Highlights from the SSCC Community Choir Holiday Concert

I love to sing, and for some time I've been searching for a choir that feels like a good fit for me. I believe I've finally found it. I started singing with the South Seattle Community College's Community Choir in the fall of 2012. We performed our "Mostly Messiah" holiday concert in early December. We sang 5 pieces from Handel's  "Messiah," along with a French carol, a Hanukah song, an a cappella gospel song and a lush, contemplative ballad.

I am neither a trained nor an accomplished singer. (Lucky for me, the Community Choir is a non-audition choir.) The Messiah pieces were the most difficult I've ever sung. It took a lot of practice and I had to google "breathing exercises for singers" to learn how to support those high notes and runs. But it was so worth it! The experience of singing that magnificent music was an absolute joy.

Below are links to a few highlights from the concert. I hope you enjoy listening to them. The man doing the sound for us was sitting with young children, so you will hear them "accompanying" us. Their little voices make for a more of a "live" experience and well, like I said, we are an inclusive, non-audition choir.

Many, many thanks to Paula Herd, our ever-patient Choir Director, and Edie Martin, our brilliant Pianist, for making this experience possible. 

Hallelujah Chorus- Messiah SSCC .MP3

Il est ne le Divin Enfant.MP3

Rise up-Fall 2012.MP3

Related posts:

Harmonizing with The Beaconettes

What Do The Lyrics To The "Alouette" Song Mean In English?

How To Hit A HIGH Note

Paddling to Squaxin Island

The beach at Alki yesterday was full of colorful Native American canoes as members of area tribes stopped on their way to their annual gathering which is being held this year at Squaxin Island in south Puget Sound.

Here is a map of the journey undertaken by the tribes participating this year. Some have come from as far away as northern British Columbia and have been underway for over a month. All expect to arrive at Squaxin Island in time for the potlatch that begins on July 29th.

To understand the significance of this journey, I read portions of the Canoe Journey Guidebook. The 10 Rules of the Canoe are valuable life lessons, even if you never undertake a journey like this one. This guidebook also includes historical information, the legends of the 7 inlets, a description of canoe culture and the canoe movement. There are lots of photos and stories that make this guidebook interesting reading.

I got to the beach yesterday after most of the canoes had arrived. I missed getting to hear tribal chants and songs, but the scene was colorful all the same. I'm learning to use my iPad to do videos and this was an opportunity to practice.





OK, enough of my amateur attempts. Here's a professional video of the landing at Alki during the 2011 Canoe Journey. It explains the event and its significance in tribal culture.