BSO Sing Along tomorrow.
Last night I spent 4 hours practicing my(alto) part singing with the CD and the sheet music. For an amateur like myself, sheet music is quite a language – and definitely not an easy one. I helped myself a lot though by playing my part on the piano to see which notes I have to hit.

Choir singing is not as easy as it may look at the first glance, let me tell you that. When S, A, T and B (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) sing the same word, but each hits a different note, it can be quite tricky to hit yours instead of getting swept away by the power of other voices and getting tangled in someone else’s part. I am mostly talking about the original Handel’s Hallelujah, my favorite piece, a work of unmatched beauty and harmony. (The rest of the songs are an adapted Handel, a mix of Gospel and jazz).
On the one hand, physically, for the voice it’s kind of easier to sing those adapted versions of Handel. However, overall, for me personally, it’s so much easier to sing the original Handel. Being a vocally challenging piece, it gives you so much satisfaction to actually sing it and being able to chip in a little bit of your own heart into it. It’s not about ambition. Not at all. Rather it’s about being able to come closer to a piece of genius work. Feels like looking at the statue of Victory Samothrace in the Louvre, or Leonardo’s Mona Lisa.

I am not nervous (just yet).
Hei - I am not singing solo after all! But the whole thing of having this opportunity is so exciting.
Troy loves the original Hallelujah. No matter where he is, be it his car seat or his play pan, he hops to it and laughs out loud very happily. And I… I love the fact that he loves it. I wish we could bring him – but we can’t.
Stay tuned for an update. Tomorrow is the day!