None Other Lamb - inspirational links.

And also, for the "feel" - 

Greatest of all!! Aretha and Mahalia

Mahalia Jackson sang this song right before Martin Luther King "I have a dream" speech.

June 12, 1963 - Medgar Evers

November 22, 1963 - John F Kennedy

February 21, 1965 - Malcolm X

April 4, 1968 - Martin Luther King

June 5, 1968 - Robert F Kennedy 

I vividly remember each of these events. 

Each of us must do what we can, individually and collectively, to make certain that the noble aspiration and highest vision of these martyred leaders continues to manifest peacefully and joyously in our society. Constant vigilance - the price of freedom. 

Every time we meet to unite our voices and our effort in producing beautiful music, we help to realize these noble dreams and aspirations.
We do even BETTER than the original aspirations, for these men, far-seeing as they may have been, still did not envision a place for EVERYONE at the table of justice and equality.
We, however, do envision this place, and more and more of us are taking it. ABOUT TIME!

I blame it all on Star Trek - which didn't exist at the time. We are now fully enlightened and we are doing our part!!

Keep on keeping on!

Yours in musical solidarity,

Rev. Dr. Comrade Lee

WELCOME BACK EVERYONE!

Hola everybody - welcome to Winter Quarter 2016, WEEK TWO (yikesss!)

A bit of fun inspiration - I found these audio clips of voice coaching sessions with Michael Jackson and his coach for over 25 years, Seth Riggs.
Part 1:

Part 2:

Seth Riggs - memories of MJ:

0000000000000000000000

More in a bit...I'm juggling 5 tasks right now and it's #4's turn ;-)
LL&P,
Lee

Is that all there is?

Hello everyone,
By now I hope you've all had time to (at least) rest a bit from our EPIC labors on those EPIC wonderful EPIC insanely intense EPIC successful EPIC audience-pleasing EPIC musically satisfying EPIC detail-obsessed EPIC concerts!

Yes, folks, the word for today is:
wait for it...
SUCCESS.

We succeeded.

And, on March 5th - we do it again. With mostly different music. In a different performance space. For a different audience. In a different ecclesiastical context.

Sho'nuff!
The Lenten Prayer concert features some knock-down, drag-out, butt-kicking GORGEOUS music. I can't wait to hear how we will sound when everything's ready to perform. I'm especially eager to hear what time and reflection have done for the Fall music that will be repeated in March. Musical slow-cooking is the best kind!

Have a fabulous break, everybody!
Lee

I will be working on music (my recital, our concerts, and another very exciting outside gig I have coming up), stage-1 composing a few things (I do this in layers, like cooking a large and festive dinner), and making an absolutely indecent quantity of handworked objects from knitted/crocheted wearables to Zentangles and ZIA.

No, not really. I'll do the required WQ prep, soften up the recital music, and then laze around on my tukhus doing absolutely nothing. I'm old enough to consider "doing nothing" one of the cardinal virtues. Nothingness being next to godliness, I shall increase my store of merit exponentially during the next three weeks.

Take care,
Lee

                                                                   

YAHOOLA BOOLA, HAPPY ANTE-ANTE-PENULTIMATE!!!

Hello everyone!
Wow, Chorale really rocked today in noon section! Your enthusiasm and energy were palpable. And Betelehemu sounded so great with Denny on congas. Just think how rocking this will be in the church with Denny, Thione and the alums! You are leaders of the pack - do it proud!

SELF CARE
Putting on my Aunty LP hat here: with 3 days to go, it's really important for everyone to begin making extra deposits in the Sleep Bank. Eat big, eat well, rest, keep your head neck and extremities covered! I'm amazed by how many people (choirfolk included, alas!) I see running around outside with uncovered heads and necks. Your voice lives in your head and your air passes through those hard-working little vocal folds to emerge in all of its glorious majesty. Give yourself a bit of extra pampering right along through here.

Stay hydrated!! 

Save the beer for Saturday night AFTER the concert! Alcohol does bad things to your vocal folds (not to mention the rest of you ;-( And please, don't "Smoke" (cough, cough - ahem...) smoking ain't great in general and "Smoking" is about the worst thing a person can do to their poor vocal folds.

We're almost there, folks...almost ready to serve the magnificent musical feast we have jointly been preparing since September. This is Mile 24 of the marathon - press on with determination, spirit, and alertness - and victory shall be ours ;-)

LL&P,
Lee

Here's a little re-interpreted Handel for your enjoyment. The album is titled "Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration." I am on my 2nd CD of this album; I absolutely wore the first one out with repeated playings.

"And He Shall Purify"

"Hallelujah Chorus"

and, the great Al Jarreau..."Why do the nations..."

See y'all tomorrow!
LL&P and in soulful singing solidarity,
Lee

Being Great Company at St. Joseph Church

Hello everyone,

Here 'tis - info on being the very best possible guests at our dress rehearsals and concerts.

