The last three or four days have been spent with Christmas music. That's all my favorite radio station was playing. I just now realized that I didn't hear one single secular song. No chestnuts roasting on an open fire. No sleighbells ringin', are you listenin'. Well, you know all the songs.
As I mentioned in a previous writing, I used to sing in a community chorale group. One year at Christmas, our big offering was the Little Drummer Boy. Didn't hear it on the radio this year. Not once. Kept waiting. No drummer boy.
However...I heard an orchestral arrangement of the Nutcracker, with an acoustic guitar as the solo instrument. Interesting, especially when the brass took up the melody, then the full orchestra came in softly in the background.
Oh, and I love pipe organ music. I heard something great this afternoon. The First Noel on a pipe organ. It opened on the swell with reeds, then counterpoint on the great with brass. Wow! Then the full orchestra joined in! Even if I had never heard that particular carol before, I would have known there was going to be a great triumphant ending with the organ and orchestra sounding with full throat. And I wasn't disappointed. Wow!
I used to check the newspaper for churches advertising their choirs doing the Messiah and inviting sing-alongs. I'd take my score, and go join the rest of the community. I'd belt out the alto parts as though I were a lead singer. Such fun! Now I sound like a rusty frog. But I still have the full score to the Messiah.
Earlier today I was half-way listening to a boys' choir and realized that I enjoy the sopranos in a boys' choir, but I don't care for female adult soprano voices. Go figure.
As soon as I sign off here, I'll remember something else I wanted to comment on about the music I heard over the past few days. But I guess I'll have to leave you, Gentle Reader, without the benefit of my further musings.
As I mentioned in a previous writing, I used to sing in a community chorale group. One year at Christmas, our big offering was the Little Drummer Boy. Didn't hear it on the radio this year. Not once. Kept waiting. No drummer boy.
However...I heard an orchestral arrangement of the Nutcracker, with an acoustic guitar as the solo instrument. Interesting, especially when the brass took up the melody, then the full orchestra came in softly in the background.
Oh, and I love pipe organ music. I heard something great this afternoon. The First Noel on a pipe organ. It opened on the swell with reeds, then counterpoint on the great with brass. Wow! Then the full orchestra joined in! Even if I had never heard that particular carol before, I would have known there was going to be a great triumphant ending with the organ and orchestra sounding with full throat. And I wasn't disappointed. Wow!
I used to check the newspaper for churches advertising their choirs doing the Messiah and inviting sing-alongs. I'd take my score, and go join the rest of the community. I'd belt out the alto parts as though I were a lead singer. Such fun! Now I sound like a rusty frog. But I still have the full score to the Messiah.
Earlier today I was half-way listening to a boys' choir and realized that I enjoy the sopranos in a boys' choir, but I don't care for female adult soprano voices. Go figure.
As soon as I sign off here, I'll remember something else I wanted to comment on about the music I heard over the past few days. But I guess I'll have to leave you, Gentle Reader, without the benefit of my further musings.