Old Friends - Part 2

If you read my blog much you know I love to sing; hence, I have a concert coming up in a few weeks and am pretty excited about it. Of course we are still working away perfecting everything but the Ladies Choir part will be awesome. We have a young men's choir and a large children's choir, all of us making up Cantabile Singers of Woodstock.

This poster gives an idea of what we are about but I'll also give you some of the songs the ladies choir are doing:

1. Gate Gate, a setting of a Buddhist mantra (We struggle with constantly changing time signatures and Sanskrit text, but the changing pace and the lilting, haunting music make this a keeper.)
2. Go where I Send Thee!, a Gospel Spiritual (This is fast, fast, fast and fun, fun, fun.)
3. Away From the Roll of the Sea, a lovely sea song (You'd like the softly flowing melody, the soprano solo over nice choir parts, and the peaceful feeling it leaves.)
4. Sister Act, a medley from the musical. (From stately nuns to clapping rock and rollers, to rocking Latin singers, we constantly evolve singing this medley. I particularly like the pun effect of singing I Will Follow Him, an old rock and roll song, here applied to Jesus. It's all very cool and a lot of fun to sing.)
5. The Road Less Traveled, (a dreamy piece where listeners are exhorted to 'wrap your dreams in a rainbow, hang your hopes on a star'. I really like the composer's ability to match the meaning and lilt of the words to the notes. It is very singable.)
6. Here's to Song, by Canadian Composer Allistar MacGillivray (Our director's beautiful soprano solo makes this a show stopper. And, of course, any music which praises song has to be good!)
7. Jack and Jill, a cute and crazy take on the nursery rhyme. (As the pianist madly runs over her keys in a frenzied rush up and down the hill, we choristers follow, lead, follow, running so fast it's a wonder WE don't break our crowns. This piece is a challenge but we're up for it.)
8. Arirang, a Korean Folk Song. (Arirang is a Korean mountain and the song says that though my love is leaving, he'll not go far without hurting his feet. Okay, that doesn't begin to tell you how soft and lovely is the melody, how sweet and simple the harmonies. It's just a soothing song to sing.)
9.The Father's Love, a sacred song which may or may not be in this concert, but is definitely in our church service a few weeks later. I like the way the music speeds up and slows down to mimic the words, ending with 'If you keep my commandments, and you love one another, your joy will be complete. Isn't that what we all want?

Just to keep us on the path, our director has planned an event for ladies only tonight: a much needed practice, a meal someone else is cooking (yes!), and some R & R in a hot tub/spa to round out the night. Sounds like fun! Oh, and my title is the title of the concert. See you there?