The other side of the mountain
*waves nightdress-clad from a sunbeam that I am sharing with the Long Low Ladies*
I'm deeply pleased to report that last night's all-Handel recital was AWESOME! AM opened the recital with an ethereal rendition of "Eternal Source of Light Divine," with which she wasn't happy because she could barely read the tiny score in the dimmish lighting near the organ, so she did some tasteful invention. All of us listening from the chapel were enthralled and covered with goosebumps because OMG she is SO GOOD and it's not like any of us had the score in front of us. We just heard glory and majestic AF soprano-ing, y'know?
Next up was a beautiful set from Utrecht Jubilate ("Be ye sure that the lord he is God" by BF, EW, and PS, "For the Lord is gracious" by SN & EC). And then an absolutely dynamite set from Giulio Cesare by SN and EW (EW singing "Priva son d'ogni conforto," SN KILLING IT on "Svegliatevi nel core," and ALL THE SUSPENSIONS on the duet "Son nata a lagrimar" GAAAH SO GOOD). And then I led us all out for "Let the Bright Seraphim," which went attacca into a tutti rendition of "Let their Celestial Concerts all Unite" to fill out the Samson set. Next, BF gave a soulful, mellifluous account of "Where ere you walk," which PS, EW, BF, and I followed up with "Why dost thou untimely grieve?" on the Semele set. And last but not lease, EC sang the crap out of "Oh Ruddier than the cherry," BF and AM filled us all with glee with the duet "Oh Happy We," plus the tutti chorus, which ended out the Acis and Galatea set, as well as the recital.
Everybody did SO WELL! And I was not at all displeased by how I sang. And Mr. 42 came straight from work to hear what he could, and he arrived during the Giulio Cesare set, so he got to hear SN and EW's magnificent duet and was in time for my big number, which meant a lot to me, and it was great to see his face out there. There was merriment at the post-recital reception, and Mr. 42 and I went to grab dinner at a late-night burger and cocktail joint. Alas, I managed to rip a huge hole in the lace on the side of my lovely frock on a sticky-out latch plate on one of the doors to the chapel, which we were using as our green room. So I'm gonnna have to have that fixed because I look like quite a lot of dollars in that dress and it's only the second time I've worn it. So a tiny boo on an almost entirely YAY evening!
Today, reality reasserts itself, though not without plenty of nice things along the way. I have a bit of a throat tickle, so I'm going to be Zicamming it up in hopes of not being sick for Holy Week. I have some tax numbers to crunch (we have to file an extension because the total on one of my employer-provided tax documents was wrong by nearly an order of ten) and Palm Sunday music to polish, a pair of giant dachshunds to snuggle and take out to some pleasant coastal location, plus an easy dinner to assemble for us to wolf down before tonight's San Diego Symphony masterworks concerts:Maestro Ling is conducting Weber (overture to Der Freischütz), Chopin (Piano Concerto No. 2 played by Jan Lisiecki) and Brahms Symphony No. 4 (a household fave).
Tomorrow, it's a big Palm Sunday sing, which includes a march around the church waving palms (we had a bagpiper last year, which was cool), and we'll be doing Gibbons's hefty "Hosanna to the Son of David," Walton's anguished "A Litany," Billings's austere round "When Jesus Wept," and the latter movements of Willan's splendid Missa Brevis No 5. And then I want to do very little for the rest of the day, but may be thwarted. If so, may I be thwarted for fun things.
And one last funny. My friend J, who has two small boys and has entertained us with a series of photos entitled "The Sound of Fussing," posted this video meme yesterday, which made me laugh, really hard. If you're not able to view it, it's captioned "Every little kid when their parents tell them no" and the video is a spotted moray eel, whose mouth is ajar and who proceeds to spin around and slink slowly downwards, wrapping around itself in what appears to be a dramatic, whiny swoon.
Naturally, J and I had to comment in song.
Me: *sings* When you squirm like the eels 'cause you have ALL THE FEELS, that a moray....
J: When you melt to the floor cause your dad said “No more”, that’s a moray...
Me: When you blare “Daddy isn’t fair! Daddy isn’t fair!”
And your folks aren’t discussing
What you want, saying it’s detente, nothing that will daunt
You from squirming and fussing!
So yes. Silliness is a welcome balm to stress and also for fussy toddlers.
And OMG my sister just sent videos from my niece's first Easter egg hunt and excuse me I must now go die of the adorableness.
