I have been listening to piano jazz for the past two days. I internetted to Oscar Peterson who recently died. Oscar was one of the piano greats for most of the past century and as I listened I wound up in You tube with links to many more Jazz greats such as Bill Evans and George Shearing and Miriam Mcpartland. Remembrances of my earlier childhood and teenage years learning to play the trumpet through listening to Al Hirt and Rafael Mendez and hearing the big bands, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, etc, came easily and I simply appreciated my past and the music that so stirred me then and stirs me now. Certainly the Lord has blessed the hands and minds of some to give us such a wide variety of music. I have been blessed to be able to interpret in a small way this truly american music and be able to bring joy to those around me and those who have listened to me sing and play in the past. I don't plan to stop now, either.
Friday night past the Valparaiso Singers said goodby to Liz and Marty Neil. He is to be the new Mission President in Albania for three years. Judith in spite of going through her 3rd round of chemotherapy, which by the way is going extremely well, put together 45 minutes of Liz's favorite choral pieces from the choir's repetoire and gathered as many of us that could make it to the annnex where all of our rehearsals have been and then just sang with liz joining us in the soprano ranks. I must say, we sounded good. Liz accompanied me on Bring Him Home, and then when the choir was through, I dedicated a song to Judith and Ralph Stewart, their favorite, I Left My Heart in San Francisco. It was a lovely evening and I felt the spirit as I always do when we sing this divine music. I am grateful to be able to feel and be able to do so.