WinterSong 2011

I think we all say this after every single performance. All of us, as in like sixty some people. Do I really need to repeat myself? Probably not. But I will anyways because as a Kokopelli, we can never get enough love: I'm ridiculously blessed to be able to spend time and sing with the people that I love.

Everytime I am anywhere with Kokopelli, each and every single person just fills my heart with ridiculous amounts of joy and love. Saturday was another one of those days. I honestly can't think of a better way to have started off my day/weekend than to start it off with Kokopelli. Honestly, everytime I'm around them, there's sunshine just beaming out of my rear end. Not kidding.

If I'm that happy to be hanging out with these people, you can't imagine how happy I am to get to be singing with them. Two shows in one day is a lot to take it. Before show number one at 2pm, we all just gathered in our dressing room to unwind and make ourselves look pretty. Swimming in sparkles can only mean ONE thing: It's show time.

Kikimasu's kicked off the first half of the program with, "Sanctus" and "Hine Ma Tov" under the direction of Carmen So, who happens to also be my old piano/voice teacher. Shumayela then sang three numbers which were, "Hey Ho! Nobody's Home", "...into mist with bells" and "Shalom, Pacem, Peace" conducted by Kim Denis. Kokopelli shattered the audience's hearts with, "Stay" then sealed our set with, "The Ground" under the direction of the wonderful Scott Leithead feat. Tova Olsen on
piano, and leaving the rest of the first half of the show to our senior choir, Òran to perform their set which consisted of, "Snow" feat. Russel Whitehead on trumpet, "Nativity" and "Glory To God" conducted by Katy Skinner.

Intermission: My former teacher, aunt, uncle and two baby cousins came to the afternoon show! And my cousins even brought me up some flowers which was just absolutely sweet of them...I didn't even have a solo though, so I kind of felt bad that I was the only one in the choir who received flowers. But it was so nice to be able to see my favourite two little Ukraisians again.

The second half of the program had Òran performing an absolutely incredible version of, "Ave Maria" then finished their set with, "O Magnum Mysterium" then handed it back to our baby choir. Kikimasu's sang three numbers that being, "Yultide Memories", "Ching-A-Ring Chaw" and "When In Dreamland" conducted by Carmen So feat. Erin Craig on piano. Shumayela sang, "Two Latvian Carols" and "Northern Lights" conducted by Kim Denis, featuring Tova Olsen on drums. Kokopelli quickly filed on stage and performed, "Tabula Rasa" and once again killed everyone off by singing, "Get Me Through December" arranged by our own Jennifer McMillan feat. Bryan LeGrow on piano and Michael Lowings on violin. I could swear that if you didn't cry during either, "Stay" or "Get Me Through December" ...or BOTH, you're not even human. If I wasn't on that stage trying to sing and hold it together at the same time, I would be flooding the church in my own tears. Anyways, back to the last little bit of the program. Òran was back on stage, joining Kokopelli for a wild performance of, "Alleluya Sasa!" feat. Garth Prinsonsky as soloist, Bryan LeGrow, Tova Olsen, Sidney M'Sahel and Eliot Howard on percussion. Drums are still pounding in my head today. But I loved learning and performing that one. Afterwards, Kiki's, Shumies, Koko's and Òran joined forces for, "Joy To The World" feat. Russel Whitehead on trumpet and Tova Olsen on organ, as the finale piece... Ha! Joined forces... I make a classic Christmas song sound so difficult.

That was our order for the evening show as well. There were a few slight changes in the evening, but that's the jist of our performances.

In between the performances, Kokopelli completely INVADED Boston Pizza on Jasper Avenue. We felt and still feel really bad about it...something tells me we should have called them first. Unfortunately, none of us really realized that the whole choir would all end up there at once. We also flooded into Starbucks after dinner...that's 2 for Kokopelli. But hey, great minds think alike...especially on show days! I'd say we had a pretty incredible day on and off stage.

We all got recordings of our performances from Scott Rollans last night and I choked up when I heard how beautiful we sounded...no wonder people in the audience were bawling. We were just incredible and we touched so many lives once again. My iPod is bound to break any day now due to me over-playing, "Stay", "Get Me Through December" and "The Ground" ...WE JUST SOUND TOO GREAT. I have to say the only frustrating thing is that when you're listening to the recording and you're mesmerized by the sound...and then SOME JERK in the audience just blows that moment by hacking up his lungs. Then everyone else thought that since one guy is going at it, it would be okay to do so as well. Well you know what?! YOU COMPLETELY DESTROYED OUR PERFORMANCE. I could SCREAM.

I'd say this one suits exactly what I just talked about

Also, as much as we all adore cute babies and energetic toddlers, we don't enjoy them so at choral concerts. Seriously they are way too young and hyper to really sit and understand anything, so please, hire a babysitter or stay home - as a kindness to them, to the audience, and to the PEOPLE PERFORMING. Sorry, but it is SUPER distracting. Now that I just got that out there, that was a part of my my fun, exciting, joyful weekend! ...It makes me wish I could just live every single day of my life like that.

I'm ridiculously sad that rehearsal is cancelled for today... I'm forced to wait another two days to recieve new music and to see everyone again. Seriously, I'm still wondering why we don't all just live together already. How easy would all of our lives be?

-chantalnguyen