Handel's Messiah

One of the highlights of the Easter season for me is our local community performance of Handel's Messiah. Once again, I am singing with the choir, and once again I get to sing one of my favorite solos: "O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion". A new thing this year is the addition of my fabulous husband in the choir, because he and I are also cast to do an alto/tenor duet of "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?"

I have mentioned Messiah before, and how glad I was during an earlier rehearsal to realize how much of the music I could remember. It's such a miracle that I can sit here with cancer in my RIGHT BRAIN, of all places. That's where musical tones and pitches are recognized, and where musical rhythms are processed. Where memory happens. Where just about everything relating to this performance was potentially affected. And it wasn't. This is one of my favorite "tender mercies." Only the Lord knows how much it means to me to sing. How much I love music. My abilities in this area have been literally untouched by my cancer and the subsequent treatments that have been invading that part of my brain.

My performance this year is a celebration of that miracle, and an expression of my gratitude for this continued talent. What better way to use that talent than to bear witness through song of the Messiah? The One who bore all that I will ever have to endure. He not only bore my sins for me, but He bore all of my suffering, disappointment, pain, fear, and grief. And because of it, I will someday overcome all of these things. I will even overcome death, because He did. I am just so excited to celebrate Easter in a fitting manner, singing praises to our Savior - the Messiah - Jesus Christ.

My husband makes a face when I say this, but we really never know if this will be my last opportunity to sing Messiah. Statistically, it would be, but I'm pooh-pooh-ing the statistics. I'm hopeful that a miracle will keep me here for many Easters. But regardless of how long I stay around, we have no guarantee that my musical ability will always remain as it is. I hope it will be, but since we just never know, I want to make the most of today's voice. Today's song. I want to make it my very best, and savor it and enjoy it as much as I can. I hope we have a big crowd to sing to!

The performance is Easter Sunday, April 16, at 7:00 p.m., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2801 Eldorado Parkway, McKinney, Texas. The public is welcome, and it is free of charge. Come and hear me sing my solo. Come hear me sing a great duet with my very talented husband. Hear me sing, so that in case next year I can't do it anymore, at least I will know that I sang to as many people as I could. Come early to get a good seat, and stay afterward to say hi and get "thank you" hugs from me as I exit the podium!