Protests and Explosions

Last Friday night was an explosive night of civil unrest.  Of course, by this I mean that there was a busker protest and a fireworks conference demonstration.

It seems some buskers got fined under some sort of panhandling by-law.  Now totally trying to avoid a PR nightmare or artistic riots coincidentally the city of Hamilton started looking at putting a licensing system into place for buskers/street performers.  Alors, the artistic community wished to say "up yours" to "the man" and approximately 40 buskers took to the (James) street (North) on Friday.

Some evidence:

The Canadian Fireworks Association held their annual convention in Hamilton this year.  With the conference came 3 hours of commercial product demonstrations, competition fireworks, and a lovely display of pyrotechnics that one would need a license to purchase.

Some evidence:

DSB

Dear Secret Boyfriend,

Just so you know, you are totally allowed to take me to Opera Hamilton's performance of:



(April 22 & 24 @ Hamilton Place)

Can We Talk About This Guy For A Minute?

The shaggy guy on the left if Josh. Josh is romantically linked to that bronze beauty on the right (who happens to be one of my roommates). But we're talking about Josh right now. Josh is in a piano tuning, fixing, loving program right now. He learns how to help pianos be healthy.


Maybe last weekend he brought us big heavy, wooden gift. Maybe it looks a lot like this:



Josh gets 1,000,000 love points from our whole house for being awesome.

For All Those Lonely Dentists

Exhibit A - Lady Gaga singing a song from her new album - "Teeth"



Exhibit B - Lady Gaga accidentaly bashing out the teeth of one of her dancers while in concert

Goo Goo

Ok, I have something to admit. I like Lady Gaga. I think she's good for pop music. And on Saturday I cleaned the upstairs bathroom for an hour, fueled by her infectious pop rhythms.

Up until a few months ago she was a very tiny blip on my radar. To the best of my knowledge I hadn't even heard the entirety of one of her songs (which is what happens when you don't spend much time with top 20 radio). But then, while engaging in one of my favourite activities - reading in the bathroom, she got up in the face of my cultural radar. Through one 3 page spread in Macleans I came to respect her and what she is doing with her art. Yup, I called it art. Lianne George of Macleans says in the spread, "Instead of engaging the idea of 'realness,' she's created an absurdist alternate reality - identifying David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and Warhol as her inspirations - where music, fashion, performance art and sex collide to create a commercial art supernova."

Gaga is bringing pop back. She says in interviews that you won't catch her blogging about her feelings or pumping gas in a t-shirt and flip flops. She's living her art and I feel like I need to applaud her for it. In my mind she's leading a renaissance to the days of true performers. Pop performers don't get to be human, nor do I think we want them to be. In this time of recession and transition, I don't want to know about pop star's regular everyday problems. I want to be transported, distracted and entertained. Lady Gaga is training hard in this trade

On Sunday night I happened to catch her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. I have to say that I was actually moved by the intensity of her performance. Thus far I haven't located a posting of it that I can embed here. But, you can you find it on MTV's site here (chose the 15th clip) or this lesser quality youtube post here.

Uh, concluding sentence...shake ure kitty.

I <3 Hawksley Workman

(i took this picture... from the front row...)

Siiiigh. Droool. Giiiive birth to love child.

Nerd

Starting a new job this week I have thought a bit about first impressions and the assumptions and stories we create about/for people when we have spent only a little time with them.

So I wonder what my co-workers would think if they knew how excited I got last night when I received a hand delivered, specifically requested gift from Italy - a recording of Giacomo Carissimi's oratorio Jephte (the CD also contains his Jonas). I played it shortly after I got it, and it is simply some beautiful baroque music.

If they didn't think I was a weirdo after that - I wonder what they would think if they knew that during my shift today I had an Agnus Dei running through my head and I was eager to get home to my iTunes so I could figure out which composer had written it.

I'm a nerd.

Something I've Always Wondered (For The Past 2 Months)

I believe the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" works on an assumption. Until this year I hadn't really thought about this assumption. At first I thought the assumption was that a child had witnessed their mother in an adulterous act. Then it occurred to me that in some family traditions, Dad dresses up as Santa and brings the presents.

The good in me wants to work on the assumption that the song is about a couple in a loving married relationship, being caught sharing a bit of physical lovin' by the product of their relationship. But the pessimistic pragmatic in me says that Mum is a ho.

So what do you think -

Is "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" about a loving married relationship, or adulterous acts?
	Love, love, love.
	She's a ho, stone her.
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Here and There

Friday I am going to this with this.
Saturday I am going to this with this.

