Christmas Eve Performance

 I will be performing at the Candlelight Service (11pm) at Bethel Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24th)!

I have been rehearsing with my accompanist (my mom) at least once everyday since last Friday.  We practised in the sanctuary for the first time on Sunday...such amazing acoustics, but I'm not sure how it will work with the mics.

O Holy Night, in F, makes that high note at the end a high C (C6 to be exact!) but that's not a hard note for me to reach.

I haven't quite figured out if I'm going to be nervous or not - I know my mom is getting nervous, and it's only Tuesday!!

We're going to rehearse again tomorrow in the sanctuary.  It's kinda funny to watch the people who come in and out of the church look through the glass windows at the back as we're rehearsing.

Maybe I'll see you there...?

Happy Christmas!

Poll Results!

Thanks you to those of you that

participated in the Polls!
Please take the new one!

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What is the tippity-top reason you like

the artist(s) you listen to?

• 75% - They have talent!
• 25% - The sound - don't you like it?

 sadly, only 4 people voted in this poll :'(

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What are the important qualities in music?
(select all that apply)

click to enlarge

• 87% - The Quality!
• 75% - The Entertainment Value
• 50% - Relaxation Properties
• 87% - Evoking Feeling
• 25% - It sounds cool/good
• 25% - Dancin' Time
• 0% - Don't care as long as it has a beat
• 0% - It's on the RADIO...
• 0% - I need to know?

 Thank you to the eight people who took this!

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What do you think about memorising music?

click to enlarge

• 0% - It's Stupid!
• 42% - SO AWESOME!! ... to watch
• 14% - IT'S SSOOO DIFFICULT!!
• 0% - It's how I learn everything I play
• 0% - never have I ever, never will I
• 0% - whatever
• 28% - Love It!
• 14% - Do you know how many things I can randomly pull out for you???

 Seven People took this one...

Friends of Rain Part 2b

I found out that since I had partially filled out my time card for November, I'm getting paid for the time I put in!  YAY!!  Now to add the rest of November's hours so I get paid for them!!!! 

Orchestra's Winter Concert - Last Thoughts

(I apologise if this isn't entirely coherent...)

Last night's orchestra concert (@ L&C) was probably the most difficult concert I've played.

A lot of the music was written in the stratosphere - i rarely played in 1st position...almost always in 3rd or higher

Dvořák  - first movement of the "From the New World" Symphony.

     i think with all the time we spent on this, we hit that plateau of goodness and some of us started falling off the other side.  we had already performed this in mid-october

 
Humperdinck - Hänsel und Gretel - Lied des Sandmännchens, Abendsegen und Traum-Pantomine

   it was really neat to have two student vocalists join us for this piece (Ameila Mulford & Courtney Williams)

   had the 1st violins' highest notes of the concert

Mascagni - Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana

         technique-wise, the easiest piece on the program.  it went amazing well, we had a student conductor who did a lovely job

Tchaikovsky - Overture-Fantasy from Romeo & Juliet

   we had SO MUCH energy in this - I don't know if it was from feeling or wanting to to be done, or knowing we were almost done...but it was amazing - we (being 1st violins) even found the REALLY high B out of nowhere at the end

~ Performers ~

Violin I: Helen Goldstein, Rachel Klabunde, Erica Liebert, Chrissy Misso^ ^{D, M},
Dan Rasay*, Lucy Roberts, Nicholas Wilkins, Julia Yeckes ^{H, T}

Violin II: Gabby Castro, Christian Dicker ^{D, H, M, T}, Alexandra Hubbard, Emily Katzman,
Cate Margeson, Jarrod Nixon, Devan Wardrop-Saxton

Viola: Greg Allen ^{D, H, M, T}, Angelika Furtwangler*, Dana Levin

  Cello: Daniel Caplen, Sage Coy, Joshua Dunham ^{D, M}, Genevieve Harding ^{H, T}, Dorien de León*, Kenzie Rowlett

Bass: Neva Hauser ^{D, H, M, T}, Elliot Kuhlman, Susan Su; Harp: Sophia Dagnello
Flute: Barra Brown; Clarinet: Alex Burfitt*, Catalina Schnitman; Oboe: Erin Ohashi, Caitlin Partridge
Bassoon: Mark Eubanks*, Erika Thorsen; French Horn: Joseph English, Justine Flynn*, Sarah Kelly*, William Stalnaker*

Trumpet: James O’Banion*, Branden Pursinger; Trombone: Spencer Suffling, Gabrielle Yelland; Tuba: David Salkowski

Percussion: James Patrick Lenon, Steven Skolnik

*L&C Community Members; ^{D, H, M, T} Chairs (Representative of Composer’s Name); ^ concertmaster 

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light."

