He is Risen Indeed!

Happy Easter! The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
On the coldest Easter morning I can ever remember in the requisite all-black attire, I walked to the Hunter College Auditorium, feeling not the least bit kissed by the Easter Bunny. But, oh, what glorious music and stories awaited! When we arrived Megan, the soprano soloist, was rehearsing her “I know that my Redeemer liveth” with full orchestra which included my friends Kyle on trumpet and Louise on violin. Glorious! Megan’s creamy soprano was just the right flavor and she handled every peak and valley with amazing ease. She is my new friend, so yes, Jenny, I believe the count is back to 40 to 1. We rehearsed our pieces with the orchestra, so much more exciting with all their colors and precision. Do I really get paid to sing this favorite music with all these amazing singers and instrumentalists? I love my job! We sat up on risers on the stage which allowing us to see all the cute Easter dresses underneath layers of bundling from the outside cold. We sang both morning services, the first mostly full, the second ripping at the seams with folks trying to enter the auditorium at every door. It is not a small job to usher a Redeemer service, let alone on Easter Sunday. Yikes! The services were amazing and I was blessed to hear the sermon twice about the empty tomb and the assurance that Jesus lives and forgives. I especially enjoyed the testimonies that three different members gave about coming to Christ and didn’t tire of those the second time. I have to say, I was a little bit nervous singing our last song with Tim Keller a few feet away. But mostly, I just felt my cup running over in thanksgiving for the opportunity to express in such lavish music the awe and wonder I feel ever Easter. It was amazing and the two services filled me to overflowing. I joined Laura and her husband Joe as well as the rest of Jenny’s small group for an Easter brunch at Pershing Square, a cute restaurant across the way from Grand Central Station. We had a great time reflecting on the various services and quirks in each (Jenny and others had sung at the West Side) and I ate the best whole-wheat pancakes I’ve ever met. YUM. We all had to jet pretty quickly afterwards, many had more rehearsals and services to come and I had a train to Pawling to catch! I raced home and collected a few things for my overnight adventure as well as the treats I’d prepared and took a cab to the Harlem Metro-North station on 125th Street. Even on a day as filled with light as Easter Sunday, shadiness abounded! And snow was falling as I waited on the platform for my Wassaic train to arrive.

We all had to jet pretty quickly afterwards, many had more rehearsals and services to come and I had a train to Pawling to catch! I raced home and collected a few things for my overnight adventure as well as the treats I’d prepared and took a cab to the Harlem Metro-North station on 125th Street. Even on a day as filled with light as Easter Sunday, shadiness abounded! And snow was falling as I waited on the platform for my Wassaic train to arrive.

I was on my way to meet Heather Gilles, a dear friend from CCM days, and to enjoy an Easter dinner with her family and friends. She has recently moved into an amazing loft apartment on the property of one of her voice student's where open space and horses abound! I loved getting away and seeing the stars, not to mention meeting all of the funny horses! Abby, Heather's longtime friend and fellow singer was there and it was nice to catch up with her and have her serenade us with some Tori Amos and original songs at the piano after dinner. Heather's parents were also a hoot and overall, it was quite a lively time. We ate all sorts of interesting things, including a wild goose that Heather's dad's friend had shot. I have to say, I don't have a favorite new meat to report on...it was strangely dark in color. Heather and Abby made some delicious sausage risotto and of course, there were tons of desserts to share!

Abby and I spent the night. Heather's funny dog, Chipka, spooned me on the coach and kept Abby up with her snoring and farting. It's so nice to have a little animal around on which to blame all those unattractive functions. :)

The three of us enjoyed a leisurely morning of coffee and dishes from the night before (no dishwasher!), only mildly cursing those who had left pieces of salad on their plates. We ate the leftover cherry tart and the girls measured me for my Millbrook Playhouse costume information sheet. Heather was so kind to drop us at the train station where the real adventure began. I guess the day after Easter is the best day to start construction on the Wassaic rail line...and because of that we took shuttle busses for an hour or so until we got to the next big station that took us to White Plains and finally transferred onto an NYC bound train. It was long but it was nice to be with Abby and share stories. Abby and I first met in Aspen in 2000. She and Heather were best friends at Juilliard. It's so nice how all these worlds collide and we keep meeting eachother's favorite people in this crazy business. Heather, a wonderfully talented singer, has turned her amazing brain towards directing opera and she's fixing to move back to the city soon to reimmerse herself in that world. yay for us!

I arrived in Harlem after 1 in the afternoon, much later than anticipated, but such is life. In the short half-a-block walk to the subway from the train station I'm pretty sure I walked through two "transactions." It was pretty scary, even at that hour of the day. Definitely not Kansas, or even the UES. I was happy to get home and collect myself.

I had to race across town to turn in my Millbrook materials and took the opportunity to do some Fairway shopping. I also "drove-by" Jenny's office for a lemon bar delivery and later, after fixing the sunday, now monday pizza as per tradition, dropped by Chris and Laura's. I had made them a box of Easter treats as well and hadn't the time to drop them by earlier as I wished. I just love hanging out with those two. Tressa and Ellie sadly had to go ni-ni. Chris and Laura are the kind of couple I want to be someday and their honesty and listening and vulnerability is so refreshing and inviting. It's funny because I remember where I was spiritually and socially when I knew them at Rice and how I wasn't at that time ready for the kind of Kingdom people they were and continue to be. I love that I totally stopped by without notice and they welcomed me so genuinely. Why do they have to move so soon? :(