I did it! We did it! Mozart's Requiem got sung!

The Rensselaer Festival Chorus performed tonight in the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center aka EMPAC.  And I was there!  A slightly crazy somewhat old lady alto.  Who had to sit and not stand because of my foot and knees and hips being in pain.

 We did several songs and then Mozart's Requiem.  When I first got the music it was like looking at some weird kind of computer language or something.  I was only going to listen at rehearsals, but got coaxed into singing.   I used to have a nice choral voice long long ago in high school, but don't really have much range anymore.

So I went to most of the rehearsals, to some of the alto sectionals, and got the cd from the library and listened to it over and over and over and over... drove my poor office colleagues nuts playing it all day long.

Eventually I learned some of it, and then a little more, and more... Something happened in rehearsals, and again tonight at the concert.  I got into the zone.  You know that zone when you are creating art and you are totally in the moment and focused on what you are doing and nothing else matters.  I didn't realize that could happen with music, too.

So for tonight, I am proud of myself for stretching my limits, for trying, and for succeeding.  Oh, there were more than a few wrong notes on my part, but overall I am very happy.  At the end I got tears in my eyes, and was sorry it was over. I think my dad, who sang with a Russian male chorus and was a cantor at church, would have been proud.  Keith, my dh came, and took this picture on his Blackberry:

If you look at the left most part of the cellos, then follow up to the music stand, I'm right behind the top left part of the stand, right next to the tenors.  In my black skirt and black shirt and pearls.  But no red lipstick  I wore a very nice tan shade.

It was great being with the students.  The conductor is a Rensselaer VP from the Hartford campus, and I enjoyed seeing his musical side.  Dr. Jackson attended, too.  The soloists and orchestra were from the Boston area, and were excellent.

We stopped at Price Chopper on the way home and got some groceries for a late night snack.  Tomorrow I am going to take down Easter decorations and put up Pink Flamingos, a la my sister in law Becky.

PS I still like Brahms Requiem better!