A Little Christmas [Crunch Time] Now!

Wow! I’m already on the 4th day of my 5 day “weekend” holiday from the office?! Aaagh! That’s just So. Not. Fair. Why is it that our “free time” always flies by so much faster than our work days?!? It’s been an incredibly whirlwind few days for me with so many challenging and rewarding things happening, and my holiday rush has only just begun. I have absolutely NO time to write tonight.. But, in keeping with my November ‘nablopomo’ (national blog post-a-day month) goal, and in keeping with my “Christmas Countdown”, I shall attempt to put something up for you anyway. Here is a glimpse into my current craziness;

1. I have a gig! 🙂

I’ve been asked to do a 15-20 minute program for a luncheon tomorrow. I’ve had all of about 3 days notice, so in-between Thanksgiving, family time, a funeral, the Messiah sing-in, Choir rehearsal & performance, plus church attendance I’ve somehow squeezed an inordinate amount of time [i.e. late night cramming] creating my solo program. I’ve wanted to choose just the right balance of secular and sacred selections. I’m actually really excited about the program. I even discovered a new song that I absolutely love (to be shared here at a future date). But, I must admit I have some butterflies in my stomach. Although I am a trained soloist and have years of professional experience in my ‘past life’, I have spent the last 7 years dedicated to being a MoTab chorister and honing my ‘blending’ skills. So, needless to say, there’s a few jitters ‘going solo’. Still, I’m hoping to bring some joy to a few people who have suffered recent tragedy in their lives, and it’s an honor to get to sing for them. Wish me luck!

2. World Record Living Nativity

I’ve committed myself to being a part of making history tomorrow night! The Radiant Foundation in Utah is staging an epic YouTube video event to break the world record for the largest live Nativity. A whole slew of famous performers and popular YouTube celebrities are all going to be there, among (hopefully) hundreds of community participants. Here’s some of the “whos-whos” I’m going to try to rub shoulders with tomorrow 🙂

David Archuleta, The Piano Guys,Singer-songwriter Peter Hollens,Shay Carl and Colette Butler of the Shaytards,Alex Boye,Devin Graham, Stuart Edge, the creators of Cute Girl Hairstyles…. and more.

I’ve even got a “VIP” pass because I am representing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I hear we are getting to wear some kind of costumes and everything! I’m totally going to be rushing from my afternoon gig in order to make the film shoot time – (yes, my life is insane). And, I’m just crazy enough to actually be excited about standing out in the winter elements for possibly 6 hours. (I hear it’s supposed to be ‘warmer’ tomorrow? – say a little prayer)

Live in or near Utah and want to join me? Hurry and join the epic event! Go sign up HERE.

3. Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

Rehearsals are in hyperdrive now and the excitement and pressure is mounting for the annual Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas spectacular! There’s nothing like these shows. They are always such an incredible whirlwind and in all honesty, a miraculous wonder to be a part of. Our Tech & Performance week is literally a handful of days away [December 11-16 I start “living” at the Conference Center], so it’s officially “crunch time” for memorizing. There are still brand new pieces being written that we have not received yet (yep, this is exactly how we roll). We just grin and embrace the pace – everything always somehow comes together and is magical. This will be my 6th Christmas Concert with the Choir. I can hardly believe it! Somebody just pinch me.

TIP: If you didn’t get tickets in the random selection process, and you want to come – don’t despair. Just come get in line for standby!! We have Santino Fontana and the Sesame Street Muppets this year! You don’t want to miss this one! … PLUS, this year thanks to our special guests, children as young as age 5 are going to be admitted (usually age 8 is the minimum)  😉

It’s officially my craziest time of the year. I have an undecorated Christmas tree in my living room – that’s probably as far as my decorations are going to get this year. I have absolutely no Christmas shopping done and no time to do it now. I am completely sleep deprived and running on pure adrenaline. But, life is so awesome and I feel so blessed! This time last year Daughter A was in the hospital ICU having seizures and was completely incapacitated and we didn’t know how she was going to pull through. Thursday morning she walked a 5K race.

I can’t even express my overwhelming emotions when I think about where we have been and where we are now… I feel like sobbing, shouting for joy, dancing, falling to my knees in praise to God, sobbing some more …. I feel completely incapable of expressing my emotions or of being thankful enough. How does one truly express gratitude to God for His miracles?! I don’t know. But, as long as I have breath in this body I will keep trying to give back as much as I can in service to Him.

Here’s a fun performance by Angela Lansbury from a past Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. Enjoy! – MoSop