Monday, November 30, 2009

Today's Blessings part 1

Permission to attend Alexander's prizegiving.
A free lift to and from work, with good company.
The news confirmed that Lee is staying.
Roping in 1 or 2 guest vocalists for Sunday evening (Psalms).
Lee and Kirsty agreeing to cover my classes this Fri.
Sione doing good prep for his Uni audition tomorrow.
Hooking up a meeting to talk with and about a colleague's retirement.
Listening to Springsteen's "Thunder Road" at home, cranked up.
News that we are going to Whitianga as a family before Xmas.
Learning the moves to "Jai Ho" for the staff pantomime.

And more besides...

G.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Advent Begins...

Our church is a little bit unique.
Possibly one of only a few Baptist churches who are starting to observe bits of the church calendar.
Are we becoming Anglicans?....or Catholics???...
As you know I don't put myself into a particular denomination...I just happen to be at this church at this time...
But it is fun to follow the Calendar.
So today we learnt about waiting expectantly.
And I did the first bit of drama in church I've done for a while.
Enjoyed it immensely.
I had 2 partners-in-crime - Michael B, and Sophie.
Sophie was waiting to join Silver Ferns, Mike was waiting for global warming to hit Ak because it's a bit cold, and I was waiting for Labtest Blood Results...
Adventures in Advent continues next Sunday (Psalms Concert in evening at 7pm).
G.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Trip to Pakiri

Today I went to Pakiri beach with my sister Plonie.
The weather was overcast to begin with.
We left Birkenhead at 8.30
Met Carla and Paul in Wellsford for a coffee.
Puhoi traffic tunnels very disappointing.
At Pakiri we walked to the rocks at the southern end, then back again.
Water too cold for a swim.
The ocean, the constant noise of the waves breaking, the fresh, briny smell, the seabirds hanging motionless above the waves, then plummeting suddenly to feast upon fresh fish.
This is the beach where, following my body's cremation, I wish my ashes to be scattered (in the Ocean, that is, not the sand).
Wine with Hofmanns, then home for butter chicken.

Friday, November 27, 2009

More Passionate Thoughts...

One life only.
Every day could be the last!
Any day can be the first!
What would you do in your last hour?
Or if you had 25 hours in a day?
Did you waste yourself in any particular day today?
Did you energise others?
How did you make a difference?
What MUST you do before you leave us?
How has your life been a blessing to others today, so far, since you were born?
What do you really mean?

Visit Sophie's blog - she has written 2 amazing sonnets!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Life Goes On...

Funny how things seem to be normalising pretty much in my life at the moment.
I didn't even have to lie down when I got back from school today!
Things seem to be much more manageable.
Yes, there is still a little niggling sense of "How long?"
But I am being very active at present.
Watched a movie about Beethoven yesterday afternoon - Immortal Beloved.
Don't know if I could genuinely say it's a great film.
I guess our received view of Beethoven is that he was a very passionate man.
How passionate can one person be?
I guess if one was passionate ALL THE TIME one would become exhausted very quickly...
G.

Monday, November 23, 2009

"Where Have You Been, My Blue-eyed Son?"

One of my favourite Dylan songs ("Hard Rain's Gonna Fall") - also a fitting title for one whose absence from the blogsite has been noted.

So, Thursday night was a trip to the movies - 2012 (to be reviewed at some future opportune moment).

Friday - Planning meeting for Otahuhu Community event, following Paid Union Meeting, following Teacher Only Day, in the evening a family trip to Bosco Verde, with yours truly feeling sick as a parrot - a bad cough, snuffles, a headache and a hot feverish sensation in my head.

Saturday - Worship Team meeting from 9.30am to 3pm, a long walk, leaf-blowing, evening watching "Kavanagh, Q.C." (according to the cover this features Ewan McGregor, but I can't spot him!)

Still feeling sick.

Sunday - play bass at church (good sermon from Fred about personal spiritual discipline - also a slot in which Fred began to bake a cake with a bunch of children - great stuff!).

Sunday family do (Baxters), still feeling sick and a bit tired...

Then Kavanagh at night again, then starting the pantomime for school.

Monday up and down Rangitoto with 73-75 year 10s (GREAT weather, and a wonderful feeling for YT to be able to undertake such physically demanding activity).

BBQ! With Andrew helping out as YT needed a bit of confidence (the last time I used this BBQ was just before the discovery of my cancer, so there's a bit of Significance around it - it was my birthday present last year)...