There is a Joni Mitchell quote that would apply here.

Continuing With The Obscure But Important Canadian Icons

You may recall this one.

And now I give you:

Ruth Watson Henderson - composer, performer, icon.

Something You're Going To Want To Do

On November the 1st and 8th, I'm singing with Chorus London in some pretty fantastic concerts.

The concerts are basically the same actually - or at least the music being sung is the same - Orff's Carmina Burana - you can see the first/last movement here - and Ruth Watson Henderson's Voices of Earth. Both concerts will have Chorus London and the Amadeus Choir and a children's choir, along with orchestra.

On Novemeber 1 the concert happens in London at Centennial Hall. On Novermber 8 the concert happens in Toronto at York Minster Park Baptist Church.

A few of the differences will be: the childrens choirs will be different for each city, and I believe the pianists will be different as well. We were told a few weeks ago that Ruth Watson Henderson herself will be one of the pianists for the Toronto date.

I think these will be very hot concerts - 200 voices, amazing music, orchestra, hmmm yes. I'd never heard all of Carmina Burana before I entered the ensemble and it is one crazy b!tch goddess of a piece of music - the rhythm is crazy at times, it's sung in medieval Latin and German. There are even some yiddish words thrown in for good measure. The translations of the lyrics are pretty crazy too. Some highlights:

"If the world were all mine from the sea up to the Rhine, this I would willingly forgo to have the queen of England lie in my arms."

"Some gamble, some drink, some live without discretion. From those who spend their time in gambling, some are stripped bare, some win clothes, some are dressed in sacks; there no-one fears death, but for the wine they throw dice."

"May God grant, may the gods grant, what I have set myself to do, and that is, to unlock the bonds of her virginity."

Voices of Earth draws its lyrics from the Canticles of the Sun and poetry by Archibald Lampman. One of my favourite parts of singing it is the way the two choirs are written. There are many times when one choir is kind of singing the back up vox for the other choir. Sometimes this means that the lyrics get a little skewed. At one point our choir gets to sing "oo-ooooooo grass." And at another "a pool, a pooool, cool." Or another favourite "with joy for Captain fancy at the helm." I want to meet Capt. Fancy.

The V.O.E (as I've taken to calling it in my head because I don't have anyone to talk to such choral matters about) is something you'll want to take in for a variety of reasons

1. it's Canadian - the composer and the poetry (Archie L is from Morpeth, ON)
2. it's rarely performed due to the whole 2 choir, plus childrens choir, plus orchestra/double piano thing
3. you can't just go out and buy a cd of it - there are no commercial recordings available
4. it was written in 1991 - which means you can't be sick of it yet
5. it is a big challenge to sing - from the unfamiliarity with it, to the fact that it changes time signatures about 1,538 times, or the insane rhythms, or maybe the sharp text painting
   

Basically you need to come to this concert and you have 2 chances to do it. I've linked both choir's websites in the post - and you can get tickets from the 'home' choir for each date. I have a small mitt full of tickets for the London date. Let me know if you want one/some/all/a punch in the face.

Oh, yeah, siiiiigh and one last reason why you may want to come to this concert.... double sigh... this, cough, will... ugh... be (I can do this), my first, siiiiiiiiiigh, concert as... deep breath... a soprano (of the 2nd variety). There, I said it. So you'd better come.

(ps - if you call for tix in London, mention my name - i'm required to sell a certain number)

Waking Up To A Dead Tongue

Chorus London has an upcoming concert and we will be performing Orff's Carmina Burana. This is pretty exciting as its one of those pieces that you should just sing in your lifetime.

Carmina Burana is in a mix of Latin, German and a few yiddish words, all of a medieval persuasion. Our rehearsals are for 2.5 hours once a week and I have the piece on my computer. The leaves me with bits of the work floating around my head. Thusly I have been waking up random Latin phrases from the piece running loudly through my brain.

This is not a new phenominon for me, it happened all the time in my days as an RUC concert choir memeber. All the time. But, when these phrases went looping through my head I could easily walk through the halls of the school, sing them and have the phrase continued by some pour sap who was suffering from the same fate. I think I liked having the company in that "misery."

Now I'm sure that other Chorus London members are having the same thing happen to them. But I only see them once a week and they are all (well mostly) real adults and I don't think they would react well if I walked into our rehearsal hall and looked at one of them and started bellowing "NAZAZA! NAZAZA! NAZAZA!"

