2006-02-07 - 10:57 p.m.

..la de da....

I am home from singing...and it was good. Tonight I felt much more secure in both my vocal strength, my sightsinging, and my stamina (both physical and mental). I still have feelings of 'my-god-this-is-hard-work' during these rehearsals (which stems from the fact that these are music professionals and I'm a geologist, and I am struggling to keep up..). I am the weakest rather than the strongest singer, and I have joined mid-semester after they have all rehearsed and performed many of these passages. Rather than intimidating, I find this situation inspiring. I don't mind being wrong. The group is supportive and jovial and kind to me.

The music is...weird. We are singing a modern Scandinavian piece called "Dream." It's the first time I've had to sing cluster chords, and cluster rhythms. And by comparison, the Samuel Barber Reincarnations are so melodic. I have not sung the Barber before, but I know and love the James Stephens poem:

The Coolin
Come with me, under my coat,
And we will drink our fill
Of the milk of the white goat,
Or wine if it be thy will.
And we will talk, until
Talk is a trouble, too.
Out on the side of the hill;
And nothing is left to do,
But an eye to look into an eye;
And a hand in a hand to slip;
And a sigh to answer a sigh;
And a lip to find out a lip!
What if the night be black!
And the air on the mountain chill!
Where the goat lies down in her track,
And all but the fern is still!
Stay with me, under my coat!
And we will drink our fill
Of the milk of the white goat,
Out on the side of the hill!

***

Sigh. I love it. I hope we sing it on Valentine's Day.

***

K and I discussed his arrival date today. We are shooting for March 15...To me it feels like a LONG way away. I am sure that for him - who is about to move countries - it feels like a HUGE deal that's happening tomorrow!

We also discussed an actual marriage date. And we easily agreed that the best date for this ceremony is April 1st. We both find it appropriately snide. Now I guess we have to work out the details...I'm not worried as long as he doesn't bring up Vegas again.