Surrounded by music

Having a wonderful few days surrounded by music...

Last night we went to the Chanticleer Christmas concert in Petaluma. It was great to see and hear them again. I have been participating the Chanticleer in Sonoma workshop each year for the past few years and plan to again this coming year. They are a real joy .....if you don't know Chanticleer - check them here.

Then today we went to see one of the Live HD broadcasts of the Metropolitan operas. My husband and I try to always have Saturdays as a day together and so for the last few months, we have got tickets to the Rialto Theater in Santa Rosa on a Saturday morning to watch the live broadcast of one of the Met opera matinees. Today's opera was Thais - by Massenet. It starred Renee Fleming as Thais and Thomas Hampson as Athanael. I had never heard of Thais before, never heard an Massenet opera either - but this was just amazing. I loved every minute of it - and as it lasted 3 and a half hours - I had three and a half amazing hours.

One part in it most people will recognise -and that is "the meditation" - a violin solo. It occurs during a scene change and it's unusual that the most well known part in an opera is an violin solo - not a soprano solo! David Chan played the solo and it was gorgeous......

If you get a chance to see this opera or watch the broadcast - I would highly recommend it...

And now ....the music continues... Tomorrow, I'm singing at Grace cathedral in the morning, and then going to the ballet in San Francisco with my friend.....

What a way to spend three days - surrounded by wonderful music......and so I decorate this post with music jewelry - it is customizable - I can put your favourite piece of music on a necklace, earrings or cufflinks or brooch...... Shown here is a necklace "in terra pax" - "on earth peace" from Handel's Gloria and cufflinks of Bach's "Jesu Meine Freude" - the bass part shown on one cufflink and the tenor part on the other cufflink......

ChoirGear.com launches

A singing friend of mine has just launched her website - www.choirgear.com which is devoted to providing products to singers so that they can perform in comfort. The items include un-scented toiletries/personal care products, tuning forks, folders, attire and non-bling jewelry.

I have made a set of jewelry for her store - including the songbird "suite", and commissionable jewelry including mens cufflinks that feature your favorite piece of music, and some solfege cufflinks.

She has lots of plans for the future for other ideas for choir members and directors - including check lists and etiquette guidelines and all those things that directors don't seem to want to talk to choir/choral members about.

I wish you lots of luck with your new venture Jo - and thanks so much for including some of my creations!