Singing In Church On Christmas Eve

Wow, what a day. What a Christmas Eve! First we had our church service in the morning, where we sang two anthems ("Do You Hear What I Hear" & "Rejoice") and also four Christmas themed hymns from the hymnbook. Then I came home and chilled for a while - and reveled in the Rams victory and clinching of their division (gimme a quick High Five for that one.....okay thanks) - and after some last minute shopping at the produce mart and a CSUN walk, I went back to church this evening for the 7pm service. Round Two, as it were.

I picked up Pearl on the way. At 93, she made it to two services also. Not too shabby, I say.  :)

For the choir, the evening service consisted of just a single anthem ("Rejoice" by Frank Hernandez once again, listen to the Youtube version by The Birthday Party for maximum value), but we also sang five more Christmas hymns and finished up with "Feliz Navidad". Christmas music like "Angels We Have Heard On High" and "Joy To The World" is stuff you can really belt, with good vocal control of course, so I was singing full volume along with our other tenor and we sounded really good. It sure is a couple of steps up for me from three years ago, when I reluctantly joined the choir. I had potential then, but couldn't hit all the notes consistently. Now it's no problem, and it's really fun to go into a particular section of a song with a great melody, knowing you can hit all the high notes and hit them with sustain and shape.

You develop an elasticity with your voice, where you can stretch it and expand it. Elizabeth, you know what I am talking about. And you have of course been singing a lot longer than I have. And also, you were in a choir many years back, and so you know too the aspects of that type of singing.

I am at the point where I would love to try and record my voice, and also do some two or three part harmonizing with other singers on tape, just to play it back and see what it sounds like.

Your friend Anna harmonized with herself on the version of "Hallelujah" that you shared today. That was a great cover she did, and she also added an intro of rhythmic voices, almost like a calypso or doo-wop style, that was really cool, very effective. The intro set up the "song proper" in dramatic fashion.

So harmonizing with yourself is another creative way to experiment with vocal techniques.

Let's sing!  :):)

After the evening service, we had a candlelight procession out to the sidewalk on Saticoy Street. They had wheeled an upright piano out there, and our pianist led us in a few more carols for motorists passing by, and the world at large.

It was the most singing I've ever done in one day, and it was a blast.

Now what we need to do is to form a singing group.

Finally, at 10:30pm, after I was back home, I walked across the street to Our Lady Of Lourdes church for their Christmas Eve service, which I have attended for many years now. Lourdes was my Mom's church; I used to take her there from 1999 until 2005. They always have a full house on Christmas Eve, and they do a traditional Catholic liturgy, which I am not fully acquainted with but it doesn't matter.

All are welcome, as they say at all churches, or at least the ones I know.

So that was my day : three church services, lots of singing, and a short trip to see some Christmas Lights at 8pm, up in Granada Hills.

Merry Christmas, Elizabeth. I hope you are enjoying the holiday with your family and your friends.

And remember........Singing Group!

See you in the morning.  :):)