Science (non) Fiction

Just some good things happening in my life right now (or now-ish):

~ Good, deep conversations with friends about important (and some not-so-important) things

~ Knowing that going to see WICKED is only ONE MONTH AWAY!!!!! (SO excited!)

~ When experiments actually work correctly reproducibly, and move my work forward instead of backwards

~ The fact that LOST and How I Met Your Mother is back on TV regularly, and many of my other favorites will be back shortly (April 10th for The Office!)

~ Broadway musical soundtracks (Lately it’s been old favorites that I’m revisiting like Les Mis and Into the Woods, plus Wicked of course)

~ Long, fun voicemail messages from friends and family about cat’s brains or cute coworkers

~ The fact that my birthday is exactly two weeks away!

I will not post the accompanying crappy things that are going on, as the good things generally outweigh them right now.

So what’s going well in your life right now?

We’re about to head into our last, crazy week of rehearsals for this year’s production of Handel’s Messiah with The Mozart Club of Winston Salem. I was looking back through my posts for this time last year and found this, and it pretty much sums up how I still feel about Messiah, so I’m re-printing it here. The 2007 performance will be at Reynolds Auditorium at 3pm on Sunday, December 2nd - hope to see you there!

I’m performing in the chorus of Handel’s magnificent oratorio Messiah this weekend (Dec 3rd at 3pm in Reynolds Auditorium, for those interested). The community group that sponsors didn’t perform it last year, but I’ve done it every other year I’ve been in Winston Salem since I started graduate school. And moreso this year than any of the years previously (mostly cause I haven’t been doing any choral singing for over a year now), I’m so grateful for this chance to sing a masterpiece with other people who love Messiah as much as I do, with really great soloists and instrumentalists who do the work justice in performance.

We’ve had our rehearsals this week with the guest conductor who’s come in from NYC (he’s the choral conductor for the NYC Opera), and it’s amazing how much physical work actually goes into singing something like this. I was exhausted after a 2.5 hour rehearsal last night, and in pretty much the same place tonight after another one. But there are times in the middle of rehearsal where you can catch these glimpses of the genius of Handel, things that no matter how many times you’ve sung it will suddenly catch you by surprise; the power of a lyric you hear in a different way, or the clarity of an ascending line from the sopranos that brings a deep emotional response.

And every year, I’m amazed at the poignancy of his description of Christ’s birth, and the vitriole and anguish expressed in the Passion section, and the joy found in the Resurrection. Handel’s choruses describing the trial and death of Jesus are full of text-painting, with chorusmembers representing at one point the angry mob calling for Christ’s crucifixion (’He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him’), and at another the whips during His beatings (’The chastisment of our peace was upon Him’). Our guest conductor this year describes Messiah as more opera than oratorio and I think I agree with him - singing it, you feel like you’re living in the middle of ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’, not just standing by watching it.

And it’s a good reminder as I kick off the busy holiday season, that beyond the ‘Jesus is the reason for the season’ platitudes, there is this: that Christ’s arrival on eath as a baby, while miraculous and glorious on its own, fits in the much larger scheme of God’s plan for redemption, and that His birth would mean little to us without his subsequent death on the cross. And that, friends, is what Messiah means to me.

I seem to oscillate in my music choices for running lately - between music with a really strong beat, and music with really strong lyrics. Sometimes I need the push of the rhythm to keep me moving when I feel like quitting, and then sometimes I need to have something other than my own thoughts to focus on, words that draw me away from all the stuff cluttering up my life. So tonight when I started my run (2 miles, woo!), I began with (and continued with) Indelible Grace. I love the depth of the lyrics, written long ago, but now set to different, beautiful melodies. This one especially struck me tonight, so I’m sharing it with you. It was just the thing I needed to hear tonight, so maybe it will be just the thing you need to hear too.

Dear refuge of my weary soul,
On Thee, when sorrows rise
On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,
My fainting hope relies
To Thee I tell each rising grief,
For Thou alone canst heal
Thy Word can bring a sweet relief,
For every pain I feel

But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,
I fear to call Thee mine
The springs of comfort seem to fail,
And all my hopes decline
Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?
Thou art my only trust
And still my soul would cleave to Thee
Though prostrate in the dust

Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face,
And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of sovereign grace,
Be deaf when I complain?
No still the ear of sovereign grace,
Attends the mourner’s prayer
Oh may I ever find access,
To breathe my sorrows there

Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet,
Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet

I had a reunion this weekend in Charlotte, reuniting several generations those of us who participated in a fantastic children’s choir. The choir, Musical Heirs, was pretty influential in my life, inspiring a love of music that led to voice lessons, multiple choir memberships and continues to this day. The reunion was leading to a concert on Saturday, which turned out really well, I think. And I got to spend time with some of my favorite people (Frances and Alexa, and little Aria ), which made the whole weekend worth it! (Frances, you’ll email me the pictures, right?) Also great that I got to see Dad from the first time since his return from Africa!

