rehearsal today was wonderful. three hours of focused, intentional singing by everyone. i’ve never heard people singing in such perfect unison (not note-wise, but rhythm and cut offs and dynamics). i know why it’s happening now. because of the piece we are doing, and the meaning behind the performance.

three singers who survived the concentration camps and sang this piece at terezin, will be present for our performance.

i personally have been practicing this music on my own, every single day. i feel a huge responsibility to know this music as well as i can, so that i can do justice to what they endured.

i know other people feel the same. no one at all is complaining about anything. it’s really remarkable to see what can come out of 120 singers all working toward one vision. something like this brings us all to a new level of performance.

this concert is going to be transcendent. i can feel it. it’s building and we are already so in step with each other. it’s going to be something never to forget.

have i mentioned how very very grateful i am to be singing again with the chorus? how lucky i feel? how i know what an honor it is to be able to do this?

and i’ve been in really good voice this week. i can sing the softest pianissimos and the loudest fortes with ease.

i was thinking about our former music director, thomas, who always wanted me to take voice lessons. i took them briefly, but always because of vocal health issues (nodes, sinuses, allergies), lack of money or lack of time, i didn’t take them for long.

on the way home from rehearsal tonight i decided that i would look into lessons again. he told me that he thought if i took lessons, i could do great things with my voice. i never forgot that. it meant a lot.

i wish he was still alive. i miss him. he’d be so proud of all of us for this concert…