Singing 4 My Supper: July 2009

I just finished watching "A River Runs Through It" and it made me realize something... I am in love with Montana! Yup, it's true. Before I recount my adventures there here are a couple of quotes from the movie.....

Norman Maclean: Dear Jesse, as the moon lingers a moment over the Bitterroots, before its descent into the invisible, my mind is filled with song. I find I am humming softly; not to the music, but something else; some place else; a place remembered; a field of grass where no one seemed to have been; except a deer; and the memory is strengthened by the feeling of you, dancing in my awkward arms.

And......
"My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night. But ah my foes, and oh my friends - it gives a lovely light."

Both are lovely. I happen to know that the second quote is actually from a poem by the amazing author Edna St. Vincent Millay. I would highly recommend this book to read more about the woman. But I digress.

Montana....sigh. Where to start. First off, I will start with the connection between our trip to the 2009 International Choral Festival and Norman Maclean. Our choir - The Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Chancel Choir was hosted (friended) by the First Presbyterian Church of Missoula, Montana.

This church was once pastored by Reverend Maclean who was the father of the man who wrote the story which later became the wonderful movie directed and narrated by Robert Redford. In fact, the church is currently raising funds for a statue to the man himself!

Anyway, our trip started with a flight to Salt Lake City (fabulous airport shops!!!) and then another flight to Spokane. (For future reference, it's a bit cheaper to come in there instead of arriving at the Missoula airport.) The next day we drove the three hours through Washington, Idaho and finally into Montana and the charming town of Missoula. What a brilliant start to an amazing week! We met at First Pres. , rehearsed and headed to our first gig of the festival...the Southgate Mall!

Okay...you may be saying...a Mall? Yup, just what we thought too but it was a venue on the Festival circuit and there was probably about 300 folks there! It was a lovely, relaxing start to a busy week.

We met our "friends" Mike and Mary Fussell who took us to their home and our lovely room. What a great couple! For me, Montana will always have a Texas twang to it because of the Fussells. We went from there to their home, changed and went off to a welcome picnic at Bonner Park. All the choirs were there and, if you click on the Jefferson Ave. Choir link you will be able to read about all the choirs there....

We were not able to stay for the concert but went off to rehearse. I think our choir director was not sure how we would stand up to the other choirs so we woodshedded some more to be in tip top condition. Remember, we have only met once a week this year with two day long rehearsals and the music we were planning on performing was intense and decidedly un-church like.

Later, we headed back and made our first pilgrimage to the Big Dipper. All I can say about this place is WOW!!!! Check out all the amazing flavors offered. This began a nightly ritual that was a great chance to meet and greet fellow singers, concert goers who had become followers of the choir and the local yokels. We also were able to meet some college friends of my hubby who were passing through Montana to their home in Washington. A great couple, we enjoyed ice cream and a long stroll through town - topped off with a great view from Pattee Canyon over the city!

On to Thursday and another concert. This one was given at the UM Recital Hall on the campus of University of Montana.

We ROCKED it. Pretty much. Later, I met up with an older brother of a classmate of mine from Livonia days!!! A graduate of Stevenson in '68 Patrick Williams is on staff at the U and a follower of Lowell Everson. He was my first real musical mentor and his wife was my first voice teacher. Mind blowing, eh?

We broke for lunch at a charming place called Food for Thought. Yum! After a brisk walk around campus we were back for another rehearsal - this time at the UM University Theatre. Nice space and great musicians. Our director had hired an acoustic guitarist and a wonderful string quartet for the evening performance of "South Dakota Shadows" - our offering by Jackson Berkey. That concert was amazing!

I have forgotten to mention the other choirs on our shows as well. The first one in the mall featured us and the choir from Taiwan. The second (recital hall) featured the choirs from Sweden (WOW. Look at my Facebook page for YouTube on them) and the children's choir from the Czech Republic. The evening performance at the theatre included the choirs from South Korea and Germany. Both were AWESOME although the S. Koreans had a problem with time! They went WAY over their allotted concert time but they were worth it. The concert went long but folks went away satisfied! Patrick came back to that performace with a album of my high school choir and pointed out his sister's name and I was finally able to understand how kismet our meeting had been, earlier. His young sister had been my best mate in elementary school!!! We were both om the album he showed me - and one I own as well.

