Yesterday Liza, Jessica, and I played in the "orchestra" for a pretty crazy choral concert at the Lutheran church in Arusha. It was a fundraiser for the hospice of one of the largest hospitals here. About twelve choirs from around Arusha were performing, and they were each performing a big chorus from -- you guessed it -- Handel's Messiah, in addition to one traditional Tanzanian choral piece. (On the phone with Liza, our Tanzanian guitar teacher, David, called it 'Handel's Maasai' in earnest. David isn't even Maasai. Anyway ...)
This was the Messiah in Swahili.
It was, of course, insane. Randy and Carol Stubbs, two American musicians who run the only music bachelor's degree program in the whole country, helped to coordinate the concert. Randy told crazy stories about going to visit each of the choirs and check out their progress, and discovering they'd been singing it in a completely different key than what the orchestra was playing in. Or realizing that no one in any of these choirs could read music, and that they were learning "For Unto Us a Child is Born" by ear. There were definitely a couple of choirs who ended about a half step flat of the orchestra ...
And, in typical Africa style, the event started very late and took twice as long as expected. It seems every Tanzanian (and American!) representative of the hospital needed to give a long speech, which then had to be translated for everyone. We were at the church from 12:30-6:20; the performance ran from about 3-6:30. We were ready to tear our hair out/hysterically laugh by the time all twelve choirs finally piled onto the stage for the finale of the Hallelujah Chorus.
It made me think of the McSweeney family Christmas Eve ... which brings me to my next point. I'm coming home for Christmas! A tag team effort between me, Tyler, my parents, and my Poppa Joe has resulted in a British Airways ticket, purchased today! I missed Christmas last year, and I hate to miss it twice in a row. I'm so, so excited to come home. Should be home Dec 17-Jan 11. It will be amazing to be in the comforting nest of home for a few weeks. I'm hoping to have a fundraising recital for the Umoja Arts Project while I'm home ... any old friends want to play chamber music for a good cause?
Lots of love,
Ellen
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2 comments:
How FABULOUS!
There are probably over a thousand Messiah performances represented in your family, but I think you won the "most unique" award. And certainly yours is the only one done in Swahili! How totally cool. The sound must have been unbelievably moving.
And, even better, we are THRILLED you're coming home for a visit. WOOHOOOOOOOO!
xoxo,
bj & dm
Ellen! Love!!!!!!! Hello and greetings from Namaacha, Mozambique! In three short weeks I find out where in the country I will be living for the next 2 years!!!!! I'm so thrilled at the thought of being close(r) to you!!!!!!!!!! All my love,
Al
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