Life as an Alto

I've been silent since November.  At first it was necessary; I was exhausted, and badly in need of rest.  After several weeks had passed, though, I began to be a bit concerned.  I'm a writer.  Shouldn't I be writing?  And yet, I felt strongly led to remain silent.  Until today.  Today, it dawned on me that the silence I've been exhibiting recently is actually a very compelling portion of the song I am here to sing.

After a long hibernation through one of the coldest winters we've had here in central Florida, I am slowly beginning to return to my usual activities.  Rehearsal season has resumed, and I've spent a great deal of time in the past few weeks learning the alto parts to both the Dvorak Requiem and the Mozart Mass in C Minor.  For many years my life has revolved around choral performances.  I generally plan my rest periods between performances, and then work like mad during rehearsal season.  This spring I've committed to two simultaneous performances of very challenging pieces of music, and after my long rest I'm thoroughly enjoying the process.