Featured Refresh
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
This week was amazing. For the first time in 20 months, I was really able to spend time with my mother, who is in a nursing home. Finally, all restrictions have been lifted. Whereas before, we had to make appointments and our visits were limited to half an hour, now we can come and go as we please. It's allowing me to meet the other residents, get to know who her friends are, and spend time with her that's not rushed. On Monday, it was her birthday and my brother flew in from Boston to DC. We bought a cake for her, expecting just four or five people, but everyone on the floor came! (So we had to cut the pieces really small). Anyway, it was a great party, my mom was really happy, and everyone loved the cake. It was amazingly normal. This is a picture of her friends at the table wishing her a happy birthday and saying thanks for sharing the cake! Today I went back and spent two and a half hours with her. We had a picnic lunch, and just hung out with my daughter and her puppy, who my mom loves. It was really fun. And so nice. Amazing how the small things feel so good after all this time. It's nice to finally feel good about something after so many months of anger and frustration and fear!
October 11, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I am part of a large choral ensemble that will be performing Bach's Mass in b Minor. It is difficult music and I love the challenge. Up to this point choristers have been required to wear N95's or KN95's. But with the new CDC recommendations, and our county being in the moderate zone for infections, masks are now optional. There's no telling right now about whether we will wear them for the concert which is at the end of April. I've decided to keep wearing a mask, though, it muffles my voice. I don't know how long I'll continue wearing a mask. The picture that accompanies this entry is a snippet of what we are singing and shows one of the many melismatic sections. Melismas are long "chains" of notes usually sung very, very fast fast. It's usually just one syllable that is sung. So, if the word is "gloria," the first syllable, "glo", can be sung over 10 or more measures on just the "O" sound. Imagine 8 vocal parts (soprano 1, soprano 2, alto 1, alto 2, tenor 1, tenor 2, baritone, and bass) all singing different notes. Really fast. It's dramatically beautiful. Bach melismas in a pandemic. Here we go.
March 10, 2022