All of that dancing and good use of energy last night made it easy to get a good night’s rest. The Chorale woke up this morning with ePostCards in their mailboxes as their “Christmas” presents. We met our operas in Patton Hall, enjoyed breakfast, and then headed over the hill to Walter Hall to go about our typical routine.
Today was our last day of seminars, so after lunch we met in our designated areas. Today the instrument petting zoo consisted of some wild string instruments with which the members of the Chorale got to interact. They learned how to properly manage the bow of a violin, how to play some chords on the ukulele, as well as the guitar. The Enneagram group finished up talking about the different personality types and received books to keep as references.
During our full rehearsal in the afternoon, many of us were equally confused and entertained by the board that had our songs written on it. Instead of the actual song titles, some of the words were replaced with Chorale member Ryan’s name. For example, instead of “Canticle of Praise,” the board would say “Canticle of Ryan.” During this rehearsal we also went through “Do You Hear What I Hear?” (also known as, “Do You Hear Ryan?”) to acknowledge that today is Christmas in July! After running through the song, we received one of the best gifts: nap time! We put away the remaining songs on the board and headed to Finney Hall for some rest before dinner and our evening rehearsal.
Our entertainment for tonight was The Muskingum Jazz Group, an absolutely astonishing group of local musicians. Len Thomas, a special Chorale friend, is a member of the ensemble. The group made extremely wonderful music, as well as educated us about jazz and expressed how certain songs made them feel. Although we are here to sing, it was a nice way to relax and wind down the night; yet another wonderful gift given to us today.
Even though it was already 9:30 by the time they finished their performance, the Chorale’s evening together wasn’t ready to come to a close just yet. Along with our unexpected nap time, we got a third gift to celebrate Christmas in July. Following the concert was Opus Affirmations: getting together with our operas and expressing just how valuable we think each person is. These are the times that really mean the most to many Chorale members…being reassured that being here is a safe haven and everyone is loved. It became very real tonight that tomorrow is our last full day together, and that made the hugs tonight longer and tighter. 🙂