I miss interacting on a daily basis with other choir members and hashing out our Latin, German, Rutter-an, Handel-ian, etc tune cooties together.

That's How You Know

So I'm sitting here working away and listening to music and this song comes on and all of a sudden I realize that the song is totally about love languages. It talks about words and time and touch and all kinds of good things. And I think it gives some solid advice on letting those around us know that they are loved.

Thus I give you the lyrics for "That's How You Know" from the movie Enchanted:

(as sung by Amy Adams playing Giselle and other parts of the cast)

Giselle:
How does she know you love her?
How does she know she's yours?

Man:
How does she know that you love her?

Giselle:
How do you show her you love her?

Both:
How does she know that you really, really, truly love her?
How does she know that you love her?
How do you show her you love her?
How does she know that you really, really, truly love her?

Giselle:
It's not enough to take the one you love for granted
You must remind her, or she'll be inclined to say...
"How do I know he loves me?"
(How does she know that you love her?
How do you show her you love her?)
"How do I know he's mine?"
(How does she know that you really, really, truly love her?)

Well does he leave a little note to tell you you are on his mind?
Send you yellow flowers when the sky is grey? Heyy!
He'll find a new way to show you, a little bit everyday
That's how you know, that's how you know!
He's your love...

Man:
You've got to show her you need her
Don't treat her like a mind reader
Each day do something to need her
To believe you love her

Giselle:
Everybody wants to live happily ever after
Everybody wants to know their true love is true...
How do you know he loves you?
(How does she know that you love her?
How do you show her you need her?)
How do you know he's yours?
(How does she know that you really, really, truely-)

Well does he take you out dancin' just so he can hold you close?
Dedicate a song with words in
Just for you? Ohhh!

All:
He'll find his own way to tell you
With the little things he'll do
That's how you know
That's how you know!

Giselle:
He's your love
He's your love...

That's how you know
(la la la la la la la la)
He loves you
(la la la la la la la la)
That's how you know
(la la la la la la la la)
It's true
(la la la la la)

Because he'll wear your favorite color
Just so he can match your eyes
Rent a private picnic
By the fires glow-oohh!

All:
His heart will be yours forever
Something everyday will show
That's how you know
(That's how you know)
That's how you know
(That's how you know)
That's how you know
(That's how you know)
That's how you know
(That's how you know)
That's how you know
(That's how you know)
That's how you know
(That's how you know)
That's how you know!

Giselle:
He's your love...

Man:
That's how she knows that you love her
That's how you show her you love her

Giselle:
That's how you know...
That's how you know...
He's your love...

Humbling Moments

You know when you hear a 'new' song on the radio and you totally love it and you're all spreading the gospel of that song and a real adult or some well meaning musicphile says, "yeah I really love that remake." Remake. Remake? You mean this is not the original soul moving words and music of __________ (insert current popular artist here).

I just sort of had one of those moments. It was with Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" from Songs In the Key of Life. Sigh. The song is exactly where Coolio got/stole his inspiration for "Gangsta's Paradise". I had no idea. Songs In the Key of Life is a pivotal and famous album that I should be much more familiar with, especially since I love Coolio's song so much.

Humbling musical moments.

Philly

So, who wants to drive me to Philly on July 9? 'Cause maybe I just read that Regina Spektor is opening for Ani DiFranco in Philly that night. I'm pretty sure that Jesus' return might actually be in and around that date is this is truly what is happening. WOW. Part of my brain and my heart blew when I read that. Wow. Like wow.

No One Will Be Watching Us...

This morning I read a small snippet about Paul McCartney and his messy divorce with Heather Mills. It made me want to give Sir Paul a hug.

Current Musical Obsession

I decided that every once in a while I'm just going to toss out my CMO - usually it will be on song, though it could be an album or an artist. But just so you know, I'm going to do that.

The CMO is: "Behold the Lamb of God" from G.F Handel's Messiah

I think its the Holy Week echos that are doing it for me.

The Fickle Musical Obsessions of a Me

One of the things I love about iTunes is the ease with which one can create playlists. I always have one playlist called "things i like" and it is composed of songs that I am really into at any given time. You know, we have 'that' song that we can't quite get enough of. Well, I throw those into a playlist for easy access. Songs come and go out of this list and sometimes the same songs return after a hiatus. Currently there are 11 songs on the list, and they beautifully seem to be able to arrange themselves into two different lists within the list to account for flow and mood. This has meant that I am listening to this playlist a lot. Pretty much a go back and forth between it, and Brahms Liebeslieder waltzes.

