09 June 2002 - 2:11 p.m.

Whoofdy, as Beth would say. Where were we? Out sick Wednesday and Thursday; back at work Friday and slogging away until past 8 p.m.; then home to make a late dinner (salmon, asparagus, pesto and couscous)for the Beautiful Young Man and myself. Then cleaning.

Saturday: forty people on the sanctuary platform --> a long and hot but productive rehearsal. The Eliot Chapel conductor is an exuberant man named Leon Burke with an enormous wingspan and a sure grasp of interpretation and acoustics - it was a treat watching him adjust to our sanctuary and cajole the choirs into producing the dynamics/diction he wanted. (Also, since I was switch-singing amongst alto, tenor and soprano I was sitting right at the crease between the sections and got to overhear Leon's goofing and booming when he sat in the bass section. Hee!)

My houseguest turned out to be a white-haired female tenor wearing a pinafore she'd quilted herself; she also happened to be the guardian of the elegant, gleaming Eliot Chapel handbells, which were lovingly cushioned in bath towels inside an orange and white cooler. (I'm not making fun here - the incongruity between the bells and their medium of transport is hilarious, but they're clearly well-cared for and rang true.) She was very jolly in spite of having what definitely qualifies as an annus horribilus - her family business is going under, her mother suffered a series of strokes, her father sliced off a finger - oy! It also happened to be her 57th birthday, so the BYM and I made a point of treating her to dinner at Tin Angel and ice cream at Maggie Moo's (where we ran into several other members of her choir).

Music Sunday went very well. This year's theme was music written by Unitarian Universalist composers; the postlude, which we are performing again in a couple of hours, is a piece called "Lift Your Voice and Sing" which Jason and MK wrote for the ordination of our intern minister this afternoon (so this morning's performance was the "world premiere," as it were). It is so cool - three-handed piano, percussion and eight-part chorus - it's music packed with energy and absolutely perfect for the occasion. I can't wait to sing it again.