Concert.

Today's happy and rested Emily is brought to you by Ambien and the team of mental health professionals who keep me sane and rested.

The 'rents are coming to town this weekend for the big Rutter Requiem concert I'm singing. The Rutter Requiem is, how shall I put this, a little schmaltzy. Every cheap trick in the composer's pocket, this man puts to good use. It's quite beautiful, but a little too in-your-face beautiful for my taste. It's like he's saying: Here's where your supposed to be sad! Here's where you're supposed to be happy! Here's where you supposed to be afraid! There is little room for interpretation, but audiences eat this shit up. The Pie Jesu movement that features the soprano is like sugar-coated...sugar. People just can't get enough of it. I've already sung it twice in church--I used to joke that I was their trick pony; they just loved hearing me float that high A at the end over...and over...and over. This time the concert is with chamber orchestra (YAY!), and we are also premiering a piece by our orgranist, a doctoral composition student. It should be good times--and not nearly as stressful as our concert with full orchestra last year. We did the Mozart Requiem, and halfway through it the other soprano got very ill, and I had to sight read the solo in the last movement. It was terrifying, a true out of body experience that I still don't really remember. I sang all the right notes but a couple of wrong rhythms--nothing disastrous if it weren't for my perfectionism. This time I am the only soloist, so I should be safe. Our director is eight months pregnant though, so who knows!

If you're in the Chicago area, click on the link above for info about the concert! I need fans! (And if you have insomnia, for goodness sake, get some Ambien. I can't tell you how good I feel today).