Anyway, I felt like I wanted to share what the current incarnation of "things i like" is:

1. Date With The Night - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2. Drop It Likes Its Hot - Snoop Dogg ft Pharrel
3. Rehab - Amy Winehouse
4. Lead Me To The Cross - Hillsong United
5. St. Teresa - Joan Osborne
6. Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
7. I'd Like To - Corinne Bailey Rae
8. The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson
9. Cry (If You Want To) - Holly Cole Trio
10. The Up And Down - Dead Heart Bloom
11. Lodestar - Sarah Harmer

Something You Really Needed To Know

Calvin Seerveld can use solfege like its nobody's business.

G-Riggity

Vell, I and 14 other worship leadery type students are trickling down to GR for the Calvin Worship Symposium. I'm driving a van full of students leaving tomorrow afternoon. Now I have heard some people not be too excited about this event, because they say that after you go to it for a few years there is nothing new for you to learn, etc, etc. These people are all musicians, and maybe its true if you only go to sessions on how to make your praise band better and how to write praise music. But I am SO diggity dang excited to be going. This is my second time going and seriously I feel like each time is a weekend of professional development for me.

Since I'm sure my parents are curious, I thought I'd copy in the descriptions of all the sessions I'm registered for -

Worship Through Visual and Interactive Arts: How to Develop, How to Begin—Steven Caton
Most, if not all, eagerly support the idea of worship through art and the senses. But it still seems to be an elusive worship component in many churches. How is art created for worship? How do you generate ideas for art? How do you get people involved? How do you ensure art supports the greater scope of the sermon or ministry? How do you plan for such items? How do you end up not doing it all yourself and burning out?! Our congregational team has been on a long journey of finding answers to these questions; getting worshipers involved through participation and the senses. Come hear the philosophy behind such a ministry and get some practical ideas and resources for follow-through back home.

Redeeming Ritual: Lessons from Iona—Doug Gay
Doug Gay, an Associate Member of the Iona Community, will reflect on the ambivalence towards ritual in Reformed/low church traditions and how we might move beyond this. He takes two key rituals from the weekly worship cycle of Iona Abbey in Scotland: the Act of Healing and the Act of Commitment, reflecting on how they work and arguing that many churches—traditional and emerging—could benefit from incorporating them as regular elements in their worshiping life.

Lament in the Context of Corporate Worship—Michael Card and Calvin Seerveld
In this session, you will have an opportunity to witness the remarkable relationship between Michael Card and Calvin Seerveld as together they provide some concrete and creative examples—spoken and musical—of incorporating lament into worship.


An Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Liturgical Dance—Shelley Marinus
In this session, we will learn the purpose of liturgical dance and some basic elements of choreography for worship. We will also be exploring the Psalms through movement.

The Holy Spirit and Worship—Mariano Avila
We will explore the biblical teaching on the central role that the Holy Spirit plays in worship. Dependence and freedom, order and spontaneity, reverent silence and joyful noise will be some of the paradoxes we will explore in the framework of Scripture. Our purpose is to inform some of our present-day worship practices and enrich, challenge, and transform them for the glory of the Lord we worship.

Panel Discussion on Church Galleries, moderated by Betsy Steele Halstead with Makoto Fujimura, Bern Lewis, Kelly Sisson, Vange Van Huesen, and Michael Winters
There continues to be a growing interest in church visual art galleries, exhibitions, and educational opportunities related to art within our churches. In this session we will be joined by church leaders who have well-established programs and those who have just begun organizing a visual arts ministry. Hear how these ministries have come to be a catalyst for outreach, a way of enriching the congregation’s preparation for worship, a building block of their educational ministries, and a unique way of encouraging intergenerational fellowship.

Highly Favored: The Virgin Mary in Visual Art—Bert Polman
This session will focus on the depiction of Mary, the mother of Christ, in historical and contemporary works of art. It will be held in conjunction with the Calvin College art gallery exhibit “Highly Favored: Contemporary Images of the Virgin Mary,” which is a CIVA-produced show of recent Protestant, Orthodox, and Catholic Marian art.

Offering Our Neighbors’ Pain to Jesus Who Wept—Calvin Seerveld
Why did Jesus weep in John 11? Is it possible for us to sing comfort to those in pain, or not? We will examine a range of attempts from Psalms, Gregorian chant, Genevan tunes, Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder, African-American Blues, to current pop song.