We finally made it back to Salt Lake City after a very long day of travel and a slightly delayed flight out of Dublin to Chicago. Everyone in our group made it back in one piece, thankfully, and so did our luggage! Hooray!
Our last night in Dublin was a fun one! Morgan and I went with John and Kagen to see a real session on Thursday night, and it was amazing! The night we were supposed to see one in Limerick, it wasn't happening, and then Chris took us to a pub in Galway that was supposed to have one, but instead we caught the tail end of a wake...not quite what we were looking for (that night I was spilled upon by what I'm told was cider...eew).
BUT, this session was fantastic! Two flutes, a fiddle, an accordion, a guitar, and two mandolins were playing...there were a couple of times they brought out a tin whistle, one woman almost played the uileann pipes, and there was a balladier (sp?) as well! When we had to go, John and Kagen wanted to take a picture with the woman who sang, and they said we were singers from the US, and the musicians essentially forced us to sing right there...we ended up singing one verse of Amazing Grace and then they wanted something "American Gospel" and the first thing we could think of that we knew was "Wade in the Water". What a fun experience, the Irish music was great, and it deepened my love/appreciation of it!!!
As amazing as Ireland was, it's nice to be sitting in my own bed and ready to sleep in Salt Lake again! I'm looking forward to sleeping in and doing nothing but unpacking tomorrow!
"As you slide down the bannister of life, may the splinters face the right way for you" :)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Dublin
I don't have much to say at the moment, but I know that mom's been reading these for updates on what's happening here!
Currently, I do not have a singing voice, I've been hacking for a couple days, and I thought maybe I was getting sick, though nothing else felt icky. Emily, on the other hand, thought it was allergies and gave me some Claritin (I think) today, and that helped to clear things up. I don't have any allergies that I know of, but it was nice to not be hacking up a lung every five minutes today.
Today we sang in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, and the stained glass windows were glorious! It had a great acoustic (especially compared to the last church we sang in) and the choir sounded great from the audience (since I was sitting watching and not singing).
Tonight we're headed into the city to go to book stores, and there's a chance that I'll buy a dress, but we'll see how that goes. :)
Abientot!
Currently, I do not have a singing voice, I've been hacking for a couple days, and I thought maybe I was getting sick, though nothing else felt icky. Emily, on the other hand, thought it was allergies and gave me some Claritin (I think) today, and that helped to clear things up. I don't have any allergies that I know of, but it was nice to not be hacking up a lung every five minutes today.
Today we sang in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, and the stained glass windows were glorious! It had a great acoustic (especially compared to the last church we sang in) and the choir sounded great from the audience (since I was sitting watching and not singing).
Tonight we're headed into the city to go to book stores, and there's a chance that I'll buy a dress, but we'll see how that goes. :)
Abientot!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
You Did Good, God.
We visited the Giant's Causeway today, and it was absolutely breathtaking. The causeway itself was amazing, but, the cliffs and coastline that surrounded it was simply awe-inspiring. I didn't want to do anything but sit and take in the splendor. As I sat there, between Brady and John, all I kept thinking was "Wow. You did good, God. You did good."
How majestic and powerful the cliffs were and how wonderfully and carefully made it was...painfully beautiful.
Graceful
On the 7th of May, we performed a benefit concert in Ballina, Ireland for the Mayo Cancer Support Center there. This concert took place with another choir and so we only sang the first half of the concert, they did the second and we did a piece together at the end of the night...
Unfortunately, about 3 pieces into the concert, one of our members fainted 3/4 of the way through the piece. It was the first night we had performed Agnus Dei in front of an audience and we followed up that song with Eric Whitacre's Waternight. It was Waternight that witnessed this event, right on the line that reads "If you close your eyes". Talk about perfect timing, huh?
If you haven't already guessed, that choir member, was me. It was the first time I ever fainted in performance and I still haven't heard the end of it, and today is several nights later. I began blacking out, and thought that I could make it to the end of the song, and then go sit down, but, this did not happen. I have no memory of what happened approximately 8 measures before I went down, and I've heard several versions of what happened from almost every member of the choir.
