The City and the Sea

Just recently I got some exciting news! I've been looking into a few different local professional choirs around me and found one that is exactly what I'm looking for. I had actually heard about it long ago but missed all previous audition dates so I didn't really think about it. This year I made a point of following the website as to not miss my chance. I ALMOST did once again after forgetting to check the site for a couple weeks. Luckily, I'm best friends with the choirs accompanist and he informed me that they were having some extra auditions. I had to throw together an audition piece; all my years of classical voice lessons helped out there. I was literally the last person to audition and... Well I got in! I'm one of the 38 people, guys and girls, who did and I feel so proud. I've always had a choir in my life. I was in all the choirs available in elementary and high school as well as an all girls Conservatory Choir when I was younger and a well known audition choir for a couple years in my teens. It has felt so weird to not have a choir in my life for almost 3 years now. It feels like I've found of piece of me that was missing!

We start meeting next week and I've already received some of the music we will be singing! These pieces written by Eric Whitacre are amazing. He used white key clusters, meaning only the white keys on the piano are used, no black, to make the gorgeous melodies. The poetry by E.E.Cummings is light, whimsical, and totally fun. There are actually 5 pieces in the set but the choir will only be singing these 4.



I Walked the Boulevard

i walked the boulevard

i saw a dirty child
skating on noisy wheels of joy
pathetic dress fluttering

behind her a mothermonster
with red grumbling face
cluttered in pursuit
pleasantly elephantine

while nearby the father
a thick cheerful man
with majestic bulbous lips
and forlorn piggish hands

joked to a girlish whore
with busy rhythmic mouth
and silly purple eyelids
of how she was with child

E.E.Cummings, 1894-1962





The Moon is Hiding in Her Hair

the moon is hiding in
her hair.
The
lily
of heaven
full of all dreams,
draws down.

cover her briefness in singing
close her with intricate faint birds
by daisies and twilights
Deepen her,

Recite
upon her
flesh
the rain’s
pearls singly-whispering.

E.E.Cummings, 1894-1962




Maggie and Milly and Molly and May

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles, and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

for whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea

E.E.Cummings, 1894-1962




Little Man in a Hurry

little man
(in a hurry
full of an
important worry)
halt stop forget relax

wait

(little child
who have tried
who have failed
who have cried)
lie bravely down

sleep

big rain
big snow
big sun
bug moon
(enter us)

E.E.Cummings, 1894-1962




So Incredible! I can't wait until this Friday when we start practicing!

Cheers!

Ayley