Yuletide Festival

This week has been already crazy busy and it's only going to get worse. We are singing on Friday and Saturday for the American Festival Choir. It's going to be a amazing concert. I get to sing next to Deonne again. We have fun together and she is a great singer. There are a few parts I personally need to practice, I just got to find an hour to do that.

Like always, Dr. Jessop is pulling out all the stops. He has two guest artist which are really good. There are the USU ballroom dance team, a bell choir, Full orchestra, decorations which make the stage look like a winter wonderland, plus ice sculptures and hot cocoa before and after the concert while people mingle. The music is great. We are singing lots of traditional Christmas tunes and also some non-traditional ones. A great variety. One of my favorites is the Hallelujahs Chorus by Handel. We have practiced Wednesday and Thursday night till 10:00 pm so we are a bit tired. Unfortunately this will be our last concert with the choir. We love singing in it but we will need to wait for a different season in our life to do it again. Hopefully Craig will still be the director. Tickets are $10 a piece if you get them with the choir discount. If you want to come it's not too late. You will not regret it. I've heard a lot of complaints about how expensive it is. I say Ba humbug. People pay more then double to go to a Broadway show, the opera, ballet, or symphony. Not to mention going to a movie is about price now and more when you include the popcorn and drinks. Not that you can compare these events, but this is a production and the orchestra players do get paid. Enough of my soapbox.

Did I say Senior Citizens get in free at the Saturday Afternoon Concert? Here is the link to get tickets. If you want to get the choir member discount let me know and I'll give you the discount code. Hope to see some of you there. Have a great weekend!

Traeden's Talk

Traeden gave a talk today in church. His grandpa T. helped him write it while Devin and I were at the dress rehearsal for the John Rutter concert. He did a great job and I thought it would be great to have on record.

My talk is about family prayer. My family tries to have family prayer each morning and evening. One family prayer I especially remember was when my mom had the flu for a week. We all took turns praying for her to get better. She got better and we thanked Heavenly Father for that blessing. Jesus told the people in the Book of Mormon, "Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name that your wives and your children may be blessed." I know that prayer is a true principle of the gospel because it blessed my mom.

My parents were so sweet to help us out yesterday. Grandpa even helped Traeden build a birdhouse out of their left over decking material. This is one of his scout requirements. Traeden has had two grandpa's help with scouting and it's such a blessing.

The concert last night was so fun. We had a lot of music to learn and we had an intense week of practices. Thankfully we have some great friends and neighbors who helped watch our kids. I sure love John Rutter's music. Some of the music I have sung before in high school. One of the songs, "The Lord Bless you and Keep you" I especially remember because I had a small ensemble sing it for Solo and Ensemble. We practiced so hard for that. It was fun to sing it again and remember the good old times. We even sang a few of his Christmas pieces. I love the "Candlelight Carol". There were many touching points in the concert when it was hard to keep back the tears. The music is filled with God and Love that the spirit can't help but fill the room and hearts of those who hear and sing.

I have joined the 'No cell phone club'. So far we have about four members of our club. It can be inconvenient at times but I really have enjoyed not worrying about losing my phone, or always being in reach when I'm not at home. So if you ever need to call me, just call at home and leave a message and I'll be sure to call you back. If it's long distance I have to wait till Devin gets home because we don't have long distance at home. Let me know if you want to join the club we are always accepting members. =)

Have a peaceful sabbath!

Carmina Burana

These are my Alto buddies right before the concert on Saturday


I didn't bring my camera so luckily my alto friend brought hers and took this for us.  It's not very often we are dressed so sharp.  We had such a fun performance last night with the American Festival Chorus.  During the dress rehearsal we went through the whole thing for the first time with the soloists, the Cache Children's Choir, USU Chamber Singers (dressed as monks), and the USU Ballroom dance team.  I finally started getting the piece.  When we first started rehearsing this piece I was sceptical of the value of this music.  For me to really like a piece I have to have some emotional connection to it.  I found my self falling asleep in rehearsals!  Wednesday night we practiced on stage with the orchestra and I started getting excited, then Saturday, wow this is going to be awesome!  Craig Jessop was so into the rehearsal I didn't dare make a peep because he expected everyone to be completely focused.  He kept saying diction, spit your words out.  I was glad I had music because it acted as a shield for the people in front of me.  I kept spitting on my music while I was singing.  Craig was so intense during rehearsal that at one point he threw his baton into the orchestra.  He does not miss a second of rehearsal.  He will not waste time.  In rehearsal we have learned that you do not ask questions.  He will answer the question eventually but in his on time. There has only been a couple times that he thanked a person for pointing something out.  That is one reason I just love being in the choir because I never get bored in rehearsal, you have to be on your toes with your pencils ready in hand.  If you miss a rehearsal, it is really hard to catch up because we cover so much.  One thing I have been doing is writing down some of the sayings that he says a lot.  I just think they are gems of wisdom.  

During the performance there were some trilling points that came off beautifully.  I really wonder what the audience thought if they really appreciated the time it took to polish this piece.

 The translation of the music was in the program and I found some really cool parts.  One part I really liked was in the baritone solo, Estuans interius.  To put this in context.  The man is in a tavern drinking.  He gets really drunk.  This is his solo.

"Burning inside with violent anger, bitterly I speak to my heart: created from matter, of the ashes of the elements, I am like a leaf played with by the winds.  If it is the way of the wise man to build foundations on stone, then I am a fool, like a flowing stream, which in its course never changes.  I am carried along like a ship without a steersman, and in the paths of the air like a light, hovering bird; chains cannot hold me, keys cannot imprison me.  I look for people like me and join the wretches.  The heaviness of my heart seem like a burden to me; it is pleasant to joke and sweeter than honeycomb; whatever Venus commands is a sweet duty, she never dwells in a lazy heart.  I travel the broad path as in the way of youth, I give myself to vice, unmindful of virtue, I am eager for the pleasures of the flesh more than for salvation, my soul is dead.  So I shall look after the flesh."

Lots of symbolizm in here.  But so many truths in this.  This man is so lost.  He doesn't have a foundation, or a source of direction spiritually in his life.  His heart is heavy and His soul is dead. Strong words, I wonder how many people feel this same way.  The Wheel of Fortune, sometimes we are up and some times we are down.  Fate is the only determining factor in our happiness? This secular piece of music made me reflect on my own life.  I'm grateful I believe in something more then just fate or luck.  

The variety of music in this work by Carl Orff is amazing.  The contrasting jumps from simply beautiful, to immensely intense and then frolics happy.  If you ever have the chance to hear this live, do it, you will love it.   

For those of you that live in the area, our next performance will be April 25th.  We are singing Beethoven's 9th Symphony.  Memorial Day we will be singing with Donny Osmond and his band. The tickets will always cost money-so far they have all been $10. USU students will always be free.  You will never be disappointed in going to one of the concerts. Craig Jessop guarantees a brilliant and multi-dimensional concert.