Home group, where we continued with our plans to take over the world (with Faith, Hope and Love).

Then Back to the Blog.

Please pray for Holly's sister, Fiona, who is in chemo for her ovarian cancer (in Queensland) and is only 45 years old...she has 2 children, one who is about 20 and one who is about 15 (I think).

So...see you again tomorrow, okay (finished the Panto script this arvo, so now all set to do reports!)?

Gerald.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Today's News

This time of year at school is quite weird.
Seniors gone, the main contact we have is with Years 9 and 10.
I met 2 new classes today - 9J and Theo's Yr 10 Practical group.
Only 4 students from 9J - their class had gone to Waiwera Hot Pools.
I met the Yr 10 group with my balance of formality and humour - establishing one's preferred routines at this time of year is an interesting challenge!
I took part in an interview about the PPTA Branch and Branch Chair - it's all confidential of course, so that's all I'll say.
It made me realise however that I've been in the Union (and involved) for 26 years.
Time for another chocolate cake then?
Home for a snooze then on to the concert.
Bach solo violin music followed by Moana and the Tribe's "Whaa" ("Four") in the car.
G'night!

PJ Pati - a Musical Feast

This evening I attended PJ's end of course recital.
PJ has been our recording technician at OC for a number of years now - he was a secondary student at Aorere College and still sings in Terence Maskell's acclaimed Graduate Choir.
Tonight's recital was something special indeed.
PJ performed "Sound an Alarm" from Judas Maccabeus by Handel,
3 different settings of Shakespeare's "Sigh No More, Ladies" (Fisher, Keel and Bush),
3 songs by Faure (A Day's Poems),
Ah, la Paterno Mano, from Macbeth, by Verdi,
4 songs by Richard Strauss,
and Lensky's Aria from Eugene Onegin, by Tchaikovsky (this last was the aria with which PJ won the National Aria Competition in Rotorua about a week ago).

Right from the start this young man had his audience captivated - by means of power, beauty, expression, clarity and presence.

As might be predicted (especially with a student final recital), PJ covered a wide variety of genres, moods and style periods.

The heroic Handel, romantic British geezers, fluffy, wispy French sentiments, tragic and gut-wrenching Verdi, varied and high-powered Strauss and achingly, beautifully tragic Tchaikovsky...

PJ's versatility and communication skillsreached a climax as he moved from the sensitively hilarious reading of Strauss's "Ach weh mir, unglueckhaftem Mann" to the hopeless farewell uttered by Lensky to his beloved Olga as he prepares to die in a duel.

From the high to the low, PJ moved with conviction, and took us all along for the ride.

Every nuance of every word and phrase was captured by his voice (count 'em, FIVE different languages), and he knows how to "let it rip" when he wants to as well (the sheer strength of his voice was at times physically as well as emotionally overwhelming).

Afterwards I went up to say farewell.

I couldn't think of enough right words, so I (and he) settled for a hug instead - one of those big, powerful ones.

And then he thanked me for coming, and I thanked him for his concert.

This bloke will go as far as his dreams take him, and I'm sure the journey will be mutually enjoyable for both the performer and audience!

Fa'afetai Lava, PJ!

G.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

"Awesome" ad Nawseome

A gripe.
The more you repeat a word, the less it means.
The word "awesome" is such a word.
Awesome originally meant something/someone inspiring awe (= fear/terror/spell-bindedness).
Now we use it very casually, to mean "good", "nice", "cool".
Sometimes teachers or other encouragement professionals use it to push their charges just a little bit further in their endeavours.
For me, a sad thing is that it gets (ab)used in Church these days.
Far too often!
So we end up singing (brainlessly?),
"He's so awesome,
He's so awesome,
He's so awesome in this place".
Firstly, if He is "so awesome", aren't we doing Him a disrespect by repeating this mawkish lyric to the point of mindlessness?
Secondly, "so awesome"...
I mean, words fail me!
By the way, this is the song that also features the line "I've found where I belong I'm a living stone" - Dr Livingstone, I presume??
Why not "rolling stone"?
By the way, I think I once had David Tua in my English class in O.C. back in 1990..."O for Awesome" (he's a great guy, though, and gave me an awesome blue mohawk about 3 years ago!).
Enuff!
With apologies to the songwriter who wrote the above lyrics (we are all only human after all),
Gerald.

