Thought of the Week
Last week, I sang Gabriel Faure's Requiem with St. Stephen's choir and several talented guest singers. The concert, directed by James Turner and accompanied by Preston Smith on the piano, was offered to the community as part of a week-long celebration of the Armonk Outdoor Art Show's 50th anniversary. In my humble opinion, and from the responses from several concertgoers, it was a tremendous success.
When James asked us to consider being a part of this community endeavor, I wasn't sure I wanted to commit to the time-consuming practice schedule. After all, I was already volunteering with the Art Show that weekend. I was also really excited about enjoying some extra free time since our only child was heading off to college at the end of August. I envisioned myself reading more, watching great films, spending more time with my husband, our dog, and my far flung family and friends. I was also thinking about my future as I was about to be downsized from my job as a stay-at-home mom. Spending time on recreating my resume would certainly be a good idea, although that thought scared me because I hadn't had a "real" full-time job since 1993! So, I again procrastinated serious work on my resume. But I knew I wanted to try something new and challenging now that my life was changing rather dramatically. With uncertain expectations of myself as a singer, I agreed to commit to singing Faure's Requiem.
The experience of preparing for the concert was indeed challenging in many ways. While I grew up in a home filled with classical music, I never learned to read music, so it is often difficult for me to keep up with those with real music skills. The long, sweeping melodies and beautiful harmony demanded flawless tone and breath control. But it turned out it didn't matter that I couldn't read music. I simply followed our director's advice, made an "egg-shaped mouth" and tried to shape the notes I couldn't read on paper into sound as beautiful as the composer intended. It helped that many other singers of great talent and experience surrounded me, and the CD we were given to practice our parts was invaluable. I loved singing the movements in my car as I ran my errands around town! Sure, I looked silly but I wasn't torturing my husband, my dog or my neighbors like I did when I practiced at home!
I have tried many new things that have been fun and rewarding since joining St. Stephen's. I've taught Sunday School, served coffee in a place other than my home kitchen, sung in a choir, sung a major choral work in a celebratory concert,worked in a thrift shop, volunteered in a food pantry and collected school supplies for underprivileged children in the Dominican Republic. It is a blessing to have fun doing these things with my old friends from St. Stephen's and with the new friends I make along the way. Far from being sad now that my nest is empty, I am feeling rewarded by the new opportunities that await me.
Speaking of trying new things, Faure tried something new when he rejected the usual notion of a Requiem as evoking the torment awaiting the damned at death and omitted much of the movement having to do with judgment and terror from his composition. Instead, he chose a more optimistic and perhaps even joyful approach to the subject of death, an approach that focused on eternal rest and peace for the departed. I have found that trying new things and meeting new people is what keeps my life interesting. St. Stephen's is a great place to try new things!
