We had our first performance of the spring concert cycle last Sunday. It was warm but we had AC! Those things mean a lot when you have to be in front of people. Most importantly, the concert went fine, despite one of our basses being ill.

I liked the music but didn’t really fall in love with it until I was conducting the first portion of the concert. Everything came together with my singers and the music and the pianists and the audience. It was everything I had hoped it to be, and more.

We do it again June 6. And I can’t wait!

Our concerts are rapidly approaching and there is much to do. The program notes are being written and the program, itself, is being formatted. Texts are being translated. The real hard work was done long ago. In a few days, we can just relax and sing. Once the little details are finished, it is music time!

Mother’s Day is Sunday and I am going to visit my parents. Mom is 82 and still a soprano in her heart and soul. The songs she taught me were not the typical songs, since she was a coloratura soprano and sang in choirs as a paid soloist or in shows for most of my childhood. I do remember, very distinctly, her practicing the Queen of the Night runs from “The Magic Flute”, almost every day well into her 60s, usually while doing the dishes. These are the kinds of things most “civilians” take for granted–but those runs have to be practiced and practiced for them to stay in the voice. And those were the real “songs” my mother taught me– in order to stay in practice for difficult things when you need to be , you have to practice. Even when doing dishes.