Tag: Christmas concert

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Mark your calendar!

We’re so happy to be offering an actual live, in-person Christmas concert this year (though it’s sad to still be without our big choir). It will also be live streamed, of course; you can save the link above (or even set a reminder) to be ready to view on Saturday, December 18 at 5:00pm (PST).

Last year’s Christmas concert was completely online, with singers from various Ananda communities contributing videos.

Since May our small singing group has been performing regularly for Sunday services and occasional special events, but usually just two songs at a time; never more than three or four.

So it came as a surprise how tired I was feeling during our second rehearsal for the Christmas concert! I realized that we haven’t done a full concert since Christmas of 2019, and now an hour-long concert feels like a LOT of music!

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Coming into focus

I can feel things beginning to settle, at least a little bit.

I finally know who’s singing for the Christmas concert, for starters. We’ve actually had one rehearsal and the music binders are mostly complete.

Key tasks and important reminders are surfacing in my consciousness, helping me feel like “Oh yeah, I can do this!”

I just hope this flow continues and that the feeling lasts throughout the holiday season!

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One united ray

The Christmas concert was beautiful and also extremely well-received. There were many high points, but the highest high point for me is still the virtual choir singing The Christmas Mystery.

I’m not yet able to share just this one song with you, but as I looked at the radiant faces of all the singers, I was struck once again by how very global and yet united we are as a spiritual family.

And that gave me the idea to simply list (to the best of my knowledge) where each person lives currently, as well as their country of origin (if it’s different). Not sure I got everyone right, but most of them. And it was fun!

India, Italy (born in Germany), California, California, India, New Zealand, Colorado, Italy, California, Hawaii, Italy, Israel, California, California, Italy, India, California (born in India), India, India, California, Texas, California, Texas, California, India, California, California, Missouri, India, Florida, India, India (born in California), California, India (born in Japan), California, California (born in Africa), California, India, India, California, California (born in Turkey), Hawaii, California (born in India), California, California, California, India, California, California, California, Texas, Washington, Oregon, California, California, California, India, California, California

So very diverse and yet all of us drawn together by our love for God and Guru. 🙏

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Let’s celebrate the light together!

In yesterday’s blog post I talked about our upcoming Christmas concert, but I didn’t mention any specifics!

So, here’s the scoop: the concert “premiere” will be Sunday, December 20 at 6:00 pm (Pacific time). All the pertinent information , including the link, can be found at www.ananda.org/christmas.

Plus you can check out the other inspiring events which are listed there as well.

And of course I want to mention yet another wonderful event (which isn’t listed on the Ananda website): Ramesha’s LIVE Kirtan Concert!

He invites you to join him for devotional chanting and short periods of meditation that will help you open your heart to the deep blessings of the Christmas season. It’s happening this Saturday, December 19 at 5:00 pm (Pacific time) on Ramesha’s Facebook page.

Here’s to a glorious, inspired, heartfelt, joyous, uplifting, fun, beautiful Christmas (take that COVID-19)! ✨

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It’s a wrap

It still feels very strange to be “done” with my part of the Christmas concert four days before its “premiere.”

Of course, most of the performances were “done” a little over a week ago.

It’s just such a contrast to all my deeply embedded concepts of what it means to perform — especially at Christmas time — as preparations intensify the closer you get to The Big Day. And then the big sigh of relief/release when it’s over.

I find it interesting that I feel almost the same range of feelings afterwards — relief, tiredness, excitement, and so forth — whether it’s “virtual” or “real.”

The fact is that tons of energy still goes out when it’s virtual, maybe even more in some ways.

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Time to knuckle down….

….and get it done!

(Also known as gearing up for our next virtual choir extravaganza.)

The countdown to the Christmas concert is well underway and the pressure is on!🎅

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Final countdown

The first Christmas concert in the Temple of Light is in three days. Tonight was the final run-through and choir’s doing (and sounding) great!

But, oh–! the details, the myriad details–!

And that’s my day in a nutshell.

Details.