


If I lacked anything.

A guest, I answer'd, worthy to be here:


Love said, You shall be he.


I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,


I cannot look on thee.


Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,


Who made the eyes but I?

Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame


Go where it doth deserve.


And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?


My dear, then I will serve.


You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:


So I did sit and eat.

The experience was nothing less than spiritual, and we were lucky to have a phenomenal soloist on the part.

I had a large solo with Vaughan Williams' "Dona Nobis Pacem". I was reeeeeeeally nervous about it, which is actually not like me. All week, I could not figure out why I had such bad stage fright about it. I think it's because it was the biggest, most technically difficult solo I've ever sung -- and VERY exposed! But it went very well, and afterward, I got a bouquet of flowers from the Symphony, and from my Aunt Heather.

Oh yes, and this is the gown I bought the week before:

I am very happy about this concert, and got to sing some amazing music. I'm very blessed to be a part of the group I joined. And thank you to the [many] friends and family who came to support me! It helped my nerves to have you in the audience!

Christmas Marimba!

A fun memory from this Christmas season was the marimba! My sister Hannah brought home the marimba from school for the duration of winter break, and boy did we ever take advantage of it!

My mom dug out some of our old Christmas piano books for beginners, and one person would take the treble notes, and the other would do the bass.
Everyone got a turn, and we did everything from "Carol of the Bells" to "Jolly Old St. Nicholas."
For me, the funniest part was when I told Hannah how much fun we were having with her instrument. She replied very somberly, "I really had to pull some strings to get it." Whatever strings had to be pulled, I'm glad she did it, because we all had a blast with our Christmas marimba.