I'm proud of myself today for using my time wisely. Monday is a very long and tiring teaching day, but I do have about an hour and a half between students in the afternoon, and that is just enough time to run to the gym. I did half an hour on the elliptical and had enough time to shower and re-glamorize before my final two students of the day. It would be so much easier if I could show up to my lessons in sweats and dirty hair, but diva that I am, it simply isn't in me. Anyway, now that I know I have the time to pull it off, no more sitting on my behind when I could be getting even a short workout in! It's a matter of keeping that gym bag packed and in the car.
I had a cancellation this afternoon, too, so I used that time to work on my Verdi Requiem music. Speaking of which, if you find yourself in the vicinity, I invite you to attend my upcoming performance on November 8 with the Brazos Valley Symphony. This is a very special and dear work to me and it will be my third time to perform it. The first time, I had the privilege of singing it with one of my dearest friends, tenor Gary Rideout, who passed away in 2007. It was always wonderful to sing with Gary, and especially to sing the Requiem, because the tenor and mezzo soloists do a lot of their singing in duet throughout the work, often in close harmony. I loved blending our voices together. It was the last time we sang together professionally. On my desk, in front of me as we speak, is a photo of Gary and me after that performance. I'm hugging him and he's making a funny face. That was Gary. He could always be counted on to misbehave.
My second performance took place in 2003, very shortly after my father, Robert Sadler, had died. Here's a little Halloween ghost story for you. The performance took place in an auditorium with stadium seating; the stage is at the bottom and the audience is all above the stage. At one point while I was singing, I looked up into the audience and I could swear I saw my dad there. I knew it was him because he wasn't dressed up at all --- he was wearing the old jumpsuit he used to wear around the family farm, and looked comfortable. When I looked again, he was gone. Now, at the moment, this seemed perfectly normal to me and was not at all startling or upsetting. But that isn't the ghost part.
The last movement the mezzo sings is the hardest for her --- the Lux Aeterna, which requires very fine, pianissimo singing at the end of the evening, when one might expect to be a little tired. It's also one of the most beautiful movements. And the words are also very beautiful:
Let everlasting light shine on them, O Lord
with your saints forever:
for Thou art merciful.
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord;
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
With your saints forever
for Thou art merciful.
On my website, the sound clip of the Lux Aeterna is from this very performance. At the time, I felt it was some of the best singing I've ever done. But on with the tale:
After the performance, a chorister who I did not know well came up to me and said, "While you were singing the Lux Aeterna, I saw that you were surrounded by angels. They were hovering all around you. And I saw your father standing next to you, listening. He looked so happy."
Ever since then, I have always looked for my dad at performances. I've never seen him again, but sometimes I know he's there. (He prefers the comedies).
This time around, when I am singing this work which means more to me than any other I've ever performed, I'll be looking out for two people.
***
None of that has much to do with fitness and health,but it's what on my mind this evening, and I thought you might like to hear about it. As for food today, I did pretty darn well. Good choices, stayed vegetarian if not vegan. I have to say, though, I'm starting to crave meat. Tomorrow night I'm taking my mom out for her birthday dinner, so I will probably indulge just a little then.
I don't know if I'm losing weight this Boot Camp, but I certainly am feeling good. And tomorrow is another running day. Can't wait!
Thank you for sharing the very touching stories about Gary and your father. How wonderful to feel their presence.
~and on another note, about boot camp, feeling good is priceless! Keep it up!
Posted by: melissa_j | October 20, 2009 at 05:15 AM