19 posts tagged “revels”

[sorry about it being two days late, my parents are in town.  solstice was from midnight dec 21st to midnight dec. 22]

for you, my friends. 

if you have never heard this poem, i share it with you now.  these words inspire us, and bring closure to the year.  they creep into our memories throughout the seasons, and bring us back to this time of joy and family and friends.  they keep our circle going, and keep the memories alive.

The Shortest Day

So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the
Snow-white world,
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.

They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen.
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.

And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, reveling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing, behind us--listen!

All the long echoes sing the same delight
This shortest day
As promise wakens in the sleeping land.

They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends, and hope for peace.
And so do we, here, now,
This year, and every year.

Welcome, Yule!

--by Susan Cooper, 1977 http://www.thelostland.com/biography.htm
written for The Christmas Revels
http://www.revels.org/

i only have a few moments before i get bitter cold again (have i mentioned my room, especially in the corner where my iMac sits, is dreadfully cold?) . . .  this needs no explanation.

shortest day

in this place and in this time
i hold your hand in mine
we close our eyes and ground our feet
'till stars collide and hearts align

a million miles from home
i thought i'd be out here on my own
but as this circle surrounds me
i open my eyes, i'm not alone

this, this shortest day,
is ours.

our voices rise, our tears may fall
we sing of hope and heed the call
we light fires to drive the dark away
we hold each other through it all

this, this shortest day . . .

is ours.

(disclaimer:  this is a first cut, so it may change over time.  also, it's quite hard to record when shivering.  i hope the cold does not translate through the recording.  oh, and please don't steal my work.  not that i really need to mention it, but perhaps i should.)

Four more performances remain for the Washington Revels' 25th Anniversary Christmas Revels.  Tickets have been selling faster than we can say, "Welcome to Norwich!" - so if you are in the DC area and were considering going, be sure to order you tickets as soon as possible!  (Some tickets will be available at the door, but they have been known to sell out.)

Location:
Lisner Auditorium on The George Washington University's campus
Washington, DC
(Lisner is Metro accessible: Foggy Bottom / GWU station.  There are also parking garages in the area - check the theatre website for more info.)

4 Performances left!!:
Friday, December 14, 7:30pm
Saturday, December 15, 2:00pm & 7:30pm 
Sunday, December 16, 2:00pm

Tickets:
Best way to order is ONLINE!
You can also order by phone at 1-800-595-4849 (24 hrs / 7 days)

**NOTE: Tickets are selling FAST!  Although more seats have been released, there are still about 150 tickets left for Friday night and Saturday afternoon, and about 220 for Saturday evening.  The final matinee has only 74 tickets left . . .  help us sell out the house!  [*numbers accurate as of 12:10pm, 12/14/07]

Yes, that's right folks.  It's time for the Washington Revels' annual Christmas show!  We've all put an enormous amount of energy into this year's show, and we're excited to be presenting in just a few short days!  Set in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, our show tells the story of Will Kemp coming to Norwich to perform for the Queen.  There's dancing!  And singing!  And Mummers!  And the Lord of the Dance!  And the Foggy Bottom Morris Men!  And a dragon!  And royalty!  And peasants!  And hunters!  And oh, the children!  And . . . and . . . well, you get the idea.

Location:
Lisner Auditorium on The George Washington University's campus
Washington, DC
(Lisner is Metro accessible: Foggy Bottom / GWU station.  There are also parking garages in the area - check the theatre website for more info.)

8 Performances:
Saturday, December 8, 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Sunday, December 9, 1:00pm & 5:00pm
Friday, December 14, 7:30pm
Saturday, December 15, 2:00pm & 7:30pm 
Sunday, December 16, 2:00pm

Tickets:
Best way to order is ONLINE!
You can also order by phone at 1-800-595-4849 (24 hrs / 7 days)

**NOTE: Tickets are selling FAST!  Opening and closing performances have approximately 125 and 175 tickets left, respectively [at time of publishing].  Don't miss out on [the best] Washington, DC holiday time tradition!

apologies for not posting this earlier, but it's been a whirlwind!

sitting here tonight, eating my yummy [and light] dinner at my kitchen table, i realized something interesting -

i never blog for blogging's sake anymore.

coming from me, that's kinda strange, huh!  i really don't have much to update on, either.  there's just something so therapeutic about sitting here, letting my words fall as they may, knowing that if i'm lucky, someone will read them.  is it narcissistic [no, i didn't spell that right - that's what spellcheck's for] to want to write for the shear enjoyment of flexing my vocabulary?

i guess there *are* some things i could update about, like work or choir or Revels.  all are going well.  all are making me tired.  all take up all of my time, and i love every second of it. 

i'll make a seperate announcement that Washington Revels tickets are on sale now for all performances of the 2007 Elizabethan Christmas Revels, and that the 18th Street Singers will be performing on December 22 at the National Gallery of Art at 1:30 and 2:30pm.

oh wait.  it looks like i just did.  i'll still make official posts, perhaps.

