Elgan speaks
...and her words thunder across the land

Monday, monday�

Monday, Mar. 28, 2005
7:54 p.m.
Today was officially a holiday at the university, but I did not take one. This morning, after posting my impressions of yesterday, Hubby and I headed over to the cathedral in Sh�brooke, an enormous Catholic church that overlooks the city, for the first rehearsal of next Saturday�s concert. I�m singing, so my instrument was relatively easy to carry up the winding staircase to the organ loft, but Hubby had to heft his electric guitar and amplifier up all those stairs. The choir consists of only nine voices, all young, mostly untrained, very uneven in quality, but very enthusiastic nonetheless. I didn�t do too badly with Marc�s piece, although the last movement scares the bejeebers out of me, and I have lots of practising to do before our next rehearsal on Friday evening. Hubby�s piece I first sang (created, as the parlance goes) 16 years ago when I was ready to burst at the seams with Buddy Boy. There were two performances, one at Bushop�s on one Saturday, and one at L0y0la Chapel at C0nc0rdia University in M�real the next, and while I was still able to wear my nice stage shoes for the first concert, I was in open sandals for the second. The tenors in the choir were laying odds as to whether I would go into labour on stage or not. In fact, Buddy Boy was born by c�sarean section a week later. So it�s really a thrill for me to sing this piece again.

The fact that the performers are all in the balcony at the back of the church, out of view of the audience means that there is no need to agonize over what to wear. Anything will do.

After a very hurried lunch, I rushed over to the university to teach my recital student a two-hour lesson. Her accompanist, my friend Vlad, was there too, and we got through two-thirds of her programme, correcting vocal things as well as just plain note and rhythm mistakes. I�m a little concerned that her Gretschen am Spinnrade has so many bloopers in it. Hopefully she�ll put in the practice-room time and fix them.

This exhausting session was followed by a quick shopping trip to stock up on staples, and then my belly dancing class, where we practised arabesques and pirouettes, and I got very dizzy. My teacher did comment that I had good form, though, which was a nice change, considering she�s usually correcting me for bending my knees when I�m not supposed to, keeping them straight when they�re supposed to be bent, and a myriad of other sins. I am trying very hard to keep my abdominal muscles contracted, since I notice a tendency to swayback and I have been experiencing pain due to this imperfection of posture.

Now, after a supper of rotini and pesto and salad (which Hubby made, although I made the pesto last summer) I am super tired and want to drop. But I have Latin verb synopses to complete and miles to go before I sleep.

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