Practice

I know that I have mentioned that our Christmas concert at our little church in the country is coming up soon. In fact, it is this coming Sunday night. Boy, did that sneak up on us fast, just as Christmas will, and New Year's, then my birthday, then Snow Whites Birthday, then ... well you get it by now.

Where does the time go, and why does it go at what seems like warp speed the older I get. Maybe thats why old (I should say elderly since I am old to a vast majority anymore) people can't remember things as well. By the time you are that age, time is flying by so fast, you just can't keep up with it.

Ok, what was I talking about? Funny how I can get sidetracked as I type ... hands not keeping up brain.

Anyway, last night was our final practice for the overall show. I have to sing a solo in the opening choir song and have been working on it sporatically for a couple of weeks. I probably went through it maybe 15 times yesterday afternoon, making sure I had the timing down and could remember the lyrics without having to think about it. I was feeling pretty good.

I went to church about an hour or so prior to practice to finish setting up decorations, lights and such. Everything looks nice and it works well with the different songs and skits that we are doing. We have set up what we tried to make look like an outdoor scene with several Christmas trees. It looks pretty good for the limited space that we have.

Ok. Everythings ready. Music. Lights. Choir ... check.

Lets get started. The music begins. It's starts softly ... slowly it progresses in a tranquil stream of notes that make you feel as if you are part of the beautiful scene in front of you. I stand, centered in the middle, at the top of the pulpit, acting as if I am stringing lights on Christmas trees. The music slows and I turn to the audience to begin. I sing a couple of lines and then BOOM! My brain explodes and I forgot what day it is, where I am, and most certainly any words that were supposed to be coming out of my mouth in some unison with this music that seems to be foreign to me. I completley lost it. What the ...? How could this have happened? Man, what a loser.

At least I had my book with me so I could pick it back up. I don't have a recording of the debacle, but this gives you somewhat of a comparison:

http://www.toontracker.com/xmasra/bluexmas.ram

The second time we went through it, we did much better. I have really believe that if we had warmed up or something, I wouldn't have screwed the pooch the first time. Well, at least that's what I'm saying.

Sunday? We'll see ...