Easter cantata

Let me blog while it is still fresh in my mind =]

Today is THE good friday (i duno how to start the sentence better XD).. eniweiz.. was supposed to be in church by 3pm.. however.. i know things (related to indoz) would ALWAYS drag.. and definitely dragged....... I was planning to reach church at 3.30 initially..

So.... i hd lunch with aswin n novi.. and novie had to go by 2 for her church.. *we didnt leave until about 2.30 tho' =p hihi...*.. so i was supposed to entertain aswin for 45 mins? It was quite a windy day after a very filling lunch that we were both quite lulled to sleep.. we ended up drinking tea at marina sq, until i realised that it was 3.40!!! goodness =.=; so i felt bad about being later than late that i took taxi to church... which was only $3+ (so damn near, actualy) haha....

I kinda expected they all buzzing around the toilet with costumes.. however.. some of them are still eating.. some are starting out the make up kits on the table... yea.. it hasnt started yet =.=; to my resentment and fury =.=;.... they can be really draggy =.=;

Eniweiz.. finally we began our make up sessions.. n yes!! i find that BEING ABLE TO PUT ON MAKE UP ON UR OWN IN VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT!! It started with them asking 'can u guys put on ur own foundation..' piece of cake.. i did it myself.. i was careful not to make my face look like japanese geisha who freshly painted with rice paint.. *like some of them oopz*..

Then i found myself queueing for make up... while the bunch of them *the bigger bunch* applied their own... sobz.. oh well... i dowan to jeopardize my face just hours before performance by TRYING to put on make up on my own =.=;

Well... i was pretty happy that i got blue make up on.. (because my costume is blue - ofcoz it was first come first served basis that i quickly snatched the blue coloured costume =p).. but yes.. it looks weird off stage.. c winny, the one who applied the make up on me, was warned NOT to put TOO LITTLE... so yea.. mine was pretty bright blue.. that i think was scary.. others also kena scoldings like 'it wun show on stage! put on more..!!!!' but then some of them got pink make up or yellow (gold-ish).. so it still looks pretty normal.. not BLUE... and at least, they all put it on their own.. so their make up does not lie in the mercy of the make up artist like mine do.. =.=' (eniweiz i really hav no idea how to 'tone down' the make up after it was done)

The costume is the usual israelites costume.. mine is blue as i hav said.. =] and my belt is bright pink.. my tudung is the softest prettiest of pink which i got it by chance (i dun really care as long as i got blue robe =p)....

Finally at 5.30 (which i think is v late), we finally try out singing on the auditorium, with the AV people still settling the microphones, the sound system, the ushers still laying out the holy communion stuff... (basically.. the place was quite chaotic).. and we're there being really really noisy with our hair.. our robe.. our lyrics etc etc =.=;

I think my choir conductor really has a strong patience.. it really took quite a bit of time to make all of us be on stage to rehearse one last time, synchronizing with the AV.. while we were on stage, the AV people are still synchronizing the microphone for the soloist, narrator and the whole choir - which, mind you, was VERY chaotic.. there were shouting to the point of them being too-polite-to-each-other-using the word PLEASE -so-forcedfully- that-everyone-knows -they're -actually-pissing -each-other-off.

As usual, i was already quite pissed when things chaotic and some people realy act bossy here and there and some of them simply just 'SOK' sibuk.. i found my spirit was really dampened before even singing..!! i forced myself to shut my ears and just stand there on the stage focusing on the.. erhm.. nothing (we could not even start singing =.=;).... it was really irritating.. annoying.. argh!!

Finally we rehearsed one or two songs.. and it was already almost time... so everyone was asked to leave the auditorium, to the meeting room for clearer (and less noisy) and final instructions... before the whole service, we all prayed... this is the part where i finally found my peace... Leaving everything in God's hand.. and that every voice would only sing for Him.. and that God would help us ease our imperfection..

*fast forward* time to sing!! woohooo...... eniweiz.. the stage felt smaller (as always).. and my personal space on stage was gone, coz, apparently the front row shrank to the back =.=; eniweiz.. husen delivered a v good solo.. thick voice.. clear and strong, no uncertainty of the notes, and no *going back and forth on the note*..

When we sing, there's a center screen showing video clips from GOSPEL of JOHN, with the lyrics so that congregation would not fall asleep while listening to us mumble through the words =p I find the video clips really nice.... *duno about congregations* =p

The moment when we sang on stage was pretty fast gone.. and c Herlina, on the laptop (in charge of the music and the video clips) sometimes acted as our subdued conductor.. =p when we sing too fast, she'll give us the beat.. and lead us back to the right part of the songs XD

After that, the sermon came *let me blog separately about this*.. and *fast forward*... and finally we sing the finale.... which i think was the best =] The song is full of Glory, and each note was sang with conviction.. and the song ends with JOYFUL JOYFUL WE ADORE THEE... which i always have this 'choir' feeling when singing XD

Last night, the choir director suggested that when we sing joyful joyful we should 'pretend' to talk to people beside us to ease the 'stiffness' of the choir.. i frowned at the suggestion coz i tot joyful joyful should be sang with all the grandeur of the choir... straight in line... sing each note with stacatto.... with smile on ur face mwahahaa.. that's my rendition of joyful joyful...

The ending of this song, we were supposed to raise our hands up in the air.... but tonight.. either everyone forgot.. or everyone nervous... none raised their hands XD wakakaka.... i just realized when we go offstage XD woopz... oh ya.. at the joyful joyful part, apparently everyone ommitted the part where they have to 'talk' to the people beside them also XD XD

Afterward, i painstakingly removed my make up.. coz my other companions to go home *venny and anna* are pretty 'plain looking' compared to me.. paiseh to go home with too thick of make up on mrt XD.. sigh... y did they use 'water proof mascara' =.=; so hard to remove man..... my right eyes suffered quite a bit =.=;

nevertheless... I LOVE IT!! i love it ... i love it ... i love it ... i love it ... i love it ... =] thx God for this opportunity =] if it were not for Him, it would be hard for me to learn (and memorize!) 6 songs within 3 practices =.=;; with FYP submission in between... O_o' and being sick in between too =.=; Praise the Lord!! =]

Eniweiz.. c Herlina (the one who didnt sing and was in charge of the songs) said that we sounded better at the real performance rather than the practice =p thank GOD! Praise Him!!=]

Oh yea.. this is what distinguish church choir, before and after performance, we always PRAY! hehee.. i remembered when i was still in children choir, we always have to pray before and after performance to remind ourselves that whatever we sang was for God.. and we thank God for the performance and we give back to the Lord everything.. which last time i resented becoz im-tired-after-the-performance-syndrome particularly, this evening the prayer was: "even though people (congregation and us, the singers) might forget the songs, might even forget this night) let the lyrics of the songs live in everyone's heart" AMEN.. =]

I really thx everyone who has come for the service [or for the choir] tonight =] i hope it hasn't been a waste.. =] i pray that the message tonight are also sown well into everyone's head... i hope there will be next timeSSSSSS for me =p thx sbass, thx venny, thx anna, thx hardi.. thx wijen ^_^v (yea man.. husen has a pretty powerful perssuassion that he could make wijen come!! haha!!)