Música

So you know how I mentioned how I could never sing a solo in front of people? Well, basically I did on Sunday. I lead the music in Sacrament meeting, and K and I choose the hymns before church every week. I believe our conversation in deciding the hymns went a bit like this:

K: Should we sing Por la belleza terrenal (For the Beauty of the Earth)?

me: Sure. Do you think they know it?

K: I don't know. Probably not.

me: Oh well, it's a pretty song.

It is a pretty song, and we discovered on Sunday that no, they do not know Por la belleza terrenal, as I was the only one singing it as far as I could tell. I think someone in the bishopric was trying to sing it by the last verse, but I really felt like I was singing a solo there. I didn't look up the entire song, and I remember thinking, 'do they think I am performing a solo? cuz I'm not.' Why I said "Oh well" the day before I don't know- but now I know I CAN sing a solo in front of a bunch of people. It did make it easier that I was waving my arm in time and not looking up the whole time. We don't think they knew the closing hymn we chose either, ¿Donde hallo el solaz? (Where Can I Turn for Peace?), because again I felt like I was singing a solo the first verse. I looked up that time and was disappointed to see that lots of people NOT moving their mouths. The second verse more people started singing, and the third verse even more people were singing. Either they were learning the song as we sang it(or rather, as I sang it), or they forgot the hymn number that had been announced before the last speaker and it just took them really long to find it. After Sacrament meeting, a member of the bishopric told K thanks for teaching the ward new songs and to make sure we sang them again so they can learn it better. I wonder how many times I'll sing For the Beauty of the Earth solo before they start joining in.

Speaking of singing, last Tuesday K and I were invited to meet the maestro of the Honduras Philharmonic Choir. We went, and ended up singing WITH the choir, which was not our intent when we went. We thought we'd just meet the teacher and see the choir practice. It was pretty cool though. I haven't been in a choir in years so it was something different to do. I sat next to a boy who's probably about ten years old. His voice hasn't changed yet, so he gets to sing soprano with the women. When I sat next to him he asked if I was from Honduras(though he was obviously thinking that I must not be from Honduras- I am pretty gringa). He sang pretty well, and at the end he complimented my singing in perfect English. We had a good time, so we're going back tomorrow to the full practice instead of just some of it. Oh, and we had to tell someone we can't do a musical number on Tuesday night for a missionary setting apart because we had already agreed to coming to this choir thing again. I am definitely developing talents here I never thought I would.