***
my roommate stephanie just came down the stairs all dressed, ready to go be my other roommate [shawna]'s wing-woman at the Iota Club.  i find it rather amusing, as i sit here, typing away in the half-dark in my absolute favorite [and thus unacceptable for anyone else to view asides from aforementioned roommates] pajamas.

did i mention i'm contemplating going to bed?

this is what being busy does to me.  when i'm home, i'm an absolute sloth.  all i want to . . .

WHAT?  my roommate is talking about a waterskiing santa on december 24th.  [and yes, i just googled that to see what she was talking about, and ohmygoodness it's real.  DCvoxers - i have off that day.  anyone want to go?!?]

***
back to my regularly unscheduled programming.  the dynamic duo has [have?] left the building.

i absolutely lost my train of thought. i guess it wasn't that important . . .  or at least, not as important as strange and obscure "Washington Area Christmas Traditions."

speaking of christmas, i came up with a fantastic idea at work today.

we should re-brand christmas!

[to be continued...]

i've had a million starting lines run through my head tonight, and as i sit here in bed, all i can think is, "i was late for work because my roommate was in the bathroom for ever this morning, and now i can't go to bed because she's been in the bathroom for ever."

maybe it's her settling into the idea that i'm never home anymore.

i sincerely hope that none of you [if you're still checking to see if/when i post] think this dry spell is without warrant.  every night i come home and have this desire to write, whether for me or for the audience at large.  but sleep comes faster than my hands can reach the MacBook.  i try to keep up with the key blog posts from all of you as well, but i still feel like i'm missing out on all of your adventures.

i don't want this to turn into another "i'm sorry i'm not blogging much anymore" post.
instead, here's all the things i've been doing.

• work

work is great.  work is insane.  and tiring.  and fun.  and exciting.  and crazy.  and stressful.  and hard.  and draining.  and finally starting to make sense.

take a look at my schedule from today:
 
7:10am  wake up late.
7:50am  get in the shower (see above for why such a delay.)
8:30am  leave for the bus/metro.
9:30am  arrive at work.
somewhere around 1ish i took a half hour for lunch.
somewhere around 7ish i took 15 minnutes for dinner.
9:30pm  leave work
10:15pm  arrive home.
10:45pm  sit with Penelope and start writing.

i was supposed to go to Revels tonight for our weekly work party / rehearsal.  this is the first one i've missed.  i don't really like the feeling.

oddly enough, i still love my job.  i would just love some more sleep.

•  choir

seriously, choir is amazing.  i knew it would be working with fun people, and that we'd sing some great music, but i didn't realize just how amazing and great it could be.  we had our retreat this weekend, and between two nights of crazy dance party with huge rounds of flipcups, 'big booty' (if you've never played the game, you must!) and a game of truth-or-dare blackjack, we put in over seven hours of singing, a walk to the beach, and some quality time bonding.  i still can't believe i'm in this group. 

of course, i can't just blame work for my lack of sleep and energy.  retreat brought about 6 hours of sleep total.  going out on monday nights after rehearsal gets me into my bed around midnight.  totally worth it, though.  and there were a few nights when i was smart and didn't go out.  [to counteract the nights when i was stupid and should have gone home, but went out anyway.]

my goodness, though . . .  i really love being in this group.

• revels

not much to say about revels, seeing that i wasn't able to make it tonight.  i still love it with all my heart, as i always have.  volunteering has been an interesting way to keep involved . . .  some nights i get a lot done, and some, i just end up talking with my friends.  such is life, i guess. :)  last week, after rehearsal, we went to the Irish Inn by Glen Echo Park for some drinks, and what fun!  we sat on the deck outside and sang and drank beer [well, everyone but me] and danced and sang some more.  apparently that used to be a tradition after rehearsal, but had been stopped in recent years due to logistics of rehearsal spaces.

i'm still holding hope that i can get back into the show next year.  i really miss being IN the rehearsals and not just assisting in other ways.