I’m house- and dog-sitting for some friends from church, which is really fun - they have a beautiful house, and quite literally insisted that I have friends over while they’re gone. So I’m having some friends over for lunch after church this weekend, and will try to plan another get-together before I go back home. It’s nice having a full-size kitchen to play in, and the dogs are fun to play with.

I’ve fallen behind in detailing my reading lately - they’re all listed here in case you’re wondering what I’m reading these days - currently I’ve left off in the middle of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, originally so I could read A Thousand Splendid Suns (which was amazing!), and I’m now more than halfway through Love Walked In, which I’m really enjoying a lot. I had a really good time reading Spellman Files, a PI story with a strong Veronica Mars feel. And I’ll be reading Possession and The Same Sweet Girls for book clubs (or virtual book clubs ) in the next few weeks. Which will have delayed my Harry Potter re-read such that I’ll be closer to finishing book 6 in the weeks before book 7 is finally released.

And I’ve recently found out that Over the Rhine’s new album, The Trumpet Child, will be out August 21st, with the ability to pre-order starting July 2nd! w00t! Based on what I’ve heard in the concerts I’ve been to, I think this could easily take the ‘Favorite OtR Album’ slot. I’m crazy excited about this CD, especially that we don’t have to wait til later in the year like I thought we might.

(Quote from Leo Tolstoy)

I’m stealing from Kari today to write about the music I’ve been listening to lately. I just randomized my selections, so there’s no particular order about the songs right now - maybe I’ll establish some kind of order later on. But this is what’s playing in my life these days, in case you were wondering.

For Whom the Bell Tolls by the Bee Gees. This was on a mix CD, and it was my definite favorite of the BeeGees songs - they’re a bit before my time (hehe), so I kinda missed out on this kind of music, so its fun to go back and ‘re-discover’ songs like this. There’s something quite epic-sounding about this particular song.

Mandy by Barry Manilow. Go ahead, mock me for the Manilow! I got this song for the Angel mix I put together for Becky’s birthday, and not only do I like re-living the scene where Angel sings this in the karaoke bar, but I actually just like the song on its own. Ha.

Grace Kelly by Mika. Now, usually the songs I listen to are the result of someone giving me a mix CD and getting hooked on some artist I’d never heard of, or some such thing. But I came by this one quite honestly (well, if you call watching VH1 on the elliptical at the Y and hearing the song ‘honestly’), and I’ve since gotten at least my brother hooked on Mika (and Bethany likes him too, continuing our twin obsessions :lol:) - there’s a very distinct Queen sensibility about Mika, which I love, and this song is super fun, very energetic and perfect for working out.

Relax (Take it easy) by Mika. Oops, this is what happens when you just randomize them - but this is another one I like off of what I believe is Mika’s debut album - very poppy and a bit more ’80s-sounding than Grace Kelly.

Never Again by Kelly Clarkson. This is on Kari’s list as well - Kelly’s new single - she’s the queen of bitter break-up songs, as Kari mentioned, and while I’ve never been through a bitter break-up, I can definitely sense the angst coming from this song - I’m really looking forward to her new album.

Don’t Write Me Off by Hugh Grant. Yes, that’s right, Hugh Grant. This is the song he sings at the concert in Music and Lyrics, and I definitely cried at this point in the movie, so this song is on my list - very sweet and poignant, even with Hugh ‘I’ve been arrested for lewd acts with a transvestite’ Grant singing.

Maybe There’s a Loving God by Sara Groves. I feel like Sara Groves’ stuff is really hit-or-miss for me, I either really like a song or I’m really not a fan of it - this is the song that originally got me into her voice. I recently put it back into circulation. It’s not typical CCM, at least to me.

All the Miles by Sanda McCracken. I love this one from Sandra’s latest album Gravity|Love, very poignant and sincere as only Sandra can be.

Take Me for Longing by Alison Krauss and Union Station. Alison’s voice is one of my favorites, and this is from one of their Live discs - really powerful lyrics about not being chosen because I’m faithful or kind, but to ‘take me for longing or leave me behind’. Lovely.

