W A S

So I got to do a pretty cool thing last night.  I have been singing with this choir of women from all over the valley for the past few months and last night we recorded the songs we have been working on.
I'm so glad Nancy and Colleen told me about it ( and how wonderful to be able to spend this time with these dear friends...I so miss our association since our ward was split)...it's been quite the adventure.  And you probably think, 'oh singing with a bunch of ladies...what could be fun about that?'  Well it's fun because of the director.  Her name is Merilee Webb...and she is a unique individual.  She is probably about 40, never married, and has more energy than anyone I've ever met.  She is amazingly knowledgeable of the music and I swear she can sing and direct all five parts at once. Oh and plus, she is hilarious!  I have wanted to bring my camera and video what she does, because you just wouldn't believe it unless you saw her. 
We have been doing some real challenging pieces and she expects us to know the music.  There isn't time for going over individual parts so we were each given a CD of all the songs, but you could turn it to your left speaker and hear just your part!  cool!  I'd sing along while I drove to mum's and that really helped me learn the music.
Each week was also a spiritual experience as we would talk about the different songs and what they were teaching us.  She would let anyone express what they were feeling and I think it was a real outlet for some of these women to be able to share their thoughts.  Very moving to hear about their struggles, and also how they overcome their trials.
Anyway, they( she has a team of people that help her make things happen) had all the microphones and sound system set up when we got there.Oh and that's another thing....never any wasted time...she was always ready to go...sometimes before it was even time to start! That's because she flies from St. George every week, where she teaches at Dixie College, to conduct these choirs ( she is doing a men's choir too!) then she has to catch a plane as soon as our practice is over to go back to St. George for the week
There were percussion instruments (they really made it sound cool!)  and also the organ had a big part on If I could hie to Kolob,  All the soloist were there too...these two cute girls came from St. George with their grandparents to do the solo on "Prayer of the Walking Child"   They were only 12 and did an amazing job! 
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We warmed up a little bit, then she had us start with the hardest piece first...El Vito!  That's been my hardest one to learn because it's in Spanish or Italian or something?  I thought I would be OK with it if I could read my music, then a few weeks ago, she added some clapping and even an ole' and a stomp so we were NOT going to be able to hold our music.  So I've been listening to that song over and over trying to get those words down.  The piano music is incredible...4 hands required.  The pianist that has practiced with us all the time is truly amazing.  Everyone just sits there with their mouth hanging open as she plays the introduction.  Extremely hard music.  Then last night, this guy named Eric sat down next to her and added a whole other part to it!  I would have just liked to sit and listen to them play the whole song and not even have us sing!  That recording went pretty well.
One of the harder ones was Lagan Love.  It has two solo parts and then the choir is singing some crazy beautiful harmonies. All the parts were not coming together well and we had to do it several times, I think she was still unsatisfied with that one when we moved on.  The recording guy, Steve was really good too, and would tell her when things were not just right....come one ladies...can you just  hold your papers still?   ( That was me thinking...Merilee never never got impatient...she would just say...ok...lets go again.)
One other song we had to do over was "If I could hie to Kolob"  We had never done it with the organ before and this same guy who played the piano with Carolyn played this piece.  I noticed that he wasn't playing the music that was written and sometimes it sounded weird with the harmony we were singing.  Merilee stopped and had him correct...then she said he was kind of playing by ear and making it up as he goes!  HA!  Unreal!  After he heard what our music sounded like, he adjusted what he was playing and it was awesome!  Very powerful...the kind of music that shakes your insides.
Then when the little girls sang the Prayer of the Walking Child, well the words really get to me....It's the prayer of a mother for her child and of a child  to her Heavenly Father as they are crossing the plains.
("Father Please, hear my prayer, bless my child")
"Father, can you hear me? will you listen to me for awhile?
 Please, can you make the day warm...the sun will dry the dewy grass and all will be well.
( Help my child..not to fall behind)  And Father, make my steps a little larger...I'll try not to fall behind...and also bless my shoes to help them last another mile or so.
(Father please, she's so hungry) Father, I'm so hungry...I've had nothing to eat for a while.( Father fill our grain barrel)  Please, can you fill our grain barrel?  Mother can make a flour cake and all will be well.   But Father, when the food is gone, forgive me;   I'll try hard not to complain.
Also, bless my Mother, dry her tears and help her smile again.
(Bless her sleep....let her be warm)  Father, I'm so weary, can I stop and rest her for a while?  (Please stop the wind)  Please, keep the cold from blowing, bring on the night so I can dream and all will be well.
But Father, if I sleep too long, forgive me...wake me up....don't leave me behind.  But if sleep still keeps me, Father in your arms please carry me home.
Father please grant me Thy peace so I can know all will be well. ( And all will be well)....is all well?....All is well.
We sing the mother's part and that's a real tough one for me to get through.
I think the recording went well....There was not time in one night to make it perfect, but I think it's very good. 
We get to preform next Friday night  May 11, at the Tabernacle, so if anyone is looking for a great date night, be there at 6:30.  (no tickets required)
My family is so sweet for supporting me as I would head off to practice every Sunday evening... I think they could see how much I enjoy it and were happy for me to do something I love.
oh, p.s. WAS is the name of our group...stands for We Also Sing!