Super 12 Hello Goodbye

An event that I started last year.
An opportunity to greet new members and farewell old ones.
Tonight was "a bit" rough - seniors on exam leave.
Some beautiful performances.
Tevita's piece "Tears From the Sky".
Bridgit's poi.
Toni's uke solo.
Kakala and Esoto rapping and beatboxing.
The Dreamers!
Suli and Terina's duo - Ave Maria.
Starzya's a cappella "To Sir With Love".
The band "mix-up".
Sa'o's song.
Moira's performance.
Christine and Terina's originals.
A great, spirited, messy and fun evening!
Thanks, everybody!

G.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

A Fun Weekend

Began Thursday evening with the Year 13 Graduation (apart from a road rage incident on the way home).
Continued with receiving the first Special Cake from Heather, celebrating 25 years of continuous service (minus six weeks after bowel op) (by the way, had a delicious carrot cake baked by L that afternoon)...

Fri am morning tea with Eileen and the Tech Crew and various "hangers-on" (Maria, Theo, Rosemary), at which the teaching cake was cut...

Fri pm senior prizegiving - once again the Head Boy is a bloke with a high Music profile (who this year has produced some excellent rap pieces), James Tomasi.

Fri ppm "meeting" with Lee at Burger King, where we made our plans for taking over the world (or at least developing music at OC).

Fri pppm party with GOOD FRIENDS who have known me long and supported us especially well over the last 8 months (including a reprise of the blonde wig and heels costume to the music of Hot Chocolate - you had to be there...) PLUS another gorgeous cake from Heather (photo appears on this site), this time for the 3 events (cancer battle, teaching and marriage).

Saturday - anniversary meal, cooked by Andrew, ably assisted by Sophie (who of course went all the way to look the part and set the scene and complete the dream) and Alexander ("they can't eat all that"..."McDonald's would be cheaper")...thanks, guys!
And NZ thru to the World Cup Finals of REAL Football...

Also visit from Carla and Paul, bearing gifts - Bill Bailey's "Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra", including "Cockney influences on Classical Music", tributes to Chris de Burgh, Bryan Adams, Prog Rock, and a "Belgian Jazz" lol version of the Dr Who theme (Docteur Qui)...you HAVE to see this!

Sunday - church (viola time), recital by Steven (his final - lovely Debussy and Rachmaninov in particular), worship leaders' meeting (we NEED sound tecchies!) and viewing "Brothers and Sisters" (tv drama with Mary Tyler Moore) and "The Staircase" (a rivetting doco about a death - was it a murder or an accident???).

Which brings us back to you and me here on the blogsite.

Time for a sleep soon!

Catch you later (tomorrow?),

Gerald.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

More Good News!

At Green Lane hospital we waited next to a lady who described to 2 other ladies how her varicose vein had a way for popping up extra hard when she crossed her legs and then she could play with it.
Then a large man and his small son came and sat where they had sat, with him instructing his son not to tell anyone (the seats were reserved for oncology and haematology patients).
"What's Oncology?" asked the lad.
"Dunno" came the erudite reply.
Eventually we saw the doctor - not Dr Thompson, but a registrar type lady (still not sure what these different types do).
The scan shows that the tumour marker (the main liver tumour) has reduced further, from 19mm last scan to 14mm, which is half the size from what it was in about April...
The other tumours all appear to be stable at this stage.
So I only need to go back to a hospital for a checkup etc. in 3 months' time.
Here comes Summer!
Of course, if symptoms raise their heads it will be an earlier return.
Lois baked me a carrot cake.
And just before blogtime, Heather (Lois's sister) brought my 25th teaching anniversary cake over.
It's gorgeous!
Music icing round the outside, a healthy dollop of chocolate butter icing covering the rectangle, and key teaching words decorating the top ("sir, "passion", "paperwork", etc.)
It is the most thoughtful cake I have ever contemplated eating!
Thank you, Heather (and Lois for the yummy carrot cake too)!
So, in a nutshell, cancer not obliterated yet, but cowering in a corner for now, and I'll take that while I can.
Tearful farewells with our Year 13s today, and an amazing rap performance from the boy who at Yr 13 Graduation becaming Head Boy for 2010.
Aah. Music Teaching - a box of tissues should be standard issue (also an amazing performance from Barbara M, who sang a spinechilling song by Pink called "Dear Mr President" - a heartbreaking indictment of GW Bush.
From blogtime to bedtime, to dream of more assemblies, music and cake.

G.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Good News and Better News

Good news: I rang the hospital today.
They had received my blood test results from Labtests!
(Answered prayer number 1).

