It's Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas Concert Season!

It's well into Christmas concert season, actually, but how could I pass up a title like that?!

I had a chamber choir concert at the end of November, a Christmas concert with the big choir a week later, went to Julia's instrumental-music concert at school, then yesterday helped to swell out the alto section when our director's church did "Messiah," which was fun -- it's done a lot, yes, but it is one of my favorite masterworks to sing, and I actually can't decide whether the soprano or the alto part is my favorite!  (Yes, I'm still wistful about not being in the alto section any more.  This is my seventh season as a first soprano, and that's still hard to believe.)  The church where we rehearse had asked for some singers for Christmas Eve, but then they decided to just carol on with the congregation as usual, and so while Christmas Eve services are always a pleasure, I'm a bit relieved to be able to just relax.

Here is a progress photo of the "Froth and Bubble" sampler --

at which I've obviously been slightly obsessive, as it's much further along than I expected.  I'm enjoying it tremendously, clearly! and am spending most of my free time, and I confess some of my not-technically-free time, on it.  At the moment, I'm pondering a color switch on those acorns in the bottom panel -- I can't seem to wrap my head around yellow acorns, so I've tried one in a golden-brown, which is not as realistic as the real thing, but more in between brown and the chart's comparatively bright yellow.  (Not that yellow is bad per se, mind you, but for acorns it's just not ... quite right!)

I was watching the Christmas 2017 episode of "The Repair Shop" yesterday evening, as one does, and was delighted to see that one of the craftsmen decided to knit a scarf as his Secret-Santa gift. 

It was a bonus that Will was quietly touched by the gift, perhaps in some disbelief that Dominic could knit at all, but also that he had gone to the effort to do so.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and you knitters, may all of your knitted gifts be as happily received as this scarf!

Comments

[Dawn in NL]

Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2020! Enjoy this year's more restful Christmas Eve service.

[Susan D]

Well, I love singing Messiah, and every year a group of singy friends and I take part in the Singalong Messiah in Toronto. With the wonderful Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir. Conducted by Herr Handel himself. Always a joy.

[Toffeeapple]

I didn't know that you sing! I envy you that ability, I can merely croak.

I wish you and your family a marvellous Christmas and New Year - and here's to a stress free 2020!

[ceci]

oooo, I have never heard of The Repair Shop, it sounds like it has potential!

ceci

[Jeanne]

Ceci, it’s quiet and low-key, just people fixing old things, but the items are the owners’ treasures, and they tell a bit about the reason the things are important to them, which is nice, and the Repair Shop craftspeople are knowledgeable and able to explain things, and they clearly love what they’re doing, which makes it interesting. And even though sometimes I question the extent of the cleaning and rehabilitation of some items -- especially furniture, as of course if you have watched much "Antiques Roadshow" you know that you aren’t supposed to remove the years of varnish and patina! -- I understand the emotional value to the owner of having a family heirloom rejuvenated, as it were. I often wish the episodes were longer, actually!