Another visit to the Big Dipper ended a wonderfully hectic day.

Friday morning we had free so a number of us became audience members and listened to the Swedish and UC Berkeley Alumni choirs. WOW, again. Later in the day, Mike took us around town and down to the beautiful carousel in the middle of town. Take a moment and read up on it..I'll wait.

Cool, eh???? BTW, it was not cool that day in Montana with a temp. of near 100 degrees. But, it is true, the dry heat is MUCH easier to deal with and I was not as uncomfortable as I would have thought. It was very nice, in fact!

Later, we met up at St. Anthony's Catholic Church - another venue - and performed a very well received concert - one of our best including a performance of Berkey's piece "Arma Lucis".

Of course, I am not mentioning the wonderfully late evenings spent drinking Moose Drool and Trout Slayer beer in the Fussell kitchen, petting Maggie the dog and talking about the superiority of Mac laptops!

Saturday was a red letter day! The Fussells organized a white water rafting trip on the Clark Fork River and through the Alberton Gorge. Class 3 rapids and an amazing staff made for a FAB day! We actually took the last half of the river out of the boats,floating down the river.....sigh. Heaven, sheer heaven.

Too soon we had to dry off and drive back for the big outdoor finale concert of the Festival. The "Parade of Nations" started off with the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band and we were ushered into UM Washington -Grizzly Stadium - it was so like the Olympics!! The crowd of about 3000 cheered from the stands as we marched in with our flag and sign reading MICHIGAN USA. There, each choir sang two numbers. Later, there was a great adult reception at the Commons, University Center with more great beer and food and a lovely band. (The kid choirs were hosted by other families and had their own bash.) All the singers danced, ate and talked to each other, exchanging cards and took photos of each other's antics. Another amazing day!

Sunday we headed out early to First Presbyterian to sing their 9:30 Summer service. It was lovely and so many were there that I think some were concert goers who had followed us to hear the group one more time. In the afternoon, Mary and I went to Cottonwood Traders to find souvenirs for the folks back home. Great place!

Mary and I rejoined the gang at the Fort Missoula Historical Museum for a farewell picnic. Great catered food, more great beer and more great friends! We came back and got ready for our last rehearsal/performance of the week. Our last stop was the contemplative mass at St. Francis X. Catholic Church.

While it was hot inside - no AC in alot of places in Missoula - it was really lovely and we, again, sang our hearts out - ending with Ubi Caritas.

Very appropriate as the words read...

Where charity and love are, God is there.

Christ's love has gathered us into one.

Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him.

Let us fear, and let us love the living God.

And may we love each other with a sincere heart.

Where charity and love are, God is there.

As we are gathered into one body,

Beware, lest we be divided in mind.

Let evil impulses stop, let controversy cease,

And may Christ our God be in our midst.

Where charity and love are, God is there.

And may we with the saints also,

See Thy face in glory, O Christ our God:

The joy that is immense and good,

Unto the ages through infinite ages. Amen.

After the concert, Steve and I joined our old friend Jeff for an amazing dinner at the Lolo Steak House where we ate "as if we were going to the Chair". Sigh. Then, of course, we made our last visit to The Big Dipper.

The next day, we had to pack up and drive back to Spokane to catch our flight to Seattle (a little out of the way but whatever!) and back home. On the way, we stopped in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for a stroll and a light lunch. Then we continued into Washington and dropped off our cars - we all had Subaru Outbacks for the trip - and got on the plane.

Sigh...so it is. I am in love with Montana. Was it the magic of the music that has colored my feelings for this amazing place or the sheer beauty of the area...? Can't tell without another trip!

Hope you enjoyed my love letter. I enjoyed remembering it all!

I'll post pictures in my next posting.

Thanks for reading!

Singing 4 My Supper

Saturday, July 25, 2009

White Water Rafting - read below!

Read below for the story to these photos!

Koritsia - a girls' choir from Sweden

Montana.....sigh.

Friday, July 17, 2009

MUSIK!!!!!!!!!!!

My! Look at the time!

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