Better news: my cancer marker count is down to a staggering 54.
(Remember it was 4000 at start of Chemo...)
What percentage is that, you maths experts??
(Answered prayer no.2)

I mean, we call it "answered prayer" so often when it's something WE want.
If the 2 above events hadn't occurred, would my prayers still have been answered?

The next significant event is the consultation with the oncologist tomorrow at 3.30pm.

We will discuss the results of the CT scan.

So, to all those praying on my behalf, THANK YOU and DON'T STOP!!

I want to kick the little b....s well into touch (is that the right way round?) and be able to testify to the fact!

Today when I heard the good news I shared it with as many interested colleagues as I could find.
(It feels good to run down a school corridor even when you're a "senior" member of staff!!)

And now I share it with "the world".

Please, please, please also pray for:

Kath in Oz.
Bobby and Noel's sister, Sharmila in Hyderabad.
Sally's husband.
Carol-Ann's friend.
Barry.
JohnO.
Simon.
Margaret's daughter.
Colin.

...and anybody else who is battling with cancer, and their families.

A bit of a list, and you can probably add your own friends/contacts to it.

Pray for strength, hope, and light.

And I will give you further news, either "good" or "bad", tomorrow.

Love,

Gerald.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Here's Hoping

So I went into the local Labtests testing "office" at 7am.
And approached them sotto voce.
Telling them my last blood test had disappeared.
Please would they do their best not to lose this one?
They responded with appropriate mortification.
And gave me 2 phone numbers to ring tomorrow.
Then it was off to Ak Hospital to have my portacath flushed.
I got another phone number to call tomorrow morning - I should have enough numbers now!
Tomorrow Alexander and Lois have the day off - lucky so-and-sos.
Sophie and I meanwhile struggle on gamely, trying to make sense of this game we call education.
And on Friday I celebrate the following milestones:
27 years' marriage.
25 years at the "chalkface".
8 months battling cancer.
Bring on the chocolate mud cake!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Son's Day

Fred shared the story of his calling to our chuch today.
Moving and challenging.
Lois and I did some interview prep for tomorrow.
Exciting and a little scary.
I began rehearsing specifically for the Psalms Concert today.
Interesting, wide.
I wrote my first mini-analysis of a Bowie song (on this blog).
Satisfying, fascinating (for me!).
Came across more people with cancer today (more and more practically every day).
Endless, urgent.

Love,

G.

Blogpsalm 2

Burn my impurities away, Lord.
Burn all that is ugly, dark and dishonest.
Burn away my selfishness,
Burn and blaze against the Fear.

Let Your light blaze in me,
Shine and never dim,
Send the shadows far from me,
And I too will shine in darkness.

In You I have nothing to fear.
Not Death, not Sickness, not Hatred.
Leave me here to blaze a little longer,
Or take me to shine eternally.

Light,
Warmth,
The Fire of Love,
All are Yours!

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust - chapter 1 (Five Years)

The album was released in 1972, at the height of "glam rock".
Produced by Bowie, "his" guitarist Mick Ronson, and the then-ubiquitous Ken Scott.
Full name "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars", Bowie's first cohesive concept album - theme = superstardom in a dystopian society with only 5 years to go until the final meltdown.

Five Years majestically sets the tone of the concept, and the album.
The stripped-down rhythmic motif on bass drum, snare and closed hi-hat continues throughout the entirety of the song, with very few fills and little extravagance or indeed variation - on the video for this, the drummer, when filmed, appears to be almost comatose, and little wonder...

The song establishes Bowie as a masterful story-teller, in the vein of 60s Dylan.
He begins by telling us about a news report in which the reporter lets the world know that the Earth is really dying.

After this bad news, Bowie shares with us the visual and aural catalogue of events he sees and hears as he, presumably, walks down the street.

The song builds musically and lyrically, after a reflective pause at the end of the first verse ("I never thought I'd need so many people"...)
Strings enter, first subdued and sustained, but on later verses building through volume, pitch and rhythmic activity.
The chord progression (I, vi, II and IV) continues throughout (an example of Bowie being ahead of his time in terms of musical composition within the pop genre, unless you count the last part of the Beatles' She's So Heavy or Hey Jude), providing a similar unity to the drumkit pattern.

The chorus comes as the climax to the song, first sung, then shouted, as Bowie gets more and more involved in his apocalyptic message - electronic gurglings (once again, a reference to She's So Heavy) are layered on, and once the shouting stops all instruments fade out, save for the sparse drumkit, serving as a kind of heartbeat for the narrator (i.e. Bowie).