Here's the basics: I took about 2 1/2 steps out from the choir (I was standing in the front row), I looked up at something on the ceiling, and raised my hand like I wanted to grab something, then kind of staggered to the ground in what's been dubbed a "Princess Faint".
When I came to, apparently I was smiling, but I didn't know what had happened or why everyone was asking if I was okay, until Chris looked me in the face and said "You fainted." Then, I was so embarrassed that I started to cry, and Willy Ray took me over to the front row on the side to sit with him for the rest of the concert. Up until then I'd been thinking "why are you waking me up, I was sleeping!" and "Why am I on the ground?" and "Where am I?"
They all took really good care of me, Garrett even asked if I'd eaten anything since falling and got me some brown bread from the hotel bar (yum!). I did not have a concussion, thank goodness, I have a non-visible bruise on my eyebrow from where my head hit the dance floor, and a visible one on my thigh from where my hip hit the floor. There's some smaller bruises on my arm and leg, but I'm totally fine, and nothing major has happened since that would give me pause or a cause to worry.
It is nice, however, to know that when I faint, which isn't often, I do it gracefully and simply slide downward to the floor (the last time I fainted was in a Presbyterian church service and I slid out of a chair!)
Unfortunately, about 3 pieces into the concert, one of our members fainted 3/4 of the way through the piece. It was the first night we had performed Agnus Dei in front of an audience and we followed up that song with Eric Whitacre's Waternight. It was Waternight that witnessed this event, right on the line that reads "If you close your eyes". Talk about perfect timing, huh?
If you haven't already guessed, that choir member, was me. It was the first time I ever fainted in performance and I still haven't heard the end of it, and today is several nights later. I began blacking out, and thought that I could make it to the end of the song, and then go sit down, but, this did not happen. I have no memory of what happened approximately 8 measures before I went down, and I've heard several versions of what happened from almost every member of the choir.
Here's the basics: I took about 2 1/2 steps out from the choir (I was standing in the front row), I looked up at something on the ceiling, and raised my hand like I wanted to grab something, then kind of staggered to the ground in what's been dubbed a "Princess Faint".
When I came to, apparently I was smiling, but I didn't know what had happened or why everyone was asking if I was okay, until Chris looked me in the face and said "You fainted." Then, I was so embarrassed that I started to cry, and Willy Ray took me over to the front row on the side to sit with him for the rest of the concert. Up until then I'd been thinking "why are you waking me up, I was sleeping!" and "Why am I on the ground?" and "Where am I?"
They all took really good care of me, Garrett even asked if I'd eaten anything since falling and got me some brown bread from the hotel bar (yum!). I did not have a concussion, thank goodness, I have a non-visible bruise on my eyebrow from where my head hit the dance floor, and a visible one on my thigh from where my hip hit the floor. There's some smaller bruises on my arm and leg, but I'm totally fine, and nothing major has happened since that would give me pause or a cause to worry.
It is nice, however, to know that when I faint, which isn't often, I do it gracefully and simply slide downward to the floor (the last time I fainted was in a Presbyterian church service and I slid out of a chair!)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Galway to Ballina
Hello again!
Today we left Galway and headed to Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland. The trip was grand, I got sick on the bus the other day, but today was much better. Ali introduced me to a fun new band, and I'm quite excited about getting home and purchasing things on iTunes!! :-)
Our hotel has a spa/pool/health center, and I went and hung out in the jacuzzi tonight and also a steam room, which was wonderful...I haven't been sleeping well, I've been waking up with a cramp in my shoulder for the last couple days, and while sitting in the steam room, a friend massaged my cramp out of my shoulder, which was fantastic, I feel so much better now.
Tomorrow we're going to a secondary school to talk to the students about life in America, etc. and it should be fun. Tomorrow night, we will be giving a benefit concert with, um, let's see if I can get it right... Cor Maigheo. They're a "professional" (i guess) choir here, and our concert will be to benefit the Mayo Cancer Clinic here in Ballina, or County Mayo.
