As I write it's a cold and rainy night (in the height of summer!) and I'm snuggled up in my bed. Today I spent nearly the whole day out of the house and in the Catholic community. I can really feel the excitement level rising! Priests, seminarians and lay people are beginning to arrive. One girl who has come up to fill a soloist role in our cathedral choir mentioned she recognised several Catholics, including a priest, on her flight alone.
Stress levels are rising too. Our choir director at the cathedral was very tense, hard not to be with all the divas around! One woman behind me wouldn't stop with the passive-aggressive comments, and the terrible singing (as if she was in her death-bed) in my ear. However, the real highlight was the arrival of our male cantor who practiced a communion verse, and did it so beautifully my skin broke out in goosebumps. It was a take on the Magnificant, but tailored for a male voice, and he was angelic! I was amazed that the four young people thee, including him, spent their time practicing and the over 50s wouldn't stop whinging. I really hope we stay like this as we get older so we can just get on with the worship of our Father and Creator, rather than turning it into an ego-fest!
My poor friend (and other choir director) is stressed as well. She keeps having nightmares about the choir going terribly wrong (always due to some people who don't turn up for practice). She's really been banging her head against a wall trying to deal with them. Tomorrow she's going to be asking for an explanation for why they weren't there for the final practice, which really stuffed us around because we couldn't practice the drone for the Kyrie. On top of all this the organ she's used to working with has broken last minute, so we may have to do a lot of it unaccompanied. Oh, pray for us, St Cecilia!
I really can't wait for tomorrow! I'm going to record the Masses and I'll see if I can put up the highlights. It should be spectacular!
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