Significant features then are the use of rhythmic ostinato, the buildup throughout the song and the way in which the music underscores the lyrics.

Bowie often plays down his musical contributions to his own songs, but don't be fooled - this is Bowie at the top of his "game" and very much in control of his material.

Coming soon on "Bowie Reviewed" - "Soul Love".

G.

The Other Side of the Sky (Book Review)

...by Arthur C. Clarke (what does the "C." stand for?)

A collection of short sci-fi stories by "the great master", etc. etc.
Features The Nine Billion Names of God, and The Star, amongst many others.
Clarke is dead now.
He was one of the early generation of sci-fi writers (NOT quite as early as H.G. Wells or Rice Burroughs, but the same post-war gen. of Asimov, Heinlein, etc.).
His stories are more about the development of technology, encounters with aliens, concepts of space/time travel than they are about character development.
You won't find the inner psychological angst eloquently portrayed as in Ballard.
You won't find fantastic landscapes with panoramic and brutal vistas, as in Frank Herbert.
And you won't find the humour of Heinlein (though there is a mildly dark humour running through most of these stories).

So, why read this book?

Read the book and be amazed by Clarke's prescience - his stories are of the type that you finish reading and think "hmm, a lot of this has actually come to pass".

Amazing prescience.

Seminal.

G.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Sitterdag.

Another beautiful day.
Very tempting to take these for granted, but recent weather has taught us otherwise.
Lovely to be able to spend all morning in the garden!
One thing I do with my teaching is play little games with spellings etc. on the whiteboard.
Yesterday, being Friday, was Jukebox Friday.
This is where the students and I play 2 or 3 songs/pieces and write about them.
Yesterday with my beloved Year 12s we listened to, amongst other things, Tchaikovsky (Symphony no. 6, 2nd movement, which has a 5/4 time signature).
So, as they gave their answers/comments I changed the spelling of their names (they get points for contributing positively, and lose points for "negative" contributions, e.g. talking while the music is on), where possible, so Toni became Tchoni, Kitea became Kitchea and Junior became Tchunior...get the picture???
Of course, sometimes the spelling thing becomes a little "unstuck" - I have had sessions with Year 9s calling out raucously as I deliberately misspell things like Hamony, Melodeye, Rithhim, etc. in order to get their points!
And on Friday I managed to spell INFLUENCE as INFLENCEU....uh, unintentionally.
This was in my Year 13 class, they teased me about it, so I had no choice but to retaliate and take out the RED (punishing) boardmarker and make an example of Issac and Herpert....
The teacher must ALWAYS remain in controll...lolll.....
G.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Terseday

An interesting day.
Yesterday Lee was out, Kirsty was in (sick).
Today Lee was in, Kirsty out.
Theo and I providing a bit of continuity...
Meeting of new and old Super 12s at lunch.
Thinking "a new journey is about to begin"...
Going to a new parents' dinner at St Cuths.
Partly thinking "wow, great opportunities for Soph here".
Partly thinking "if only our school could have the same vibe of expectations/striving for excellence"...
It's not about the money.
It's not about the resources as such...
It's about developing kids' potential, teachers' potential (not hamstringing us with, at least, dull administrivia and, at worst, toxic compliance dogma) and building a learning community.
To paraphrase a popular saying, "school isn't the building, it's the people".
The moment you move your school into a situation where people are not valued is the moment when the descending spiral begins.
Please remember that, Mr Key, Mrs Tolley and various principals (not ours) and executive officers who don't get out of your offices......
Yours (hopefully) provocatively,
Gerald.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Woundsday

Just playing again.
Not actually feeling too wounded - actually not at all.
Best bit of the day was receiving very positive feedback on the Showcase (last night).
The Showcase was great fun.
I enjoyed watching the range of performers and performances.
Year 9s to Year 13s.
Kids starting off with hopes and expectations.
Kids finishing secondary and moving on to tertiary - the next phase!
Kids grown up coming back to check on the old school and see what's changed (nothing, really, if you don't look tooo hard...)
Enjoyed performing Eagles songs, and seeing the stunned/surprised look on peoples' faces when they received an award!
Thanks to all who contributed!
G.

Cancer! I Hate You! (poem...ish - not for the squeamish!)

You invaded my body!
You worked your way in from the inside!
And not just me, but also some of my friends and family - you never stop!
And you get your kicks by first of all causing fear....
(When will you visit us??)
Then pain...
(What was that agonising kick in the stomach?)
And you keep on growing greedily...one person not enough, one organ insufficient for your appetite.
And when you finally reveal yourself and are named you scare us shitless (in some cases literally)!

