Why I sing, recognized.....

My view of the Pacific Symphony just before rehearsal of the "Carmina Burana"

A while back I shared about why I sing. I attributed it to my mother, who, during my childhood, sang to me nearly every night from a 1939 hymnal that belonged to her mother. It is a treasured memory.

But more than that, it was singing of those well-known and well-loved hymns and my mother's love of sacred choral music that eventually led me to where I am today: singing in arguably one of the finest symphonic choruses in the country - the Pacific Chorale.

This past week and weekend, ending with a matinee performance yesterday (Sunday), the Pacific Chorale sang as part of the Pacific Symphony's 2019-2020 opening concert series, singing the Beethoven "Choral Fantasy", and then the often-performed "Carmina Burana". After 3 consecutive nights of rehearsals, followed immediately by 3 consecutive evening performances, I was understandably tired. 

But there was a moment yesterday, during the Sunday matinee, that I realized that if it hadn't been for my mother, I would not have been in that choral terrace, singing with some of the finest singers in the southern California area.

That moment really put it all into focus - defined even more the reason I sing. I sing not only for the Glory of God, but also because I cherish the memory of my mother. I knew, as I stood in the choral terrace, that she would have been proud of me. 

And that pleasant thought gave me the energy and the spirit to sing the final concert, without fatigue or a lapse in skill. 

Mom, you would have liked it......