How I would participate was the question. I could offer to give the opening prayer... I could pass out books... or programs, I can handel programs (hehe handel, good one)... or accompany (HAH! no. for sure can't handel that) or sing a solo or... hold up. Yes. Just sing one of the arias. You know it's your calling in life to sing upon demand so just do it, alright. The announcement in the program did say all I had to do to was ask Bro. D. And so I did. A few weeks passed and finally I quit dragging my feet just in time. I found Bro. D. at stake conference and asked him if there were any other alto arias that needed to be sung. Part of me wanted him to say all the spots were filled but part of me wanted to take on the challenge of performing a famous piece of music. I was positive that all of the spots were going to be filled, and probably by highly trained singers, so I didn't get my hopes up. When Bro. D. said that I could definitely be in the program I got an overwhelming sense of determination and confidence. I was going to sing in the Messiah! So cool! Something like this happening back home seriously was absolutely unheard of! You see... the Highland Stake Messiah Sing-In has been going on for years and years back home. It is always held around my birthday and I can remember going as a kid with my mom on a Sunday night after opening presents and eating cake and ice cream. Back then it was held in our stake center and usually everyone knew almost everyone there, including the soloists and musicians. Now days they have to rent out the university's performing arts center to put on the big show. The university orchestra plays the music and vocal performance majors do all of the solos. Yeah... the chances of me singing one the alto arias back home are so small. We're talking smaller than anything, ever. So that' s why I was sure I wasn't going to get to participate in the Sing-In here in the Madison Stake. Little did I know that this was the first time in a while since they had put on the Sing-In so they were keeping things as casual as possible. Meaning... anybody that wanted to sing got to sing. Including me. (:
I told Bro. D. that I'm not very operatically trained so something in the alto range without a lot of trills or runs would be great. He prescribed me "Oh Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion" and I got to work right away with my old ward's music director. She is a whiz at anything music and she helped me a ton with understanding everything technical that I needed to know about the song. (Thanks so much Ann!) About 2 weeks out I went to set up another practice appointment and she asked if my mom would like to accompany me instead since she would be in town. My mom, also a whiz at anything music, was all for it. I'm so glad she can play the piano well enough to pick up a piece of ridiculously hard music and have it totally down within 10 days. She's amazing. Someday I'll be able to accompany too... not as well as her... but well enough to be able to cross it off my bucket list. (:
Sunday arrived. I had been fighting off a cold for a week and my voice was feeling the pressure. I was able to practice the song all but twice before my voice started to call it quits. Luckily my mother and I are on the same wave length when we do musical numbers so we didn't have to practice too many times to get things together. Sunday evening showed up... I curled my hair, wore Marysa's bridesmaid dress from my wedding, threw on my high heels, and we made the long drive to the church for the second time that day. My whole family came, even Peter! I checked the program and for heaven's sake I was the first female soloist... internally I freaked out a little bit. It was kinda nice because I didn't have to worry about sounding as good as anyone before me... but not so nice because I didn't know how operatic the ladies after me were going to sound. What if this whole evening is super fancy?? And I sound less than half as good as everyone else??! I mean I can up the vibrato if I have to... being first though made it tough.... so I kept it medium-ish and as lovely as I could muster.
The opening song was song, the opening prayer was prayed. Bro. D. gave a little introduction to the program, stepped to the side of the the mic and sang the first solo of the evening. Without music. Everything completely memorized. Totally nailed it. He then stepped back and called me up to sing the next aria. Luckily I at least remembered to bring my "fancy" ripped up black binder from my Concert Choir days at BYU. The music started. I sang. And I guess you could say everything went well. I only messed up twice but really the audience probably only noticed one of them because I made a funny "I just messed up face." I'm sure there were some Messiah geniuses out there that noticed the other one but oh well. (: I took my heels off half way through the song too... ya know, to prevent myself from passing out... but my family said they didn't notice that either so really from the feedback I think it was tolerable! Wooo! High five!
By the end of the evening I had been uplifted by gorgeous music provided by brothers and sisters in my ward and stake that I didn't even know could sing or play the way they did. It was beautiful. Everyone did an excellent job and I can't wait to join them again next year to take on another one of Handel's arias. During Easter time too... such a great idea.
I had never thought of the Messiah as Easter music but after being a part of the program that evening a few weeks ago I have been reminded how much Christmas and Easter are alike. If any two days of all existence could be the most glorious and wonderful days... they would be the day Christ was born and the day He rose again to save me from my fallen and worldly state.
I have often wondered if I was one of those angels that announced Christ's birth to the world or sang hallelujahs upon His resurrection and appearance to the Nephites in the Americas. I do know that I will be one of the saints singing praises to His name when he returns again. And maybe... just maybe if I'm lucky... I'll be the one crying out to the cities of Judah, saying,
"Behold your God! Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."
"Oh Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion"
Oh thou that tellest good tidings to Zion,
get thee up into the high mountain;
Oh thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up they voice with strength;
Lift it up, be not afraid;
Say unto the cities of Judah,
"Behold your God!
Arise, shine, for thy light is come,
and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."
Thanks for this Katelyn. It makes these past couple of weeks even more meaningful. And I will be in the horn section.
ReplyDeleteWOW! I didn't know I was singing next to a PRO at the Pocatello Messiah! Good thing, I probably would have shut my mouth. :) You are SO stinkin brave, I would have died. Way to go for the dream!!!
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