I've Done Some Crazy Things At Christmas...

Last night I did the craziest thing surrounding Christmas holidays. I've done the 12 days of Christmas. I've build a snow village in the middle of the night in someones front yard. I've build a snowman on top of a car roof. My Waffles & Christmas Stories Event is always a crazy thing. But this thing I did last night, at least for me, tops it. My daughter plays the violin. My sister sings and has sang with Steven Kapp Perry, Michael Mc clein, Merril Jenson and a few other old school LDS music people. Me? I follow really well. I can sing with people if I know the song. I don't read music at all.
Well my daughter was playing orchestra in the Stake Christmas Fireside last night. She invited my sister to come along. I went along for the ride. I heard them saying words like.... "Music... "dividing into sections...." "chorus..." but some where I missed the "sing along" part.

Our Stake did a Messiah Sing along last night! Little did I know what I was going to be in store for. We walked into the stake center and most of the chapel was almost full. My sister and I found a seat. She then asks, what I think is the weirdest question.... "what section is this?" I'm thinking.. Section? What does she mean? "tenors" was the answer. She turns to me and says.. ."we need to move." I'm thinking.. move? Why on earth would we need to move? So we travel around the chapel looking for a another spot to sit. The stake music coordinator was handing out this really thick book to anyone who needed them. I grabbed one for my sister, she would want to know the program, right? Well she ALREADY knew the program. I soon find out that this is a MESSIAH "SING ALONG." Now I had heard something about these things, but I wasn't sure what it was and what it all entails. And somewhere in my sister and daughter's conversing about it over the phone, I COMPLETELY missed it. Well, too late to back out now, we were about to get started. We had an opening prayer and then the guy from the stake announced what the program was and how it works and my jaw dropped to the floor. My sister was all sorts of giddy. My daughter, was eyeballing me from her orchestra seat holding back laughter. I sort of looked around uncomfortably and I noted that several people had their OWN copy of this thick book they handed me earlier. As the books opened they had their stuff marked up and highlighted with notes and ques and scribbles and everything else. I was feeling REALLY uncomfortable and nervous. My heck it was JUST singing. I've sang before. I've sang by myself before. Not often. Not even very well, but I've shamelessly done it. Anyway, I soon find out that WE, the audience are actually going to be singing the Chorus to the Messiah. OK, so how bad can it be?

Let me tell you how bad it can be. I was sooooooooo lost. first of all I know what good music sounds like, and I can sing on to the radio with the best of them. I can even do a karaoke duet. But this thing.... I looked at the music and was absolutely freakin lost! I cant read music, didn't know what notes to follow... didn't even know what LINE I was supposed to be singing until 1/2 way through the things and that was because I finally peeked at the music sheet of the lady on the other side of my sister and she had it highlighted. I tell you it was CUH-RAY-ZEE! I was messing up ALL over the place. But hey, they conductor at the beginning said
"it's all in fun, if you mess up, so what, keep going and just enjoy yourself!"
yeah, right!
I couldn't have messed up more if I had busted out with Ludarcris' "Pimpin All Over the World."
One I got the hang of it, which was the last song "Hallelujah." It was actually pretty fun. My sister LOVED IT! my daughter loved watching ME struggle and she played in the orchestra pit. Well, I don't feel too badly. My friend was there, she can't sing either. Her husband is a composer. She was so lost that her husband was singing "turn the page..." to the Hallelujah Chorus.

(turn the page! Forever and ever.. hallelujah, hallelujah!)

Yeah, that was definitely the craziest things I've ever done at Christmas.

Everyone should try it at least once!