• other stuff

hmm, what else.  i have a wedding reception party saturday for one of my sorority sisters.  i'm looking forward to it, and to seeing another sister's new house.  it's always good times when we all get together. 

i'm still working on my project365, although i haven't had a chance to give my weekly/bi-weekly update here yet.  perhaps tomorrow.  it was either photos or words, and since you can just check out my flickr site to keep updated, words won out.

my brother's doing well down here, from what i can tell.  i wish he'd call me or email me back sometime, but alas, i cannot change him.  i should call him tomorrow or something, maybe he'll answer.  i hope so - he owes me money for our thanksgiving trip back to jersey.  almost $400 for the two of us round trip.  ouch, huh.  why don't we drive, you ask?  because i would rather pay $200 than sit in traffic for nine hours trying to get home by car.  been there, done that.

as you can see from my schedule, i don't have time to date anyone.  perhaps that's a good thing.  i'm finally doing the things i want to do, for me.  it's kind of liberating.  and only kinda lonely when i see my roommates all starting new fledgling relationships.  if only i . . .  let's not go there.  this is a public post.

----
i hope this has been an enlightening look into what i've been up to for the last few weeks.
just know that i'm happy.  busy, but happy.

sleep time.

yes, that's right folks . . .  tonight starts the "Wednesday Night Rehearsals" for the chorus of the Christmas Revels!

but wait. 

before you can think, "you're not in the chorus this year.  why are you so excited?"

a little well-known fact - while the chorus is practicing in the gym, learning notes and dancing steps, there's a crew of volunteers making things just down the hall. 

who are these volunteers?

YOU!  [and me.]

to correspond with the rehearsals, these gatherings of volunteers are called "Wednesday Night Work Parties," and all are welcome to join in the crafty fun.  we make things to sell, things to put on stage, and things for chorus members to carry.  all skill levels are appreciated - even if you've never touched a glue gun or been through the aisles in Michaels at 10pm looking for that perfect swatch of fabric.  [sorry, sorority reference.] attendance at these parties is flexible, too!  whether you can make it just once, or every week, or once in a while, all hands are welcome in Revels.  if you're unfamiliar with the Washington Revels, we're a wonderfully welcoming community of musicians, singers, dancers, actors, artists, friends, family, and everything in-between. 

it might be a bit short notice for you tonight, but we're having our "Volunteer Fair" tonight, where you can learn all about helping out at the Work Parties and in other aspects of the show.  along with this, the artistic and music directors (and costumiers, too, i believe) will be sharing visions and plans for this year's Christmas Revels.

here's the details if you're interested in coming (these details are the same for every week's work party, too!):

Time: 7:15pm
Location: Washington Waldorf School
Directions: here!
Why: Because it's Revels time!

see you there!

ps - don't forget - if you can't make it tonight, come next week!  or the week after!  or the week after that!  and . . . oh, you get the idea.

sometimes, i like to revisit memes after a while to see how my results may or may not change.  although some of these questions are a little out of my league or arbitrary, going with my gut seems to produce accurate results in comparison with current events.  so, today, this card accurately represents where i am now, at the start of Year Two.

--

You are The Lovers

Motive, power, and action, arising from Inspiration and Impulse.

The Lovers represents intuition and inspiration. Very often a choice needs to be made.

Originally, this card was called just LOVE. And that's actually more apt than "Lovers." Love follows in this sequence of growth and maturity. And, coming after the Emperor, who is about control, it is a radical change in perspective. LOVE is a force that makes you choose and decide for reasons you often can't understand; it makes you surrender control to a higher power. And that is what this card is all about. Finding something or someone who is so much a part of yourself, so perfectly attuned to you and you to them, that you cannot, dare not resist. This card indicates that the you have or will come across a person, career, challenge or thing that you will fall in love with. You will know instinctively that you must have this, even if it means diverging from your chosen path. No matter the difficulties, without it you will never be complete.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

--
why is this card appropriate?

to describe just one way (as there's many possible ways, including my new job, my new house, my friends, etc.), it's how i feel towards Revels.

although i did not get into this year's Christmas chorus, i still feel compelled to be a part of the production in any way i can.  i'm volunteering for the wednesday night work parties, in which we'll make all sorts of props, costume pieces, and set pieces.  beyond that, i'll also volunteer for backstage work, most likely props and/or costuming. 

my theory?

if i can't be IN the show, i might as well help make sure it happens!

our company manager wrote me an amazing note along with the "thanks but" email sent out last night, and it seriously brought me to tears.  i could be passionate about being a part of a group all i want, but having someone else express how vital i've become to the group makes every moment given worth everything. (my goodness, i can't stop welling up with tears thinking about this fact.)

i wrote an email back in thanks and expressing my desire to volunteer wherever needed, and at the end, i wrote this perfect analogy (in as best words as i can remember) . . .

"Perhaps I am done "rooting," and now it's time for me to grow some leaves."

so, here's to Year Two: The Year of Changes!

all for the best.  :)

:: tries to uncross eyes ::

hi everyone.  i've been away from my VOX and neighbors all weekend because i was doing this:

May Revels!

thanks to Brad Graham for the photo!

to get an even better idea of what this "Revels" thing is all about, check out these videos of us rehearsing before our dress/outreach performance yesterday.