The best laid plans…

The best laid plans of mice, men, or musicians, can oft go awry…

Our plans for today were carefully laid.  Geneva’s teacher, “Mr. Will,” has been working with her for this first year of her musical education on a variety of classical and pop repertoire, honing her improvisational and accompaniment skills as well as coaching her through some original compositions, and he decided to finish out the year by putting together a recording.  Despite the busyness of the Christmas season, as organist at a huge Catholic parish, he still managed to find some time to spend putting this together for us.  So it was that we zipped out to meet him at St. Thomas Aquinas in Avondale, with the grand plan to get through as much of the recording today as possible, and then come back Friday for whatever touch ups might be necessary.

Unforeseen variable #1 made itself known sometime Monday, when Megan came down with the virus that’s been making its way through the family.  This was relevant to the recording because she is singing on two of the numbers, and as of this morning, she barely had half of her range intact.  Still, she came along with us on the off chance she might be able to at least do a run-through, if not actually record today.

Unforeseen variable #2 took the form of a large contingent of parishioners who showed up bright and early at the church to do the Christmas decorating.  There were big bunches of brawny men hauling gigantic Christmas trees in through the double doors in the east transept, while the rest of the nave and altar were buzzing with swarms of purposeful women all carrying greenery or ribbons or swags of various sorts here, there and everywhere.  Will looked at us, thoroughly bemused, as we walked in to find him setting up microphones amidst the clamor. Nobody had told him this was on the schedule… but what can you do?  Roll with it, and that’s what we did.

Rather than calling it a wasted day and going home, he had Geneva do some run-throughs while he worked with the mics and figured out sound levels.  Geneva got some additional much-needed practice on the grand piano, and was sounding much more confident by the end of the hour; and what he did today will save a lot of time when we get together again and do the actual recording.  We hope to get back out one evening before the end of the week, after everyone else has gone home and we can use the space without interruption.

While they were busy about that, I wandered, and gazed in wonder, at the enormity of the building, and while I attempted to capture in my photos some of its beauty and unique features, such as the light-filled dome, the lovely adoration chapel, and a grand side altar, they in no way convey the size and scope of the space.  It’s an awesome – and I mean that in the truest sense – place!

Take note of the little i in the corner for captions as you scroll through.

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