Lux Aurumque

Today was the first day the choir began work on a brilliant piece of music by Eric Whitacre entitled, "Lux Aurumque." First of all, let me extend a deep, heartfelt thank you to Dr. Copeland for choosing this piece for our competition. I have loved this song the first time I heard it on a CD, when I heard one choir do it at Collegiate Choral Festival, and when I heard Mortimer Jordan perform it superbly at Christmas at the Alys. As we sang this song, I started to form a mental image, as happens with me during most of our songs that we work on. However, none have ever been this vivid that I recall. The piercing high notes, heavy, thick, full chords and the beautiful Latin language all intertwined to present to me a perfect scene: Heaven at Night. I know we all think of Heaven probably as a beautiful sunlit place with shimmering floors and towering ivory ceilings, but what about when it's nighttime? Many people think night is even more beautiful than day here on Earth, so wouldn't you imagine that night in Heaven would be that much better? Can't you see and feel the warm darkness enveloping you in safety and sleep when you listen to that song? This song describes this scene so well to me, that it makes me think, if I could spend one night in heaven, it would be worth a thousand lifetimes. Even myself, who is sometimes afraid of the quiet darkness, when I listen to this song, it makes me feel as though everyone is either sitting reflectively or lying in their beds, and God and his angels are walking around, checking with everyone, just peeking in. It's everyone's alone time of reflection in heaven at this time of night, and the angels are singing their lullabies. Believe it or not, I got this image of this song, and felt and sensed all of these things, before I even read the translation of the words, something to the effect of, "Light, pure and heavy as pure gold, and the angels sing to the newborn baby," that's all I can remember of it. But maybe it could give you something to think about when we work on this piece next time. Until next time, just think, it's nighttime in heaven sometime.
charles

(Not) In a Hurry to Grow Up

"You can't take life too seriously, otherwise, you might never get out alive." These are the words of the brilliant, at times disgusting, Van Wilder. The more this year has progressed, I have discovered that being a grown up is a lot of hard work, and I am not sure that I am ready for that. I'm sure most of you out there are thinking, "yeah, you're certainly not showing any signs of growing up," and that's fair. But it's just that, as I am exposed to more adult situations, and involved in more serious decisions, I see why becoming an adult is such a long, continual process. I guess what I'm trying get across is that I don't see why people are in such a hurry to be grown up and be out of school and out on there own and then having to be the ones that are making the decisions for another human being. I feel like we are all where we should be, and when the day comes for us to be the decision makers in the world, we will be ready. I guess, in a way, I'm a little nervous about being an adult. After being a child for the better part of, eh hem, 20 years, it is going to be a big change. Well, I've rambled on about how much I suffer from peter pan syndrome, my real point is, we shouldn't be in a hurry to grow up, it will come soon enough, all we can do is try our best to ready when it does happen. until then, I'll keep thinking good thoughts and trying to fly....
charles

Taking Risks....on sour milk?

I will open this blog by saying that writing it is taking a risk itself. I'm hoping that the muses will look down upon me and shine down their inspiration....still waiting...
okay, anyways.
The other day I was struck with a great idea for a blog similar to what I am writing now, but I can't EXACTLY remember what it was. I was at Delia's, and about to enjoy a delicious bowl of cereal when I noticed the expiration date was the day before. Now ordinarily, this does not deter my enjoyment of the milk, but Delia's amazement, and I believe disgust at the fact that I drink EXPIRED milk made me think twice. I drank the milk with the cereal and enjoyed it thoroughly, but it sent me into a series of thoughts on the expiration date of milk. Where does this date come from? I know it is stamped onto the battle at the factory, but why is it THAT day? Why not the day before? I don't think there are certain cows that give longer lasting milk than others. Do the cows tell those milking them what day it will be when this milk goes bad? And, if so, how can we trust these cows? What if they are mad cows? I don't think this would bother me quite so much, except for the finality of the expiration date. It does not say on the bottle, "Around Jan 15," or "Appx. Jan 15", it says JAN 15 arrogantly and unwaveringly, as if to say, HAHAHA, it's a race against time, you can bake bread and eat cereal all day, but you'll STILL have to throw me out. So I guess my drinking milk after the expiration day, is, in my own way, a way to fightback against those cows and the milk cartons. I refuse to give in to their tyranny, and only hope one day that I don't tip up the jug for a long chug, and end up eating cottage cheese. Until next time,
Milk...it does a body good (for two weeks).