"Upstairs" - is every space upstairs: the nave ("auditorium"), narthex ("lobby"), etc.

EVERYBODY
Food Upstairs - NO. Don't consume it or display it openly (i.e., wrapped salad plates, foam containers, etc.) No sight or smell of food in the nave or narthex.
Food In the Social Hall - YES. This is our eating space.

Water in closed containers - YES upstairs and downstairs. However: Pack out your trash.
Other beverages (coffee cups, juice, etc. etc.) NO. Not upstairs. Okay in social hall (pack out your trash).

Noise - The church hosts a group of homeless men who sleep in the church gymnasium, directly across from the social hall. I don't know when their lights-out time begins (I think, 8 p.m.) but if you see people in the gymnasium, PLEASE BE VERY QUIET WHILE IN THE HALLWAY AND ON THE STAIRS LEADING UP TO THE NAVE.
Noise, elsewhere - Save your singing voices by speaking in a low tone when in the social hall. The room is super-echoey. If you're not vigilant, you'll find your pitch and volume rising.

Things - Please be very careful when walking around anything that is free-standing in the nave or narthex. Particularly! - be careful if there are tables set up near or in the main processional aisle and topped with objects.

DRIVERS
Parking - dress rehearsals: Okay to use UN-MARKED parking spaces in the church parking lot. Okay to park on the street.
Parking - concerts: Not okay to use the church parking lot - find parking on the street (see below)
Parking along 18th Avenue (the front entrance to the church).
Do not park in the loading zone. You are allowed to unload people or equipment, but after you do that, you need to find a parking space.
Directly in front of the church, there is a patch of concrete that looks like a parking space BUT IS NOT. The church officials call this "the sidewalk" and cars do not belong on it. If in doubt, just follow the curb line from the actual corner of 18th and Aloha, down 18th. Park only in the actual street.

BE GOOD COMPANY!
Respect the space, space needs, and wishes of our hosts. Help each other to remember the guidelines.
I deeply appreciate all of the care and effort shown by everyone in our group, particularly when we're at St. Joseph.
Let's continue to work together as we respectfully engage our most important, CRUCIAL off-campus rehearsal and performance venue.

PRIZE CODE
Well, nobody gave me BUTTS IN SEATS from my previous post, so it still stands. Sits. Crouches. Whatever ;-)

Butts in seats means, more pizza for US!

Hello everyone,
It's really important that we all do our part to sell tickets to the concerts.
Our budget allocations cover only a fraction (a large fraction, but still a fraction!) of the cost of running the choir program. By November, the budget allocations for program expense FOR THE ENTIRE ACADEMIC YEAR!!! are usually tapped out (or close to it). Apart from salaries, we are paying our own way for roughly two quarters of every academic year.
Last year, an accident with a rented truck put enormous, serious dents (!) in our funds. We began this year with less than $100 in money that we'd made for ourselves.

There are many ways we could look at the situation, not all of them constructive. I choose to take the high road (!) and think that with all of the enthusiastic, go-getting, networking, talented people in our organization, we can MOVE THOSE TICKETS and PACK THE HOUSE at both concerts. We're good! People love our work! Let's get out there and invite and sell tix and work together to provide a first-class musical experience for our audiences - which will also rebuild our choir war chest.

Butts in seats, y'all - butts in seats.
Have those tix handy.
Grab concert postcards from the choir room and get the word out!
If people try to snake away by saying, "Well, I will be busy - I can't come to the concert" -don't let them off the hook! Ask them for a donation!

The money we make for ourselves goes here:
1. We cover concert expenses (Christmas this year will run about $5.3K, and that's on the lean side!).
2. We build our stash against unexpected but necessary expenses (truck accident, for example)
3. We build money to provide fun experiences for ourselves (Pizza! Guest presenters! Inside track to Stretch! Supporting Music Division projects that benefit us all! More pizza!)
4. We avoid the scary and totally unnecessary experience of being forever "close to the bone" financially. NO one should have to endure that - particularly a group of people as talented, hard-working, well-connected as our group.

So - go forth, all ye who care - and sell those tickets! Solicit those donations! GET THOSE BUTTS IN THE SEATS!! We're good. They need to hear us. They'll be glad they came to our concerts. They don't know it yet, but we're the best thing since sliced kielbasa. Music and money aren't mutually exclusive!

The prize password for this post is: BUTTS IN SEATS. First 5 people to communicate this to me, AND give me some idea of what I put in this post, will win their sweet and interesting tchotchke treats.
GO FORTH AND CONQUER.
Y'all, I'm on the Chrome Book at home right now and I couldn't link inspirational videos to my post if someone put a gun to my head. I'll take care of that tomorrow.
Sweet dreams, wonderful practice, and KA-CHING! Music and money, YEA! BUTTS IN SEATS!
LL&P,
Lee

This Mr. Handel, I wish I'd known him.

Hello everyone,

Mr. Handel was quite a character!
What incredibly delicious scandal, mayhem and enmity!!
Fabulous.