7 (Acoustic) by Prince. I never really got into Prince, and even right now I couldn’t name you 3 of his songs, but I have to admit that I love this song - its one that I have to sing along with in the car, regardless of what else is going on around me.

Trusted by Ben Folds. I will admit to having a (brother-induced) pretty strong love for Ben Folds. There’s something very raw and real about his singing that gets me, even if its not, strictly-speaking, ‘pretty’. This one is kinda funny/ironic - favorite line: ‘Seems to if you can’t trust, you can’t be trusted’.

Useless Desires by Patty Griffin. This one goes on pretty much every mix I make, regardless of topic - its one of my absolute Patty favorites, and so applicable to my life right now. Favorite line: ‘To help me think a little less about the things I miss/To help me not to wonder how I ended up like this’.

Too Far to Walk by Andrew Osenga. This is one of the first Andrew Osenga songs I heard, and it gets me every time I listen to it. Favorite part: ‘I get scared that forgiveness is for better people/ So I give up trying to fight/ Jesus, you’ll have to come get me/ Cause it’s too far to walk tonight’.

A Place Called Home by Kim Richey. I like Kim’s voice (which I first heard a year or so ago), and this one was in the last episode of Angel, so it went on Becky’s mix as well, and I really like it. Kinda rolling and haunting.

How Could We Dare to be Wrong by Colin Blunstone. When I first heard this song a few months ago (on a mix), I had no idea who Colin Blunstone was, and I assumed this was a relatively new song - turns out I was waaaay wrong, but I still love this song - it’s very poetic and his voice keeps it from being too cheesy (in my opinion).

Now and Then by Sandra McCracken. This is on my first Sandra CD (Gypsy Flat Road), so it was my first exposure to her, and this is one of my lasting favorite from that CD - it’s very soothing and lullaby-ish.

Reflecting Light by Sam Phillips. The song that is playing when Luke and Lorelei dance for the first time at his sister’s wedding on Gilmore Girls - I fell in love with this song then (and Luke, for that matter - hehe), and found it after some serious searching (of course, I could have just asked Kari). It still calls that scene to mind when I hear it, the camera panning out from the two of them to eventually cover the whole dance floor and town square. Lovely.

Cruel to be Kind by Letters to Cleo. I love the movie Ten Things I Hate About You, and this song (which is in the movie) is super fun, and very good for my work-out mix.

Gravity by John Mayer. This song was in a movie/tv show (but I’m blanking on which one right now…) when I first heard it, and it’s my favorite from his latest album Continuum. (I’m actually not a huge fan of the album as a whole, but I love this song enough to make up for it)

No Bad News by Patty Griffin. One of my top Patty songs, from her new album Children Passing Through. It’s a ’singing out loud with the radio up and the windows down’ kind of song - there’s this part in the middle where it’s just banjo (?) and then all of the sudden the percussion builds in and the song explodes - so fabulous!

Lost Lost Brother by Over the Rhine. Like Kari, I put this on after hearing them sing it at the concert in Charlotte - I’d never heard it before the concert (I know, but I don’t have Ohio yet, so I’m not 100% familiar with all their songs), and while the live version was tons better, this is a good substitute. (Even if iTunes is giving me conniptions with this song - grrr)

Heavenly Day by Patty Griffin. Another new favorite from the new album. And a rare happy song from an artist whose songs are normally tinged with quite a bit of sadness/bitterness.

Up to the Mountain by Kelly Clarkson. Again, like Kari, this song is an awesome combination of a beloved song (Patty sings it) with another incredible voice (Kelly is powerful on this one). Plus its a great song that addressed the cause they were raising money for, without being overly cheesy.

So that’s what I’m listening to these days - what’s getting a lot of play-time for you lately? Any suggestions for me?

So I went to see Music and Lyrics over the weekend (first movie I’ve ever seen by myself in the theater) - very cute and sweet movie, nothing ground-breaking, but fun - and apparently Drew and Hugh did their own singing (which I didn’t discover til I went to buy the soundtrack and looked to see who they dubbed in for their voices and realized they didn’t dub!) - who knew they could sing? So fun! (As Kari pointed out, I got all my money’s worth in just the first 5 minutes of the movie, when Hugh stars in a 1980s-style pop video, complete with tight white pants, mullet-style hair and awesome dance moves. The rest of the movie was icing on the cake - hehe.) I may have to watch it again, if not buy it, when it comes out on DVD. (Especially if Drew and Hugh do commentary!)