Last night, I went to L&C's Annual Holiday Gala Service of Sacred Song & Verse, the 38th Annual Holiday Gala.  The Chapel was decorated with Poinsettias and candles.

The Columbia Brass (Craig Gibson, Bruce Dunn, William Stalnaker, David Bryan, Jack Quinby = 3 of whom are associated with L&C) played "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "The Holly and the Ivy" as a prelude.  (I'm not sure I like their placement in the Chapel--I think it may have diminished their sound.)

L&C's new president, Barry Glasner, made the welcome speech.  He asked who else was there for the first time and who had been at the first Gala in 1972.  He pointed out that even though the program changes every year, the Gala is still about togetherness, creating familiarity and newness at the same time.

"One person's tradition is another's discovery." ~ Barry Glasner

The Introit, "Elevation" played by Chris Keady on the organ was a serene Christmasy beginning to the music to follow.  Antiphon involved the Alumni Choir, Cappella Nova, Columbia Brass, Timpani, and the Organ; despite their spread around the room, the large group kept everything together.

This was followed by a reading from Psalm 67 and a Congregational carol (O Come All Ye Faithful) in which the choir had an alternate 3rd stanza but was very difficult to hear.

The Distler piece FitzGibbon picked for the Gala was executed beautifully - "Singet Frisch und Wohlgemut" (trans. Sing brightly and cheerfully).

This was followed by a neat blues/jazz arrangement of "Go Tell It On the Mountain" for the brass.  The first verse was straight, and the choruses and verses to follow were all ornamented and/or swung.  In the 2nd round of the chorus they added a snap to the beat and got the congregation involved.

Sister Loretta Schaff read Isaiah 55 and the Women's Chorus sang "Scedryk" (the original version "Carol of the Bells" - Ukrainian) and "The Snow".  "Scedryk" was a cappella and "The Snow" had piano and a violin duo accompaniment--gorgeous, but not quite sure what feelings I was supposed to get while listening to it.

A Congregational singing of "Joy to the World" brought the reading of John 1: 1-4 and Reverend Mark Duntley's Reflections.  Duntley talked about traditions: decorations, compassion of the season all leading to his point of bringing light and love to others.  He mentioned an exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry, his family's Advent Calender (Christmas All Over the World), mumming, and a Ukrainian legend about a spider.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2)

"Hine Mah Tav" by Bernstein was sung by Cappella Nova from the side pews - a calm setting of Psalm 133.  The last Congregational hymn was "Silent Night".

"Ai, nama mamina" was a fun a cappella piece to listen to - very quick and in Latvian, a song about ancient Mummers.

Duntley closed the service reminding us to spread the light.  Keady's postlude, "Canzona", held everyone in the Chapel, and at its conclusion, everyone seemed calmer when they arrived.

I always enjoy going to this service.  It is almost a soothing thing at the end of the semester when everything is crazy.  A reminder of the holiday season and what it means to me.

Go in peace and shine in the Light

POLLS!!

Everyone should take the polls on the left - and visit the Polls & Results page after they close!!
(current polls close late Tuesday, Dec 7th, night)


<3 chrissy 
made TEENY on 8 Dec

Friends of Rain Part 2

You remember that concert by that group that I work with that I was telling you about at the beginning of November?  (you can read about it here)

Well, I forgot to submit my time card!!!!
Now I have to wait longer to get paid!!

I was kinda of upset about this at first, but I've accepted it now...I'll get paid in January, when I normally wouldn't have had a large pay check because only I only work about 2 weeks of December.

Thinking about this reminds me that I still need to pick up my reimbursement check...