October 10, 2011 - The weekend of "Firsts"

I will start this post off with a first: a first blog post in a long while.  Life has been rather hectic these past few days and prevented me from blogging.  So this is really the first time I've been able to blog in about two weeks.

So the weekend kicked itself off on Thursday evening when my cousin Ryan, his girlfriend Adrienne (now fiancee, more about that later), and two of my aunts Karen and Eddie came to visit.  It was the first time Emma and me have had guests at the house.  They were the first family visitors from St. Louis too!  Anyways, their visit is so integral to the this weekend of "firsts."  The very first "first" came on the evening when they arrived. My aunt Karen had packed eight pints of Chocolate Ted Drewes in dry ice and brought them down with her. So I had my first Ted Drewes since we moved.  Heaven!!!!

Thursday night was a first for me but this requires a little back story.  Our house moans when it's windy outside.  Somehow the winds catches a few vents in the soffitt on the house and the result is that of a pipe organ with an erratic bellows (sorry for the pipe organ lingo).  Or more appropriately it sounds like someone moaning at the top of one's lungs  Anyways, Thursday night had some of the worst wind I've ever experienced in Texas.  Emma and I couldn't sleep it was so bad!!

Friday also brought with it some  "firsts."  Ryan and Adrienne left early to spend the day in Fort Worth where Ryan proposed to Adrienne at the Fort Worth Water Gardens.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to come down and celebrate with them because I had to work.  My Children's Choir here at St. Peter's had their debut.  They sang for a Holy Hour on Friday afternoon that was part of a world-wide Holy Hour; people all over the world were in adoration at the same time!  Kind of cool, I think.  Anyways, kudos to them, they sang beautifully.  Next week, they sing for their first Mass. 

After the Holy Hour, Emma and I packed up and set off with our Aunts to meet up with the blissful couple.  We arrived and had dinner at my favorite Tex-Mex places: Joe T. Garcia's.  There we had a wonderful dinner in the beautiful courtyard.  We even had some music!!

(this guy was really good!!!!)

After dinner, my aunts went back home while the rest of us went to a rodeo at the Stockyards in Fort Worth. I wish I could say it was my first rodeo, but it wasn't.  It was Ryan and Adrienne's, however, which was great!! 

Saturday I had to leave early for a rehearsal down in the Fort Worth area at St. Vincent's Episcopal Cathedral. 

The rehearsal was for St. Peter's very first Organ Recital followed by Solemn Vespers.  I was rehearsing with the singers that came and sang for Vespers.  We didn't rehearse in the church itself, but one of the singers, who happened to be the recently retired Director of Music took me up to see the organ.  

This is a fine instrument!  It was built by the same man who restored the organ at St. Peter's: Roy Redman.  This is his largest work I believe.  Anyways, it was one of the best instruments I've been privileged to play since I moved here.  The action (it's a tracker) is easy, the console is comfortable, and has a wonderful ensemble at full organ.  It recently received a horizontal Festival Trumpet and while  I'm not usually a fan of such stops, this is how an en chamade should sound.  It was clear and brilliant without being too bright and the clarity of its speech was perfect!  Most of these stops sound like more air is escaping from the pipe rather than going into it. And the room is surprisingly resonant!, about 3 1/4 seconds.  It is a rather impressive instrument.

After the rehearsal I headed back up to Denton to have lunch with the everyone who had come down from Lindsay. After lunch, I went back to Lindsay to get ready for Children's Choir and the evening Vigil Mass at St. Peter's.  Right before Mass the wind kicked up and it started to rain.  During Mass, the wind knocked out the power right before the consecration. Fortunately, there was enough light to still see and it was fun having Mass by candlelight.  Thankfully, the organ has a manual bellows that can be pumped by hand or by the electricity powered blower.  I sent a text message to my cousin to come pump the organ for me while I finished playing for Mass.  This was my first period organ Mass where the wind was not being supplied by the blower.  I see why Bach's servants or the village idiot did this job, Ryan was sweating profusely by the end of Mass.  But think of the exercise one would receive doing this job; they must have been pumped!!! (hahahahaha)

Anyways,  the power was also out at home so we had to have dinner out.  We went down to Sarah's on the Square in Gainesville, TX where I saw the best sign in the men's room ever!!

Sunday was the biggest day of "firsts" for Lindsay and St. Peter's.  Firstly, it was raining and I mean it was raining.  This is probably the first time Lindsay has had a real rain since July!  it was glorious to see.  I played for the morning masses without losing power thankfully and it rained all day. 

Sunday evening we had the first Organ Recital and Solemn Vespers.  The Organist Emeritus of St. Vincent's Episcopal Cathedral, Dr. Barbara Burton, gave a splendid recital on the newly restored instrument.  The program included some pieces I had never heard before.  Her registrations were beautiful and really showcased the colors of the instrument.

 The psalm settings for vespers were by Fr. Samuel Weber, O.S.B. with a setting of the Magnificat by Cristobal de Morales.  In addition, the group of singers sang the lovely motet "O Sacrum Convivium" by Cardinal Domenico Bartolucci of the Vatican.  Afterwards there was lovely recpetion in the parish hall. 

All in all this weekend of firsts was exciting and one of the best I've had in Lindsay yet!