"May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live"
Today we left Galway and headed to Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland. The trip was grand, I got sick on the bus the other day, but today was much better. Ali introduced me to a fun new band, and I'm quite excited about getting home and purchasing things on iTunes!! :-)
Our hotel has a spa/pool/health center, and I went and hung out in the jacuzzi tonight and also a steam room, which was wonderful...I haven't been sleeping well, I've been waking up with a cramp in my shoulder for the last couple days, and while sitting in the steam room, a friend massaged my cramp out of my shoulder, which was fantastic, I feel so much better now.
Tomorrow we're going to a secondary school to talk to the students about life in America, etc. and it should be fun. Tomorrow night, we will be giving a benefit concert with, um, let's see if I can get it right... Cor Maigheo. They're a "professional" (i guess) choir here, and our concert will be to benefit the Mayo Cancer Clinic here in Ballina, or County Mayo.
"May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live"
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Quick Update -- Compliments
Hello! It's currently 10pm in Limerick, Ireland and we're on our way to see a "session" at one of the local pubs...basically this means we're going to watch people perform traditional Irish music!!! (which, if you've never heard it, it's great stuff!)
I am so overwhelmed by the number of comments I receive when I sign during our concerts. Chris has me interpreting one of our songs in American Sign Language, and everytime I do it, at least 2-3 people come to me and comment on how gorgeous it is. What can I say? The language is beautiful and not enough people get to experience the joy that can come from the blending of two seemingly different things -- one used by those who can't hear, and another by those who use their voices and ears equally.
Also, tonight, I was reminded why I sing. A man came to our concert tonight that was simply needing a lift. He was expecting to pray at the church we were singing in, but instead was stuck listening to our singing. He was so touched and moved by us that he even purchased one of our CDs at the end of the concert. THAT is why I sing. To touch people's lives and allow God to speak through music to people's souls. How powerful is this beauty that is music?
With that, I will leave you to think -- how does music speak to you?
I am so overwhelmed by the number of comments I receive when I sign during our concerts. Chris has me interpreting one of our songs in American Sign Language, and everytime I do it, at least 2-3 people come to me and comment on how gorgeous it is. What can I say? The language is beautiful and not enough people get to experience the joy that can come from the blending of two seemingly different things -- one used by those who can't hear, and another by those who use their voices and ears equally.
Also, tonight, I was reminded why I sing. A man came to our concert tonight that was simply needing a lift. He was expecting to pray at the church we were singing in, but instead was stuck listening to our singing. He was so touched and moved by us that he even purchased one of our CDs at the end of the concert. THAT is why I sing. To touch people's lives and allow God to speak through music to people's souls. How powerful is this beauty that is music?
With that, I will leave you to think -- how does music speak to you?
Monday, May 3, 2010
IRELAND!
We're in Ireland! We finally made it, I never thought we'd get here, or that we'd actually board the plane, but we did, and tomorrow morning we're on our way to the third city on our tour! It's been such a great experience so far, and I'm so glad to get to have it with the awesome people in Chamber Singers! There will be pictures when I get back to the states and my own computer, but for now, suffice it to say that Ireland is entirely beautiful. It reminds me a little of home, with how green it is! Tonight, I was called after by an Irishman outside a pub asking why my skirt was so long (we were walking back from a concert, so I had my choir dress on, of course.) The girls I was walking with found it hilarious, at the time, I did not...It was more embarrassing than anything else.
Well, super early morning tomorrow...at this rate it'll be about 5 hours of sleep...eew. I better sign off, I'll probably use my roommate's computers more often now and try to keep updated on what's happening here!
Till we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand!
Well, super early morning tomorrow...at this rate it'll be about 5 hours of sleep...eew. I better sign off, I'll probably use my roommate's computers more often now and try to keep updated on what's happening here!
Till we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand!
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