Lydia's annual shameless self-promotion thread

[Lydia Leftcoast]

Yes, it's that time of the year, which can only mean that I'll be performing in the annual Lessons and Carols services at St. Mark's Cathedral in Minneapolis (across from the Walker Art Center).

Your two opportunities will be on December 18 at 4PM and December 23 at 7:30PM. Both services offer free admission and a splendid assortment of well-known and little-known music. Best of all, there's usually a sherry reception after these things.

But that's not all! I'm actually in something else this month, although I'll be largely invisible. The Ethnic Dance Theater (which I sang with from 1982 to 1984) is putting on its folklore Nutcracker, with Central and Eastern European folk music replacing much of Tchaikovsky's score and folk dances instead of ballet. When the artistic director called on some of us oldtimers to sing, we had visions of singing the "aaah-aaah-aah-ah-aaah" part, but it turns out that we are actually singing part of said Central and Eastern European folk music from the orchestra pit. Performances are December 16, 17, and 18 at Concordia College, St. Paul.

[dflprincess]

1. It just doesn't feel like Christmas until you post your annual thread!

:loveya:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. I had to do *something*

The Plauder Smilie site, the former source of my traditional "Advent wreath" sig image, seems to have disappeared off the Internet.
:-(

[katinmn]

3. I hope to see you Sunday!

Also, is EDT the a capella group?

Do you know Carol B? She is a former colleague of mine and a long time member of EDT.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. If you mean at the Nutcracker, I won't be there

I agreed to participate only on the condition that I could be excused for Lessons and Carols, which, as you will notice, is also Sunday afternoon.

I thought of sending my clone, but she's going to be busy doing all the translation work that I have due on Monday.

Ethnic Dance Theatre is strictly the dance troupe. The singing group that used to be associated with them is called Mila, but they have gone their own way, so the artistic director recruited some of us "alumnae" to sing for the show.

With me or without me, it's a good show, though. Imagine doing the "ethnic" dances of the Nutcracker (Chinese, Arab, Russian...) with genuine ethnic dances and with genuine ethnic music instead of Tchaikovsky.

[katinmn]

5. No, I'd rather hear you at the Cathedral!

Next Tuesday we're going to the Penumbra for Black Nativity.

I'm hoping all the music will bring me peaceful thoughts. ;-)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. Okay, four o'clock kickoff--I mean, processional--time

:-)

[GAspnes]

7. I'll be there.

Is it being recorded, or broadcast?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. If it is, nobody has told the choristers

The first year I was in the choir, the late lamented WCAL taped it for broadcast but the tape turned out to be unusable because somehow some mikes were left on that weren't supposed to be and picked up the voices of people giving instructions to the members of the procession or to the readers.

By the next Christmas, WCAL was gone. :cry:

However, St. Paul public access cable taped tonight's performance of the Ethnic Dance Theater's version of The Nutcracker. I can be heard as one of the offstage singers and seen briefly toward the end as a Christmas caroler.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. Hmm, didn't see either katinmn or GAspnes there this afternoon...

Oh, and I'm afraid there's no sherry reception this year. :-(

But we had a good crowd this afternoon, there's another chance to hear our very well-received Lessons and Carols service on Friday, Dec. 23 at 7:30 PM. :-)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. You get one more chance:

Friday, Dec. 23 at 7:30PM at St. Mark's Cathedral.

:-)