'Tis The Season

Christmas time at our house is always very busy, because it means lots of Christmas concerts! Though this year doesn't have nearly as many as other years, there are still quite a few!

A highlight for me, not only in this season, but in all the concerts I've done, has been conducting part of Handel's Messiah this past weekend. I got to work with an amazing director, phenomenal accompanists, and incredibly talented and fun singers. We've been rehearsing two nights a week since September, and it's been a lot of fun. We performed it Saturday and Sunday nights, and both were great. Really great. Definitely not your average church choir!! They sounded amazing. And with the soloists and instrumentalists... wow, was it ever fun! Not to mention the power and spirit of singing that text at this time of year. Okay, I'll stop talking about it now. Well, no I won't, because I haven't told you the best part of Sunday's performance.

At the end of the show, they were acknowledging each of the conductors and accompanists. When it was my turn to go up, I got on the stage, and as the choir rose to their feet to clap, I accepted the flowers and gave Janine a hug. Then I turned to the audience to bow, and there is one head above all the rest in that huge audience. Dave was standing for me. I immediately started crying, and apparently forgot how to walk because I had to think really hard about how to get down the steps in my long skirt and high heels.

We're not ones to post our undying love on facebook or anywhere else usually, but his unfailing support definitely deserves mention here. Not only has he been supportive of this time-consuming Messiah schedule (and the rest of my choral endeavors), but encouraging and helpful, and never a complaint when I'd leave in the middle of Sunday dinner, or leave him with two cranky girls on a Thursday night.

And then he stood for me. (And he waited until almost every other person was gone so he could drive me home.)

I love you, Dave!

Tonight I had my Junior Kindergarten Christmas Concert. Almost as cute as Elysse's dance recital. Picture 80 4-year-olds on stage singing for 20 minutes. It was adorable. Especially when this little girl wouldn't stop trying to kiss the little boy beside her! And I only saw one picking their nose (and eating it!).

Now tomorrow, I have concerts for kindergartens and grade 1s, and then voice recital on Saturday, and then I need to do my Christmas shopping and baking!

'Tis the season at our house!