Come on, ring those bells!

Despite no snow and no cold weather in Phoenix, I love this time of year. I love the joy, the carols, the sharing of the story of Jesus' birth, the presents (I mean, of course, that I love wrapping the presents!), the Christmas lights, the food--and I even love the hustle and bustle. I love the chance to reconnect with old friends and to reminisce about old memories as I pull out the Christmas decorations. And I love singing Christmas carols (anyone want to go caroling with me?!).

The other thing I love about Christmas is the sound of ringing bells. A few years ago, while living in South Dakota, I started playing hand bells with a group at my church. Though I had taken piano lessons for several years and knew how to read music, I had never picked up a hand bell before. The biggest difference between playing piano and playing the hand bells is that with piano you're an individual, with hand bells you're part of a larger group and everyone has to work together as a team to make the music "work." (And at times, it can be hard work!)

(This is me ringing alongside my friends Karady and Nancy)

This past spring my church here in Phoenix purchased a used set of hand bells and I've enjoyed being part of the first group to ring them. We rang several Christmas pieces this past Sunday and the weather was nice enough that we could play outside!

Anyone who loves music should try their hand at hand bells (pun intended). There's really only one thing you need to know in order to play--you need to know how to COUNT! Being able to read music is helpful, but not required since most people mark the notes they're responsible for with a highlighter or colored pencil. Having a sense of musicality is also helpful, but not necessary (it's helpful for when you get lost in the music and you're waiting for your neighbor to whisper the measure number!). But being able to count is a necessity--your assigned bells play at different times, in different measures, and you need to be able to follow along with the beats!

I love the challenge of playing hand bells. I love the fact that I have to let go of my perfectionist tendencies when I play--not only do I make mistakes, but my fellow ringers also make mistakes and I've had to learn to let go and just have fun! Wrong notes can very clearly be heard when playing bells but the show must go on!

I also love that like all music, every hand bell composition has some sort of musical story, or rather, a musical journey--a journey that I enjoy traveling with my bell ringing colleagues.

(My nephew Carter enjoyed "directing" the bells, and niece Halle had fun dancing to the music!)

Oh, and though I forgot to blog about this earlier in the year, this completes #92 on the list!

Fa la la la la!

This past weekend I made my debut performance in the Festival of Lights (FOL) at Palmcroft Baptist Church. For 15 years, Palmcroft has hosted a FOL Christmas production (different every year) that includes choir, drama, live orchestration and lights that hang from the rafters and criss-cross around the room (75,000 lights in all!). Though I had attended the performance last year as part of the audience, this was my first time involved as a member of the choir and I had a blast.

(See the lights hanging from the ceiling above the set? They're strung all around the auditorium like that!)

I loved it all--the singing, dancing, acting, sharing of the Christmas story and that God is the "Hope of the World." I loved the months spent memorizing music and the extra rehearsals leading up to the performances. I loved getting to know my fellow choir members more personally and making some new friends. I loved praying for people in the audience who were perhaps hearing the salvation message for the first time in their lives. Truly it was an amazing experience to be part of something with eternal implications.

I loved seeing everyone's costumes, and hanging out "backstage." And I loved that the program didn't list any names--though we were having a great time, it wasn't about us--we were simply a vessel, a tool, to be used for God's purposes.

(My friends Kara and Heather made great singing partners and wonderful new friends!)

A quick note for anyone interested in attending in future years (it's never too early to start thinking about who you'd like to invite!): the event is completely free--an outreach to the community, friends, family, co-workers, neighbors--but tickets are required (the performances are packed--we even had to add an extra performance this year!).

(Carter and Halle came to the first performance with mommy and daddy, and then came back
on day 2 for cookies and hot apple cider with nana and papa!)

How can I keep from singing?

I love to sing. I'm not really a sing-in-the-shower type of girl, but I do love to sing in my car, and with other people, and I love karaoke (though I haven't done that since my college days!). And one of my secret dream jobs has always been to be a background singer (though I think I might be glamorizing the singing and travel life a bit).

Tonight I went to choir practice, after a 6-week absence due to my class schedule and vacation schedule, and it was great. And my soul was refreshed. And I realized how blessed I am to have a choir community--a place to sing and worship, all at the same time.

There's just something about harmonizing with others, making beautiful music, and raising our voices in worship that brings me a sense of peace and calm.

Some of my favorite memories are singing with friends and family...

• Singing with my two cousins both when I was toddler and now as an adult (on the rare occasions that the three of us are in the same city at the same time--most often for weddings and funerals!)
• Singing with a group from choir at my high school convocation
• Singing in several high school and youth choir musicals
• Singing at family gatherings
• Singing with several church choirs

I've sung with church choirs big and small and though I love the robust sound of the larger choirs, I also love the community of the small choirs--how everyone knows everyone--those small choirs often became my family!

Now I sing with a larger choir and I certainly do not know everyone, but I am thankful for my friends Darlene, Debbie, Theresa, Christina and Linda who keep an eye on me, notice when I'm missing, check-in to see how I'm doing, and raise their beautiful voices in worship. I am truly blessed to sing with them, to stand beside them, and to be enveloped into their community.

How can I keep from singing Your praise

How can I ever say enough

How amazing is Your love

How can I keep from shouting Your name

I know I am loved by the King

And it makes my heart want to sing

--Chris Tomlin (Christian music artist)

#53 - See an Opera

Last weekend I crossed #53 off my list. I saw an opera—for what I thought was the first time…but then during intermission I saw a poster for the 2010/11 Arizona Opera concert season which includes a performance of The Pirates of Penzance--I saw that "comedic opera" by Gilbert & Sullivan in college and didn’t realize it was an “opera” since the singing was in English!

So, what I call my first "real" opera was La bohème. The performance I went to (Sunday afternoon) was sold out and the audience was a mix of young and old—literally. There was an older couple to my left (who were avid opera goers and helped answer several of my questions), a group of middle-aged women to my right (who were out for an afternoon on the town), and a grandma and her three granddaughters behind me (who were on their first opera outing, but should have left their sack lunches at home!).

La bohème is a tragic love story (of course), but one without a villain (except the villain of death). This particular opera is sung in Italian, but English surtitles were great in helping the audience to follow along with the story (the story was even humorous at times and it was interesting to hear the audience laugh together).

For budgetary reasons I had purchased a seat in the balcony of Symphony Hall, but I actually enjoyed being up there. I had a good line of site to both the surtitles and the stage, plus, I personally enjoyed being able to see down into the orchestra pit (I like watching the harpist!). My seat-mates to the left (the avid opera-goers who I could sometimes hear humming to the music!) told me they always sit in the balcony because they feel the sound is better. They pointed out that the singers don’t use microphones (we’re talking projection, people!) and the sound rises (up to us in the balcony!).

The opera isn’t for everyone (like if you don’t enjoy classical music or foreign films), but it’s a great experience and I would certainly go again. And I’d recommend everyone try it at least once!

Things I'll do at my next opera: I'll dress up (I was in jeans and sweater which I thought would be acceptable for a matinee performance--it was ok, but I should have taken advantage of this dress-up affair!); I'll order a Bravotini at the bar to sample during intermission (like all the other cool people did!); I'll take someone with me (it's an interesting experience similar to a concert or a foreign film). And, maybe I'll even bring some binoculars--during the performance I kept thinking of that scene in Pretty Woman where Richard Gere has taken Julia Roberts' character to the opera for the first time, and Julia is flummoxed as to how to use the opera glasses!