Colloquium

It went really well!

December

Hello! It's been forever, because I've been busy as usual, but now that things are starting to wind down around Eastman I have a chance to write. Things have been going great with all my musical activities as well as with academic classes. I am now involved in FIVE choirs: Rep. Singers, which I've bitched about in earlier posts, ERC (we just had our final concert for the semester and performed Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem and Elgar's The Music Makers),  and the Christ Church Schola Cantorum. Starting at the beginning of November, I became involved in a group called Dr. Walmisley's Folly, which comprises mostly grad students that are enthusiastic about British choral music! Once a month (but twice in December) we sing Choral Evensong, which is literally my favorite thing to do...there is nothing like singing great repertoire with talented people who love it as much as I do. Even though the congregation for these evensongs are only around 20 people at most, the act of singing is satisfying enough...it's less of a performance, and more of a therapeutic activity, I guess. The fifth choir is at Church of the Ascension in Rochester (Episcopal), where I am the Soprano Section Leader. It is nice to have a little more spending money, and I am getting good experience. Even when a choir is not at an extremely high caliber, there is a lot to learn, like rehearsal techniques, and how to articulate what you want as a director.

I am playing the hymn on Monday in Organ colloquium (see my post from Sept. 19), and I am pretty confident about it. For those of you with Episcopal hymnals, I am playing hymn 444 (Blest be the God of Israel, with the tune Thornbury). It should go well, and hopefully they will be merciful with their criticism.

I think I will go to eat a scrumptious brunch at the Dining Center (the best meal of the week!)....hope all of you are enjoying the Holiday season. Happy Hanukkah tonight! For my Evanston peeps, I'll be home Dec. 20-the second week of January. Hope I can see you all.

Ciao!