Here's wishing you all splendid Saturdays filled with good things!
Smooches,
Mun42
I'm deeply pleased to report that last night's all-Handel recital was AWESOME! AM opened the recital with an ethereal rendition of "Eternal Source of Light Divine," with which she wasn't happy because she could barely read the tiny score in the dimmish lighting near the organ, so she did some tasteful invention. All of us listening from the chapel were enthralled and covered with goosebumps because OMG she is SO GOOD and it's not like any of us had the score in front of us. We just heard glory and majestic AF soprano-ing, y'know?
Next up was a beautiful set from Utrecht Jubilate ("Be ye sure that the lord he is God" by BF, EW, and PS, "For the Lord is gracious" by SN & EC). And then an absolutely dynamite set from Giulio Cesare by SN and EW (EW singing "Priva son d'ogni conforto," SN KILLING IT on "Svegliatevi nel core," and ALL THE SUSPENSIONS on the duet "Son nata a lagrimar" GAAAH SO GOOD). And then I led us all out for "Let the Bright Seraphim," which went attacca into a tutti rendition of "Let their Celestial Concerts all Unite" to fill out the Samson set. Next, BF gave a soulful, mellifluous account of "Where ere you walk," which PS, EW, BF, and I followed up with "Why dost thou untimely grieve?" on the Semele set. And last but not lease, EC sang the crap out of "Oh Ruddier than the cherry," BF and AM filled us all with glee with the duet "Oh Happy We," plus the tutti chorus, which ended out the Acis and Galatea set, as well as the recital.
Everybody did SO WELL! And I was not at all displeased by how I sang. And Mr. 42 came straight from work to hear what he could, and he arrived during the Giulio Cesare set, so he got to hear SN and EW's magnificent duet and was in time for my big number, which meant a lot to me, and it was great to see his face out there. There was merriment at the post-recital reception, and Mr. 42 and I went to grab dinner at a late-night burger and cocktail joint. Alas, I managed to rip a huge hole in the lace on the side of my lovely frock on a sticky-out latch plate on one of the doors to the chapel, which we were using as our green room. So I'm gonnna have to have that fixed because I look like quite a lot of dollars in that dress and it's only the second time I've worn it. So a tiny boo on an almost entirely YAY evening!
Today, reality reasserts itself, though not without plenty of nice things along the way. I have a bit of a throat tickle, so I'm going to be Zicamming it up in hopes of not being sick for Holy Week. I have some tax numbers to crunch (we have to file an extension because the total on one of my employer-provided tax documents was wrong by nearly an order of ten) and Palm Sunday music to polish, a pair of giant dachshunds to snuggle and take out to some pleasant coastal location, plus an easy dinner to assemble for us to wolf down before tonight's San Diego Symphony masterworks concerts:Maestro Ling is conducting Weber (overture to Der Freischütz), Chopin (Piano Concerto No. 2 played by Jan Lisiecki) and Brahms Symphony No. 4 (a household fave).
Tomorrow, it's a big Palm Sunday sing, which includes a march around the church waving palms (we had a bagpiper last year, which was cool), and we'll be doing Gibbons's hefty "Hosanna to the Son of David," Walton's anguished "A Litany," Billings's austere round "When Jesus Wept," and the latter movements of Willan's splendid Missa Brevis No 5. And then I want to do very little for the rest of the day, but may be thwarted. If so, may I be thwarted for fun things.
And one last funny. My friend J, who has two small boys and has entertained us with a series of photos entitled "The Sound of Fussing," posted this video meme yesterday, which made me laugh, really hard. If you're not able to view it, it's captioned "Every little kid when their parents tell them no" and the video is a spotted moray eel, whose mouth is ajar and who proceeds to spin around and slink slowly downwards, wrapping around itself in what appears to be a dramatic, whiny swoon.
Naturally, J and I had to comment in song.
Me: *sings* When you squirm like the eels 'cause you have ALL THE FEELS, that a moray....
J: When you melt to the floor cause your dad said “No more”, that’s a moray...
Me: When you blare “Daddy isn’t fair! Daddy isn’t fair!”
And your folks aren’t discussing
What you want, saying it’s detente, nothing that will daunt
You from squirming and fussing!
So yes. Silliness is a welcome balm to stress and also for fussy toddlers.
And OMG my sister just sent videos from my niece's first Easter egg hunt and excuse me I must now go die of the adorableness.
Here's wishing you all splendid Saturdays filled with good things!
Smooches,
Mun42