The last few months have been challenging to say the least. Our churches little choirs have had so much new music to learn for Holy Week and Easter. Beautiful sacred music including polyphony and chant; music we've never sung but have had great desire for.
One of the services we prepared for was Tenebrae. Incredibly profound music which reaches down to the cor of ones soul. None of the choir members (only the music director) had ever sung this music with only a few of us having heard it before. With only three practices we were in a crunch. I'm so impressed with everyone's commitment to learn the music in such a short time. It was amazing.
As one who does not read modern notation in the traditional sense learning new music can be difficult but not impossible. I hear music. I have a bit of OCD, and the blessing of this little curse is that as I begin to learn, I hear the music over and over and over in my head. As I sleep, the music keeps playing; I wake up to it. So...in a short amount of time I can have it pretty well down.
On my way to our last Tenebrae practice (just hours before performance), I picked up my friend Jen (someone I dearly love to sing with; our voices are a great match and we think quite a bit alike).
Me: I can't get a line from one of the songs out of my head.
Jen: Which one?
Me: Et occiderent..
Jen: Me too! It sounds Klingon to me!
Me: What!
Jen: (in a deep voice) Et OCK CHEE!
Now, I'm laughing so hard as we do our best Star Trek Klingon chant on our way to this solemn event, and hoping I won't remember this during the service. But you know, there are just some people in our lives who see, hear, and think just enough like we do. It's really best not to catch their eye at certain times right? Yep, my friend is one of those.
Practice at church was going pretty well...until "et occiderent". This is repeated in the song so I can't just get by once. I kept my composure for the first round, kept my eyes on my music...but all I kept thinking is, "she's looking at me I just know it she's looking at me don't look at her don't don't don't look"! So of course, I look and yes, she's giving me that eye, that Klingon eye!
Some friends. Some friends pray with you, some cry, some 'get' you and understand when others don't. Some sing and blend with you so, so well, whatever your song may be. Some think and say some pretty crazy things and you completely understand. Some friends make every challenge a joy. Some know just when to give the knowing look. Jen is all of those things.
I'm so happy for the challenges our choir director has entrusted to us. It can be tough for a bunch of amateurs and a bit of levity is a good thing to release some stress. But, when all is sung and done, the sacred is still the sacred (even if I'll always remember Tenebrae with a bit of a Klingon twist).
Thanks Jen.
If you'd like to hear what a Klingon singing sounds like....
One of the services we prepared for was Tenebrae. Incredibly profound music which reaches down to the cor of ones soul. None of the choir members (only the music director) had ever sung this music with only a few of us having heard it before. With only three practices we were in a crunch. I'm so impressed with everyone's commitment to learn the music in such a short time. It was amazing.
As one who does not read modern notation in the traditional sense learning new music can be difficult but not impossible. I hear music. I have a bit of OCD, and the blessing of this little curse is that as I begin to learn, I hear the music over and over and over in my head. As I sleep, the music keeps playing; I wake up to it. So...in a short amount of time I can have it pretty well down.
On my way to our last Tenebrae practice (just hours before performance), I picked up my friend Jen (someone I dearly love to sing with; our voices are a great match and we think quite a bit alike).
Me: I can't get a line from one of the songs out of my head.
Jen: Which one?
Me: Et occiderent..
Jen: Me too! It sounds Klingon to me!
Me: What!
Jen: (in a deep voice) Et OCK CHEE!
Now, I'm laughing so hard as we do our best Star Trek Klingon chant on our way to this solemn event, and hoping I won't remember this during the service. But you know, there are just some people in our lives who see, hear, and think just enough like we do. It's really best not to catch their eye at certain times right? Yep, my friend is one of those.
Practice at church was going pretty well...until "et occiderent". This is repeated in the song so I can't just get by once. I kept my composure for the first round, kept my eyes on my music...but all I kept thinking is, "she's looking at me I just know it she's looking at me don't look at her don't don't don't look"! So of course, I look and yes, she's giving me that eye, that Klingon eye!
Some friends. Some friends pray with you, some cry, some 'get' you and understand when others don't. Some sing and blend with you so, so well, whatever your song may be. Some think and say some pretty crazy things and you completely understand. Some friends make every challenge a joy. Some know just when to give the knowing look. Jen is all of those things.
I'm so happy for the challenges our choir director has entrusted to us. It can be tough for a bunch of amateurs and a bit of levity is a good thing to release some stress. But, when all is sung and done, the sacred is still the sacred (even if I'll always remember Tenebrae with a bit of a Klingon twist).
Thanks Jen.
If you'd like to hear what a Klingon singing sounds like....
Comments
Post a Comment