Music of the spheres

Day 223. Thursday. I was tired today so took my time getting up. I am having a Retreat over the weekend so I had things to do. I set about choosing some CDs to take, aromatherapy oils for burners, clothes etc. A fast coffee here and a few friends there. It is so hard to buckle down. No salsa dancing for me tonight, I had a concert to go to with I-.

Ives had told us about it but in the end she couldn’t make it so I went along to the cathedral to meet I- and we managed a seat on the front row. I really didn’t understand what we were going to until I got there and the choir came out, all dressed in long black dresses. The setting was amazing inside the tiny octagonal Cathedral with its impressive Roman pillars. The choir was the Bucknell University Choir and Camerata from the USA. There must have been going on thirty to forty young men and women, and I was filling up even before they opened their mouths and when they did I could hardly contain my tears.

Their voices touched me deeply. When I looked at the programme they started with Hymn to the Mother of God, Ave Maria, Magnificat and that was just for starters. They had me spell bound. The little cathedral was packed but at the end they were allowed to just walk out. I touched the choir mistress and conductor, Beth Willer and told her that I had something to say so she brought them back in. I couldn’t let them go without expressing my gratitude for their glorious generosity, time and skill. All the time I had been listening I had been sending their sound out to the world and the universe and I thought it would be nice for them to hear some thanks from a native speaker.

I am glad that I did because when the young man who had invited them and organised this part of their tour spoke it was rather too simple and lacked anything that referred to the beauty of their work. A tourist sitting next to me thanked me for having the courage to stand up and express what they were all thinking and feeling. They really were quite glorious. Afterwards one young man came up to me to tell me that he had been born in UK, Wiltshire I think he said. I gave him a hug and a Croatian kiss on both cheeks and told him to pass it on to the others.

Feeling completely full with joy, I- and I strolled through the palace and across to Luka’s new place, she was feeling like an ice cream but we sat inside because it was a little chilly. She sorted a couple of things out on my phone for me and then she went one way and I went the other. What a grand evening!