Exciting News of Various Kinds!!!

So... yeah, I've been slacking off on my blogging, yet again. This time, however, I have a really good excuse!

So, when I last posted, I mentioned the recital I was preparing for. Well, for those who are interested in knowing, the recital went beautifully! In the days leading up to it I was ridiculously busy. My partner, (A baritone I shall nickname Barry for the purposes of this blog) Barry, and I spent a lot of time practicing amidst our already busy schedules as teachers. We rehearsed together, we rehearsed with the pianist, we rehearsed on our own. We practiced at my house, at my University, as his University (where he teaches), at the music school where we both teach, and at the venue for our recital.

When we weren't rehearsing, we were making translations for the texts we were singing- French, Spanish, German, Italian- and typing up the translation sheets to give to the audience. In addition, we designed and printed the programs, which took us until almost 2 am one night, both of us working together via Google Voice Chat and Google Docs (Have I mentioned how much I love Google?) to get the program finished. We experimented with type settings, formats, program orders, tweaked our bios, and surfed around (with much laughter and goofing around, I'll admit) for the perfect picture to adorn the front of our programs.

Then, I had to run about for my recital gown: buying new character shoes, doing the dress fitting, picking up the dress after the fitting, picking up the necessary essentials to go with the gown, playing around with different updos for my somewhat short hair. (What can I say? This was my debut recital. I wasn't going to do it halfway.)

Finally, the big day arrived. After singing at our respective churches for Sunday Mass, Barry and I met early to do the last minute preparations and run through some last minute changes with the pianist. Then, I got into my new gown, did my hair and makeup, and we waited backstage for the audience to finish arriving and for the clock to strike 3.

I won't say too much about the recital itself here, because I plan on posting clips from the recording as well as plenty of pictures. I will say, however, that it went exceptionally well. All of our loved ones came out to support us and then some. We both sang exceptionally well, the audience told us that we moved them, and we had a great time. We got a standing ovation at the end and everything!!

Most importantly, at the last minute, Barry and I learned that they would be recording the recital for broadcasting on our local NPR station!!!!

I could hardly believe it!! I still don't believe it, but the sound technicians were there, and they'll be sending us a copy of the recital for us to review before it gets put on the air! I also learned that our station streams live online, so when I know when the concert will be aired, I'll be certain to post the info here so that anyone who is interested can tune in! :D

After the recital was over, it was time to decompress a little, as the week or two before had been more than hectic.

(Oh! And in the middle of all the preparations, I had my 25th birthday!)

This week has been a lot more subdued and I've been able to focus a lot more on my coursework. I also got to pick out some new repertoire to fiddle with for the rest of the semester and some of it is really fun!

Now, for some more exciting news: I got to speak with Scot over the weekend and we had a lovely chat about how his study of the Faith is going (he's been wanting to become a Catholic for quite some time now). The happiest news of all was to learn that he may possibly be coming into the Church during Holy Week! If this is indeed the case, Husband and I will be going to Scotland for Easter to celebrate Scot's happy day with him. It isn't certain just yet, but I should know definitely by tomorrow the latest. In any case, we've already been prepping in case it does indeed happen, and things seems to be falling perfectly in place. Husband has been able to get the necessary days off of work, we were able to find reasonably priced airline tickets, and even my teaching schedule for the days we'd be gone straightened themselves out rather easily.

My question to my readers in the UK: Know of any good places to stay while we're in Edinburgh? Stuff to do? :D

Finally, I'd ask your prayers for Scot as he prepares for his entrance into the Church (whenever it may be). Thank you!!

*Headdesk*

Gah! I have been horribly remiss about this blog. After all my AugBlogWriMo-ing, September comes and the Blog falls to the wayside.

*sigh*

Such is life, I suppose.

The last two weeks have been exciting and jam-packed with things to do. School takes up most of my time, as does teaching, so I have little time for anything extracurricular.

Time management has become a very important factor in my life. This is especially true since I have four instruments to practice everyday, and I'm supposed to practice each for a minimum of twenty minutes. I'm not sure where I'm going to find said 80 minutes everyday... thus far, I've only managed to practice each instrument about 3 times a week, but I suppose that's better than not at all, right?

I suppose about now is when I should be thanking the Lord for making me a quick study...

*moment of prayer*

Speaking of prayer and faith and such, I've been following the Papal Visit to Scotland with much interest, due in part to conversation with Father Braveheart, my close friendship with Scot (who is, indeed, a Scotsman), and because I follow Seraphic's Blog on a daily basis. There's been much protesting done, rather ironically, but fitting I suppose, by the Protestants and various groups who have an axe to grind with the Holy Father and the Catholic Church in general.

While my steadfastly Catholic heart trembles in indignation at some of the things that have been said against the Pope, I can't help but to stop and think. Perhaps it's not so bad that all this nonsense is going on... I mean, certainly, they shouldn't be so darned demeaning and just... childish... but I guess we know who our friends are? Better to have the Protestants protesting, than to have them pretending to be nice-nice only to try and water us down later on.

I can't help but to laugh as I wonder where their sense of ecumenism is?

But to get back to my point...

All of the clap-trap is only bringing more attention to the Holy Father and his visit to the UK. More will be listening in when he speaks, and (God willing) that means that more hearts will be open to Christ, either now, or eventually. Yes, the rabble-raisers will probably be pretty closed off to what Benedict has to say, but you have to admit that they always draw a crowd of curious on-lookers, some of whom may be fertile ground for the seed of the Faith.

That is my hope, and prayer, on the eve of the Holy Father's arrival in Scotland. Sometimes, there really is no such thing as "bad publicity"

All of this reminds me of St. Paul writing to Timothy, "And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim. 3:12- indeed the whole 3rd chapter is a fitting reading, in light of these recent events).

Even Our Lord said, "If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you. If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember my word that I said to you: The servants if not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you." (John 15:18-20)

And finally, a voice of reason, amidst the clamour of dissent: BRILLIANT article from 'The Telegraph'