Thank you all so much for your kind comments concerning the shrug. You all are the best. Again, went to ground for Thursday and Friday due to work and kids' commitments. I meant to post Saturday or Sunday, but with a Daughter Basketball tournament, a Son basketball game, Choir/Church, volunteer hours for a concession stand and...shhh...this part is a secret. (Well, not really. I'm just not talking about it a ton so as not to jinx it.) See, I'm getting the opportunity of a lifetime -- and I'm pinching myself. And it's taking up lots of my time.
I sang in the choir in high school, sang in a few musicals and in chorale in college for awhile, but gave up singing in general twenty-some-odd years ago. The October before my dad died, he and my mom visited to see us and the kids. We took them to church with us, and at the end, he turned to me and told me I should be singing in the choir, not in the congregation. I laughed at the time because I had little kids, like 7 and 3, and no way was I going to get that much time to myself. Dad died in January of 2001 and that spring, I joined our church choir, his advice still ringing in my ears. Well, Dads know best, you know, and it's been a super rewarding experience ... I get to exercise that singing bone so long dormant.
I worked my way into a few solos, not many, I really don't like to do them. What I love to do is sing with someone -- I'm an alto. And I love, love, love to sing harmony. I mean, if there is an alto or even tenor part written for a piece, I'm singing it -- even if I have to do it alone.
Jump to the present -- some of the choir and the band which plays our music --- deep breath....we've formed a band of our own. We sing and play traditional Irish music. Pinching again. We have a violin, two guitars, piano, flute, Celtic flutes, drums, bass guitar, mandolin, harmonica, piano,and a women's trio. The musicians are so talented! They jam a lot and we sing 9 3-part pieces. We have about 2 hours of music so far. We're playing at the fish fries during Lent at our own church and we have just gotten a real "gig" (I love to say that) at a charity event on St. Patrick's day. I honestly never thought I'd ever do this kind of thing -- sing other than at church, that is -- and I'm so thankful to the guys who got this ball rolling...And I'm pinching myself again.
So, where has my time gone? Not into knitting, I'll tell you...Learning all this music with my rusty memorization skills...but I'll do it. I'm nearly there. Just some revisions on Red is the Rose and I'm ready. Look East for me on Friday....you know, toward Kerry or something...
Knitting Content
There is none. I keep ripping it out. I've started Jaywalkers with some Regia mini Ringel 3 times. Once with size 1 dpns -- didn't like the stockinette fabric, too tight. Once with size 2.5 dpns and then switched (for some unknown reason -- it must have been late at night) to size 1.5 40 inch circulars -- bad -- ribbing too floppy, stockinette still too tight. And now once with 1.5 40 inch circs and number 2 40 inch circs...maybe the third time's a charm, the ribbing is better, but I'm not far enough into the stockinette to know for sure...so no pics for now...
Congrats on the band. I have a TERRIBLE singing voice. Only Catie likes to hear me sing. And maybe she just humors me. How cool for you!!
Posted by: Jocele | February 28, 2006 at 09:51 PM
ANN. I can't tell you how much I love this post!!
1. I love to sing. And I'm an alto. And I was in a quartette (sort of) at our church in Texas where there is no instrumental music, only acapella - have I told you before that I cry when I hear beautiful voices? Especially powerful loud hymns with good voices in harmony. Anyway, and I LOVE Celtic music. I'm so envious of the music/singing experience that you're describing!
2. I used to live in Columbia, IL and our landlords were an old German couple in their 80s who were Catholic. They couldn't get out and do much, had no family around, no children, so we used to drive them to all the Catholic church picnics in the area on Saturdays (as well as to the grocery, etc). The fish. Sandwiches. My. Favorite! Oh the memories of those times.
Thanks for this post - it makes me feel even closer to you learning of your love of singing.
Posted by: Laura | March 01, 2006 at 08:22 AM