Monday, December 18, 2006

Agnus Dei, Lord have mercy (part 1)

Agnus Dei means "Lamb of God," and it's also the title of the cantata we sang last night - my first big choir performance ever (not counting the Sunday mornings when we've sung single hymns in our choir robes and then left the stage). We had to get there an hour and a half early for a final light and sound check, and the same thing that makes cars run better when they're clean must apply to choir singers when they're dressed up fancy in matching ties and scarves, because we sounded G.O.O.D. I could see it on the music director's face when we ran through "This is Love," which is basically the message of John 3:16 set to music. He warned us that the danger in doing well in rehearsal was that we'd slack off during the actual performance, so we were under strict orders not to overdo it. Still, we knew. When I looked at my fellow altos their eyes said Oh, yeah. Twenty minutes before show time we stowed our stuff in a back hall closet and I commandeered the utility bathroom, where I shellacked my hair into place and redid lipstick. Then it was downstairs for corporate prayer and I Love Lemon tea for the vocal chords. And I was fine. A little choked up, maybe, knowing that this first big concert was also likely to be my last with this group I'd grown to love and admire over the past few months, but overall just fine. Upstairs in the foyer we arranged ourselves for the entrance, and when it was time to walk down the aisle to the opening oboe notes of "Agnus Dei" I felt fully prepared to give all that I had in glorious, worshipful song. My family was seated smack dab in the front row, and I threw them a jaunty smile as I passed. Who could have foreseen that less than one minute later I'd be a bobble head?

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:17 PM

    Why were you a bobble head? Did I miss a part II somewhere? I am just kicking and punching myself for having to miss that concert. I'll bet you sounded like an angel.

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  2. Well, my mother said I looked like a nun, so take your pick.

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  3. Anonymous3:00 PM

    A little extra effort was given to the "pious virginal" look, eh?

    ReplyDelete