Friday, January 20, 2012

The Cantata is finished!!

Well, I have really been neglecting this blog. I thought I would at least take a few minutes and write an update. The music for the cantata is finished. I finished the last song just a few weeks before our stake started practicing for the performance. I had no idea how long this would take me, but I am so excited that it is done and I am even more excited to hear the whole thing. I have been working on getting recordings of each song onto my website so that it is easier for everyone to hear how the songs sound and so that you can practice with them if you would like.
  I am so lucky to live in such a talented stake, and even more lucky that they are willing to come and record songs for me so that I can put them on the website. Thank you to everyone that has helped already.
  I am so amazed, as I look back to when I was writing each song for the cantata, at how blessed I was. I truly feel like each song was inspired. I can't even describe how I felt each time I would sit down to write the lyrics. I have always struggled with lyrics, but for some reason with this cantata, I felt the spirit so strongly as I would start to write, and many songs came so quickly, some almost too fast. I had a hard time sometimes writing things down fast enough. And then there were times when I would wake up in the middle of the night with a new melody in my head for the next song. What an amazing experience! I am almost sad that it is finished.
  I thought I would want a break from writing for a little while, but after a few days, I started to go crazy. I needed to write something! So, I am in the Young Women's presidency in my ward, and I thought.....I should write a song for their new theme for this year, "Arise and Shine Forth". So, I just finished a song called, "I Will Arise and Shine Forth". It is on the site along with a recording done by the very talented, Joni Hayes. She is amazing. Take a listen. I have also just started an arrangement of the hymn, "Guide Me To Thee" for SATB. Hopefully it will be done in the next week or so.
  That's about all that is going on. I am loving each Sunday night as I go to practice with our stake. It is so much fun hearing these songs come to life. Anyone in the Kaysville, UT area that wants to sing with us should come. We would love it.
  And last but not least, I wanted to thank Ben Dee. He is our stake choir director and is the most amazing director that I have ever had the opportunity to play for. He knows how to have a good time and laugh with everyone, but also knows how to draw the spirit in. He makes my songs sound so much better than I ever thought they could, and he is always encouraging me to write more (I always take that as a good sign that he likes what I have written). It was his faith in me that helped me to have faith in myself to write a cantata. And, not only is he an amazing director, he has also taken over my website for me. I am terrible with computers, and I was just lucky to be able to publish things onto my site. But, he took it upon himself to re-do my site, make it look beautiful, and make it easier to read or find what you are looking for. I don't know how to thank him enough. Thanks Ben!! (He also has recorded a few songs for me....he has an amazing voice as well.....take a listen to "On My Way"....that's him!)