I also finished (a while ago) The Faith Club, written as a conversation between three women of different faith backgrounds (Islam, Christianity and Judaism). There’s a strong universalist slant, especially as the book progresses and the women discuss their common beliefs. Definitely an interesting read, and makes me want to learn more about the issues surrounding the Israel/Palestine conflict (something about which I know way too little). (Kari, I think it will make for a very interesting discussion book, for the record - even in a homogeneous group of people, but especially in a more mixed population.)

I’m also keeping up my interest in the Tudor dynasty (and all the resulting drama that came along with them) as I’m now reading Innocent Traitor by Allison Weir (about Jane Grey - it covers more of the Protestant/Catholic drama going on at the time than The Other Boleyn Girl, largely I guess because those debates weren’t going on quite yet in England). I’m also anxiously awaiting the arrival of the first three episodes of the new mini-series The Tudors, about King Henry the VIII’s reign (with Mr. Jonathan Rhys Myers as Henry - whoohoo!). So excited!

Also, tonight is Over the Rhine! in concert in Charlotte at the Visulte Theater!!! Their new album is coming out later this year, so I’m really hoping they’ll play up the new music, since I’ve loved what new music I’ve heard them do in other concerts. (I am, however, getting to be too old for late night Monday concerts - how am I supposed to get a good day’s work done tomorrow after the excitement of tonight?!?!) It won’t be quite the big group we had around this time last year, but there will be at least a few of us, back to represent our peeps for OtR.

I finished Carolyn Parkhurst’s Lost and Found over the weekend, which keeps me on track (for now at least) for reading about a book a week (3 so far in 2007). I updated my list to include my opinion of the book (very good). My plan is to finish up both The Pact and A Circle of Quiet this weekend.
Also on tap for this weekend is my lab’s yearly retreat to the mountains of Virginia an hour north of Winston. Unfortunately, there are too many things going on this time of year, so I’m actually going up after everyone else on Saturday morning (they’re all leaving Friday afternoon), but that’s ok because I’m going to see Sandra McCracken play at the Garage!!!!! Yay! Friday night, 9pm, The Garage, Winston Salem. Everyone should come!
In other news, I’m getting my hair cut tomorrow. I’m thinking about changing things up - any ideas from y’all? I don’t really want to change just to have something different, but I’m getting a little tired of how it is now… we’ll see, I’m sure Cheryl will come up with something amazing that I would have never thought of.

I don’t have a lot of time (I’m finally back at home after a long drive in holiday traffic and now hanging out with family), but here’s one of my favorite Christmas hymns - Derek Webb now has a new version that’s fabulous, you should check it out!

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the Virgin Mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger they found Him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

Continuing this week’s theme of Christmas songs, here is a new one to me called ‘The Glorious Impossible’ with words written by Gloria Gaither. (It’s also the name of a Madeleine L’Engle re-telling of Christmas, which just makes it even cooler )
I love the paradoxical way the song is set up, the ‘glorious impossibility’ of Christ’s birth to a virgin, His walking on water, His very human and divine nature. It definitely helps me to ‘marvel at this miracle’, even if I don’t understand it completely.

See the virgin is delivered
in a cold and crowded stall.
Mirror of the Father’s glory
lies beside her in the straw.

He is mercy’s incarnation.
Marvel at this miracle.
For the virgin gently holds
the Glorious Impossible.

Love has come to walk on water,
turn the water into wine.
Touch the leper, bless the children,
love both human and divine.

Praise the wisdom of the Father
who has spoken through His Son.
Speaking still, He calls us to
the Glorious Impossible.

He was bruised for our transgressions
and He bears eternal scars.
He was raised for our salvation
and His righteousness is ours.

Praise, oh praise Him!
Praise the glory
of this lavish grace so full.
Lift your souls now and receive
the Glorious Impossible.

~The Glorious Impossible, Gloria Gaither

I love this song from Michael W. Smith’s first (1989) Christmas album - this was on Bethany’s CD as well, but it’s been a favorite for a while. I love the way it encapsulates the Christmas story, from the birth to the angel’s appearance to the shepherds, all the while forshadowing Christ’s ultimate purpose in coming to earth as a baby, as God’s ‘final word’ to save His people.

In the space of the beginning
Was the living word of light
When this word was clearly spoken
All that came to be was right
All creation had a language
Words to say what must be said
All day long the heavens whispered
Signing words in scarlet red

Some had failed to understand it
So God spoke his final word
On a silent night in Judah’s hills
a baby’s cry was heard

Glory! sang the angel chorus
Glory! echoed back the night
Love has come to walk among us
Christ the lord is born this night

All creation sing his praises
Earth and heaven praise his name
All who live come join the chorus
Find the words his love proclaim