Well, if the week coming up doesn’t pass quickly, it won’t be for lack of effort. Between now and 8 days from now, I perform in the equivalent of 6 concerts (4 different, since two repeat), with various rehearsals associated with them (one is a Sunday service, but with six anthems by the choir it starts to resemble a concert, even as we try to keep a spiritual focus on the morning). And I start a new organ student this morning: a choral director with keyboard chops who would like to understand more about the organ, with a focus on registration and its midi extensions. What a great week!
The WomenSing concerts I mentioned in an earlier post take place this week (Dec 4 and 7). My role is relatively minor. I’ve put as much effort into preparing the organ part for the organ/piano piece I wrote for the event as I have for the six pieces I accompany! Christmas Toccata is going well; the pianist and I both enjoy the ensemble.
I was asked a few days ago if I would fill in for one of the UC Berkeley music department’s choral groups on concerts on the 7th and 10th (Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit). It should be fun playing a small continuo organ for the concert.
My church choir has been working quite hard for the last 6 weeks getting ready for Music Sunday (I’m trying to change the name of the event to Choir Sunday, since we have more than one musical group). Where they’ve often done a cantata in place of the sermon, I’m dispersing their pieces throughout the service in a modified Lessons and Carols format. I’m pleased with their progress, and looking forward to the service, coming near the end of my musical marathon.
The last event, while the shortest, is in some ways the most complicated: the children’s Christmas Pageant. The children’s choirs will sing several pieces, two adult soloists and an adult duo will sing, and various individual rehearsals as well as one group rehearsal dot the musical landscape this week in among everything else.
Today’s the calm before the (musical) storm, so I’m trying to get all the details lined up so I’m at the right place at the right time with the right music–hopefully well-rehearsed!
Am I complaining or bragging? Maybe a touch of both, but more just delighted to be involved in such a wonderful span of music-making: accompanying an outstanding women’s group, working with a wonderful pianist, providing continuo for a strong group of university singers, directing an enthusiastic church choir, and working with adults and children, the latter perhaps showing more love of music than expertise:
Talk about a week that’s music to my ears!