How Can I Keep From Singing?

Well, this has been a big fat week of singing for me, and it's not over yet.

MONDAY: first rehearsal with Harmonious Soul. I was late, which makes me angry, but I do have an excuse. My dog got out of the house while I was at work and he got picked up by the pound, so I had to go bail him out of jail. Poor guy was hoarse from barking, and he lost his collar somewhere, but he's home and warm and safe and well-fed. I am only sad that I couldn't bring home the other dogs, but Loki is not a dog person, so I couldn't bring another canine home *and* stay married.

Okay, so I was a little late, but I apparently missed some socializing. They are a lovely bunch of women, they were so welcoming and I felt appreciated. When I say lovely, I am just scratching the surface. I can't tell you the last time I sat with a group of women I just met and thought "I fit here". So it was great. We worked on 3 songs (On Children; First Date; Ave Maria), got a CD of songs that are currently in the HS repertoire, made a decision about business cards, and then I had to head home.

TUESDAY: Dress rehearsal for Madrigals and Chorale. I cannot say enough wonderful things about my Madrigals teacher, he is just a fantastic teacher, and I wish we had enough skill in our class to sing the songs with the love and passion and ability they deserve. We are singing a gorgeous Vaughan Williams piece "The Lover's Ghost" and an arrangement of "Weep O Mine Eyes" by one of my classmates (who used to be one of Sio's classmates). Dress did not go well. Flat, lifeless....it was sad.

Then came Chorale dress rehearsal. We are singing (and I use that word loosely in this context) "For Unto Us" from The Messiah (or as this group sings it: foruntouSSS a chald is bohorn), Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella, Sanctus from Leonard Bernstein's Mass, and a horrible "gospelite" song that starts with a spoken word introduction that goes, roughly: "This is for that little boy who doesn't have a father, and all the people with AIDS...." Seriously. One of my fellow altos and I have been adding additional lines, like "and for that dog that got run over"

I got a little frustrated and totally took over directing the chorale during the Handel. I did hear some improvement from the men when it came to the rhythm of the "and the goverment..." section. I appreciate that our director allowed me to take the reins, she was frustrated herself, but I figure that when you have said the same thing 50 times, sometimes it helps to find another way to say it.

WEDNESDAY: Been listening to my HS CD....I love almost all the songs we're doing, but some of the bass lines will need to be spiced up, I think. My wonderful Mads teacher called for another rehearsal, so I picked Monkey up from school and she came with me. We made a lot of progress. We have two people in the group who don't have good tuning, that can't be helped at this point (it's supposed to be an audition only class, but they leave it open for people to apply...I hope they change that, because too much time is spent learning notes), but I think we won't embarrass our leader, either.

I'm giddy tonight because I don't have to work tomorrow or Friday! I'm kind of bummed, though, because we're supposed to get 6" of snow tomorrow.

Later in this singing week:

THURSDAY: Depending on the weather, I have rehearsal for my church gig, which is always slightly depressing.

FRIDAY: Sio comes home from school! And I have my school concert. Loki will come, because there is free food, put out by the culinary students. I don't know if he'll ever make it into the auditorium, but he'll be there.

P.S. The title of this post is a link to a piece of sheet music arranged by Sio's high school choral director. It's a beautiful a cappella piece, you can hear a sample performance at the link (the basses are a little too loud in the sample, but it gives you the general idea)

The lyrics are:

My life goes on in endless song
above earth's lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
that hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear it's music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?

While though the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
And though the darkness 'round me close,
songs in the night it giveth.

No storm can shake my inmost calm,
while to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth
how can I keep from singing?