A Day of Music

Today has been all about music.

I woke up and started listening to my new Josh Ritter album, Live at the Iveagh Gardens.  I like it more every time I hear it.  This sort of surprises me because I am not usually a big fan of live albums.  It's incredible to me that almost every song on the entire thing is a beautiful reinterpretation of something I already love.  Somehow, some way I must find a way to see Josh Ritter live.  Just based on the recording, he must be fantastic.  There's a new version of "Long Shadows" with Celtic drums in it that whets my appetite for Ireland (that trip CANNOT get here fast enough) and reconfirms that song as one of my very favorites by him.  The previously mentioned "Moon River" gets sweeter with every playing.  I could just keep going on and on, but I'll stop because either you don't care and wish I'd shut up or you love him, too, and you already have the album and you know what I'm talking about for yourself.

Wednesday night, I got "drafted" to sing the special music this morning.  I don't do that very often, but the song is one that I love, "What Child Is This?" so I agreed.  I am not a strong singer, but when I love a song, I do okay.  I love this one, and I think it came off alright this morning.

We thought the organ had died for a little while, but we managed to find the problem (something got unplugged behind it when things were getting moved around).  I felt such relief.  Last time the organ needed major repairs, it was out for about three months.  It was terrible to be without it for so long.  I played Christmas hymns tonight, and enjoyed the sound of them, the feel of them.  There is always something special about it.

And then there was the "special music" that our music director put together.  He basically just drafted a bunch of people and put instruments in their hands tonight.  It was hilarious.  Some of them could play them, some of them could SORT of play them, some of them just strummed along.  We had a mandolin, a banjo, a violin, a bass guitar, a dobro, and a guitar, and then he randomly started pulling singers up to the front.  It was a glorious mess.  We did two songs that way.  It came off really well and we all had a good time.  He does stuff like that, and it always magically resolves itself in the end.  I love it.

Now, I'm relaxing and watching some TV, but I know tonight will end with music, too.  I'm going to return to Josh Ritter probably before I go to bed.  Maybe I'll have "Moon River" dreams that way.  All in all, I'd say it's been a good way to spend a day.