First Week

This week is the first full week of classes. It has been quite a long time coming, because I have been at school for three full weeks already.

I moved in early to get music ready for UCO's choir camp. It took me two full days and two half days to sort through unfiled music from last year, file what we aren't using this year, pull all the music for camp this year, count and record it (and renumber it when necessary), and then put together 90 folders. It was actually kind of amazing. Once I got into the organizational zone, I was UNstoppable. It was great. And fun, I'm not gonna lie. Once I finished I had a chance to relax before heading to Dr. Sutton's house for a leadership meeting. It was a wonderful chance to get to know the leadership team for UCO this year. We have a great team! And when camp started, it soon became clear that there is a lot of potential in the choir this year. We had a fantastic choir last year, but there is potential for an even better choir this year. Since camp, we have added four new choir members. Right now we are getting ready for our first performance, which is THIS SATURDAY! With memorized music! We are singing with the Angeles Chorale, and there is a surprise involved. I'm not telling! I'll talk about it after it has happened. It is going to be fantastic.

The other big thing I have done is audition for Chamber Singers. This is an a capella mixed choir made up of the best of the best singers on campus. Michelle Jensen, the director, only takes about 30 people each year. Two summers ago, she took the group to an international competition in Austria where Chamber Singers represented the United States and swept all three competition categories, as well as won an additional award. By that standard, Chamber Singers is not only the best group on campus, but the best choir in the world. Because she wants the best of the best, the audition process is quite intensive.

I auditioned the day before classes started. I found out on Friday that I had made it into callbacks, and then Friday and Saturday had a D-Group Leaders retreat at a local church. The callback process involves learning a packet of music and then singing it in a rehearsal to the best of your ability. It also involves singing in quartets or octets (depending on the piece), switching when she tells you to and not missing a note while doing so. So I got the music for callbacks on Friday afternoon, but I couldn't start working on it until Saturday afternoon, unfortunately. It was a crazy weekend. There were two rehearsals organized by Chamber alums, and they were very helpful for getting an idea of what the piece is supposed to sound like with all of the parts. The assistant conductor also found us all of the recordings for the pieces, which was very helpful. In spite of being unable to practice the music until late Saturday afternoon, I felt very ready for callbacks when they happened Monday (last night). And it was so much fun! Because Michelle makes a point to select the best singers that she can find, most of the pieces already sounded fantastic at what was technically the first rehearsal of them. Not only does she select excellent singers, but she also selects wonderful music that is rich with color and rhythmic variations and picture-painting words. It's amazing. Now that I know those composers, I want to look into more of their works and their contemporaries' works.

The results of callbacks were posted this morning, which means Michelle and the Chamber Singers' leadership must have been in the music building after callbacks last night until they had a final list of this year's Chamber Singers. That or she did it early this morning. I suppose you would want to make decisions while the impressions of different people are still fresh in your mind. Unfortunately, I didn't make it into Chamber Singers this year. Honestly, I am thrilled that I even made it into callbacks. That at least tells me (as she said at the beginning of the rehearsal last night) that I at least have what it takes to get in. But Chamber Singers wouldn't be considered a chamber group if it was big. She can only let in so many people. Sure, I'm disappointed that I didn't make it, but its okay. Callbacks was an amazing experience, and so much fun. I don't regret trying. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me instead, and I can't wait for Chamber Singers' first concert, to hear what I got a chance to learn and what other repertoire has been selected for this year!

Grace and Peace,
Suzannah