Dec. 19: Choir II

No photo for this one, but on Thursday night my choir, more than 30 strong, sang at Shandon Park Golf Club, which is close to my house. We sang a 30-minute song cycle called Night of the Father's Love. We weren't sure the 140+ crowd would appreciate it around 9pm after a big meal and after the Salvation Army band. It's a religious piece and it's long--but the crowd were very appreciative and we got a standing ovation.

Then we had wine and mince pies. It was a lovely evening. We were giddy because the performance went very well--giddy and relieved. It isn't easy music--I've had a month to learn the alto parts. I don't have it down, maybe 50%.

In theory, I was off the next day, the first day of a two-week long break. Let's have a four-part-harmony Hallelujah. However I worked on and off all morning, editing a steering committee agenda and distributing it, distributing a template for the working group chairs to write monthly summaries, setting up meetings, etc etc.

In the afternoon I went to Holywood and had a coffee with Patrick Keatley, a University of Ulster professor working on renewable energy. He didn't have much good to say about the civil service in Northern Ireland. And there isn't much hope for the politicians. So we are doubly screwed. But it was nice to catch up with him, he's always working on something interesting. I was able to share a few things with him that he wasn't familiar with, like a project to insulate historic homes on McMaster Street in East Belfast. I also put him in touch with Business in the Community, where a new environmental director will be interested in his work.