The hills are alive....

...with the sound of music. And so was my car driving home last night. I missed a call from Dave & Marie when I stopped at the grocery store in Raton. The woman who planned to sing with Dave this morning at mass was terribly sick and had lost her voice. Unless he could find someone to sing with him, there would be no music. Singing is something I enjoy, and I have offered to sing at church, though not by myself. I had faith I could do it, though I knew I would be nervous. So I turned the radio off for my last 45 minutes of car time, and I started to sing. I tried to recall back to Concert Choir class at St. Mary's my sophomore year of high school. Dr. Kelly would warm us up singing mee-may-mah-moe-moo, so I started with that. I couldn't think of any others, though I pretended for my audience of me that I knew a few others. Really ridiculous if it would have been daylight, as anyone driving by would think I was some talent-less hopeful trying for American Idol (I've actually never watched it, so I can't really make fun). I sang Alleluias and other bits and pieces of songs. I sang a lot of la la las when I ran out of words for the songs. I tried to get myself ready for the phone call when I got home. Thomas was asleep when I got home, resting up before the midnight shift. I called Marie and Dave to ask if I had heard the message correctly. In fact, I had. I headed over straight away to practice. It is important to say that David plays the guitar. He rocks the guitar. He can play anything he looks at, or at least he has the reputation for it. He also teaches music in Maxwell. This guy knows his stuff. He was set up in the living room, so we started with the first song and kept going. We probably practiced for a couple hours. I felt pretty good about the songs that had been selected, familiar with some more than others. My biggest fear is that starting note. I have never really sung with a guitar like I have with a piano, and it is a little different. David was great about cuing the first note, so I just hoped that once the first note came out, the whole congregation would join in song. I also sang soprano when I was in choir, but for projecting without a microphone, the lower tone is better. I would bounce around the notes in practice, but hoped that I would just wake up and know what to do. I set my alarm early to be at the office by 7 am. Confirmation class started at 8 am, and I needed to prepare for it, too. My one student was out sick this morning, so I did some other work. But mostly I had nothing to distract me from the butterflies getting bigger in my belly. David showed up shortly after 9 am and practiced all the songs with me. I knew that my biggest challenge would be loudness and the first note, but there was not much to do about that. We set up at the front of the church, and I just prayed to God that I would do well and not see the congregation looking at me. All in all, the music was great. David is amazing. He played so well, but he also adjusted his tempo quite a bit off the cuff because the congregation was much slower than we practiced. I was so impressed. I had one little "verse" during the Alleluia to sing by myself, and it went off okay...or at least okay enough, so then I felt more at ease. I was joking with Thomas that I don't imagine it will be the last time for me, but I am glad I got the first time out of the way! I know so many great musicians and singers who cantor for mass, and I can't help but appreciate even more the gift of their music at mass. It also makes me wonder how I am "qualified" to be doing it, like getting to take the fire truck for a spin. I guess out here we all wear lots of different hats. Despite the strong winds, once you put one hat on, it is not likely to come off either...