Amazing

So last month right at the start of December when I found myself complaining nonstop about how busy I was I decided to be in a musical.  ha!  First time in almost 20 years!  Yikes that makes me feel old.  A friend of mine is starting an amateur theater group here in Katy.  I have a soft spot for this type of venture because I have so many wonderful memories of my own family being participating in community productions. 

So I jumped in and truth be told it made Decembe super crazy.  Curtis took it like a man and held down the fort while I left several times a week for hours and hours!  Daniel chose to be in the children's chorus so he got to come to a lot of the practices.  I have to admit that practices were an absolute blast and I began to really look forward to them.  I didn't know about half of the cast- almost all were members of my church but from various congregations.  There was also the cutest English couple who are not LDS and it took them awhile to figure out that they were hugely in the minority! 

Being in a play is such a unique experience- I wish everyone could do it at least once.  That same cute English couple said that back home amateur theater is very popular and many people are in a few productions each year!  I love that!  Why is it that here you only get to do fun stuff if you are super star talented or a kid?!  So annoying.  Annnyway- I have discovered that my brain is not as nimble as it was when I was a teenager (or maybe it's just too full of other stuff now- yeah that) but I really had to work at learning the words, harmony and choreography.  That work paid off though and it was so rewarding to be a part of such a fun show!  I had never even heard the music from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" before. I have to say that I have watched the Donny Osmond version and ours is seriously better. :)

Our final performance was last night and we all felt a little blue about it ending.  I just adore the entire cast and had so much fun working with and getting to know them.  Daniel loved it too and says he definitely wants to do another show.  I feel a little bit changed by this.  I'm just reminded that I should remember to do things that I love and not just clean toilets and yell at kids all day.

 

Lesser known hymns

Our church schedule is 1-4pm this year. If I wasn't the nursery leader I would actually love that time. It's nice to have a slow morning. I try to make something in the crock pot for dinner (today we're having beef stew- suggestions for future meals WELCOME). I have finallly realized that the kids are much better behaved if we have an early breakfast and then are sure to have a decent lunch before we leave.

For the first few Sundays of 2011 we had a big breakfast around 10 or 10:30 but nothing else and everyone was miserable about halfway thru sacrament meeting. Sometimes we even just eat PBJ's and oranges in the car on the way to church. We've also been leaving a few minutes early so we can drive around for a bit and let Lucy fall asleep. Then she will sleep for the first hour of church and not have some crazy 4:30pm nap, throwing off our entire schedule!!

Nursery is pretty tough as most of the kids are sleepy but I really do love working with little ones so it's all good.

Anyway, this morning I've been playing the piano. I haven't been practicing lately- mostly because Lucy starts to attack almost immediately when I'm playing. :) Jonah and Isaac are both taking lessons from a wonderful lady at church and so they compete for piano time as well. Not complaining about that! I really hope each of my kids will at least be able to read music and play a few hymns. Which brings me to the title of this post. I have come across a few beautiful hymns in the last couple of years. I never hear them in church but they are awesome. Thought I would share.

The first one is "Thy Holy Word." You can listen to it on the link. I LOVE the 3rd measure of the second line, especially the bass clef. Simply but so beautiful.

Another great song is "Sabbath Day." There are some great disonant chords in it. I've heard the motab sing it a few times and it is gorgeous!

In the Children's Song book is one called "The Commandments." The online version pretty much butchers it but I think you can get a feel for the harmony.

Lucy found me-gotta run. Happy Sunday

Eveyone else already knew this...

A few weeks ago the youth at church performed "From Cumorah's Hill." I figured that seeing teenage boys singing, and about their testimonies, would be good for Jonah, so he and I made it a date.


The performance was terrific. I was so impressed with the young men and woman. Jonah really enjoyed it as well and I know it inspired him because he has volunteered to sing a solo at church on Father's Day (absolutely unprecedented!). What's really interesting is that I've had the "Cumorah's Hill" CD for a year or so. My brother recommended it. I listened to it once or twice and thought it was meh- and truthfully I usually sort of cringe at any of the Kapp Perry music. After seeing the performance here though, I have been listening to it at least once a day! The harmony and beautiful messages keep choking me up.


I've noticed the same thing with musical pieces that I sing as well. And gulp- I'm embarrassed to admit that after reading/watching "Twilight" I decided to learn "Claire de Lune." I've never particularly enjoyed that piano piece before and now it's one of my favs. So at first I was thinking that watching things live really changes your perception of them. I think that's true but then I guess any kind of happy association can do it. Am I crazy? Anyone else have this happen?

So next month Curtis and I are going to see "Wicked." I CANNOT wait. I already adore the soundtrack... pretty much expect to see me with my face painted green. :)

I forgot how much I love singing in a choir

Since college and kids I haven't done very much singing. Many of my favorite memories are tied to music. I still have the music to "Set me as a Seal" from my 10th grade year in high school. I remember our choir teacher, Ms. Keefer, passionately telling us to think about the words as we sang. At state, our tiny little choir rocked that song!



At some point in high school I sang in a women's choir. We did "A Prairie Woman Sings" by Eugene Butler- it was beautiful. In college I just took choir as one of my classes. It was wonderful to sing with such a huge group. For Christmas we sang a song called "Little Babe." I've lost it along the way and need to find it- it's beautiful. Several years ago my family sang my mom's arrangement of "When Joseph Went to Bethlehem." Curtis and I have pulled that out many times and sung it together. What a great song.



I haven't sung in the choir at church much because it's just another thing to do. But I decided to try it out a few months ago. It's not without it's frustrations, but I didn't realize how much I had missed singing! I mean, I sing ALL the time. I'm one of those minivan moms that you laugh at while driving because I am totally rockin out in my car. I sing in the shower, I sing with my kids, I sing while I'm cleaning... (you pickin' up what I'm puttin' down?) But there is something really special about singing with a small group of people who also love to sing.



For Easter this year we sang "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need." I had heard this song before but it wasn't until I was singing it with the choir that I really listened to the words and melody. I LOVE this song. You can hear it here- I like this video because the lyrics are printed as it plays. But I will post them here just for fun. I love music. I think it is one of God's greatest gifts to us and it softens my heart like nothing else. (PS: The last line is my favorite)

My Shepherd will supply my need

Jehovah is His Name;

In pastures fresh

He makes me feed,

Beside the living stream.

He brings my wandering spirit back

When I forsake His ways,

And leads me, for His mercy's sake,

In paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death,

Thy presence is my stay;

A word of Thy supporting breath

Drives all my fears away.

Thy hand, in sight of all my foes,

Doth still my table spread;

My cup with blessings overflows,

Thine oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God

Attend me all my days;

O may Thy house be my abode,

And all my work be praise!

There would I find a settled rest,

While others go and come;

No more a stranger, nor a guest,

But like a child at home.