Pearls

I've been away again for a little while, and here's why:

All the choirs here have a uniform: the men in tuxedos, the women in black dresses and pearls.  I've always done a few alterations or hems, here and there, but this year apparently the music secretary started recommending me to the freshmen, so I had several requests for dress alterations.  I'm always happy to do it; it doesn't take me a lot of time, I can charge a modest fee which provides pocket money or (this year) spending money for choir tour to Italy, and it's so much less than a "professional" alterations shop would charge that the girls are always happy.

I also make the pearl necklaces.  This started back in my sophomore year when I had a jewelry business with two friends.  They have since moved on and we no longer have the business, but I still make the pearls.  This year, we needed 35... and my supplies didn't come in until last Friday afternoon, with the concert last night, and a major voice competition happening on the Saturday in between.

I have spent a LOT of time stringing pearl beads this week.  The upside is that it gave me a good excuse to watch a lot of movies; one can't read, write, or practise music whilst beading, and I had to keep my mind occupied some way.  The downside is that I got very little sleep and have neglected my class reading and study.  But I got all the pearls done in time.

And as a bonus, here's a selection from the concert!  This is Voices of Proclamation, the smallest, most select choir at Union.  The piece is called "The Pearl", which was arranged for us (and specifically for the soloist, Courtney Moore) by our choral director and head of the music department, Dr Chris Mathews.  There are so many parts going on that it's often one voice to a part - so the highest soprano part is me, mostly, all the way through the piece :-)  Oh, and isn't Courtney amazing?

(At the moment I can't figure out how to embed a video, so here is the youtube link:  The Pearl - Proclamation )