But I have news for you, my unwanted visitor (always the last to leave)!

You ain't gettin' all of me!

Your days of laughter, mocking and apparent victory are numbered!

While I/we (your numberless other victims) have life, breath, hope, faith, we will fight against you!

You may wreck a tea party or two with your foul manners, dark shadow and rude conversation...

You may crumble our bodies into dust as you cannabilise our cells and chew on our tissue and flesh and bones...

But you will not get all of us!

You may delude our mind, and invite sister Morphine into your hallucinogenic kabbal...

But you're really pathetic.

Because our bodies and minds are not the limit of our beings.

Try as hard as you want, make us writhe, twist, squirm, dance with Death...

But even after you have crucified us with your nails of pain
And buried us in your tomb of silence
We Will Rise!

Our Souls will not be crushed,
And our spirits will rise,
Will return Home (or perhaps come Home for the first time )
And the Door will be shut against you,
And the Rejoicing will be great.
We will be snatched from your jaws,
Either in this life or after it.
And our hope is in God,
And you have no power over God.
Any way you look at it,
You lose!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Moondag

Just something I enjoy doing...
Playing around with names.
The situation at school is its usual frantic self.
Rehearsals, personal crises, impossible deadlines...
Getting things finalised for the Ultimate Showcase.
I have now got my new Super Twelve ready for 2010.
Many possibilities, many challenges...
Lois has a job interview coming up next Monday, for a job she would really like to get.
Meanwhile I have been practising Eagles and Green Day songs for tomorrow.
The school band will do Take it Easy and Hotel California.
The staff band will do "Wake Me Up When September Ends"...
From 70s country rock to 00s punk - it all happens at O.C.!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

What's the Haps?

A beautiful day.
Out in the garden - plenty of work to do!
Fixed the vacuum cleaner!
Me - fix something technical??
I told you miracles can happen.
Lois recuperating from law exam no.1 and prepping for no.2 (Alexander with his maths also).
Sophie - dressmart today (savemart yesterday to get pirate outfit - Lois's caption is right!).
To see the a cappella group from O.C. known as The Dreamers, either follow Andrew's instructions in the post Just Like Job, or go to google and search for Otahuhu College The Dreamers.
Worth watching - tho this is only about half of what they presented.
I have been booked in to do another Psalms Concert at 7pm on Sunday 6th December - remember, you heard (read) it here first!

Gerald.

Psunday Psalm

The sun shines,
Shines forever,
Warmth, light, power...
Colour!
Green, green and brown and shade and flowers...
Black, brown and ultramarine birds
Swimming through the air,
Singing, chuckling, celebrating -
A raucous, arcane and virile music...
Symphony of birds!
The earth, the sky, the sun, my heart,
Full of the Glory of God.

Note From A Big Country (book review)

Yet another Bill Bryson book.
Far from ho-hum, though.
This one is a series of short articles originally written for the British Mail on Sunday's Night and Day magazine.
Bryson returned to the U.S.A. with his British family in the late 90s, and the articles are 90% comparative studies of life in the U.S.A. and the U.K.
They are, of course, largely hilarious observations, in the quizzical style we have come to know and love.

Which makes his article, "On Losing a Son" especially poignant - it begins by describing an idyllic twilight ball game with his young son, then takes us to the time where the Bryson family farewell the older son as he begins life at university.
Bryson writes:
"For the past week I have found myself spending a lot of time wandering aimlessly through the house looking at the oddest things - a basketball, his running trophies, an old holiday snapshot - and thinking about all the carelessly discarded yesterdays they represent. The hard and unexpected part is the realisation not just that my son is not here, but that the boy he was is gone for ever."

You needn't worry...the humour quickly bounces back.
I particularly enjoyed the article about getting a haircut...
As usual, immaculately written and packing a punch on every page.
Each article is only 4 or 5 pages maximum, so you can easily pick up and put down this book (a great bedtime read)...except that once you've picked it up, you won't want to put it down!
You have been warned (now bring on the Thunderbolt Kid)!

Jubilation (concert review)

Malcolm McA told us there was going to be an a cappella gospel choir performing.
Jubilation is its name, and it is currently touring the North Island.
On Friday they performed at Mangere East Metro Theatre at 8pm.
Unfortunately, very few Polynesians in the audience, which was pretty full.
Unfortunate because this is exactly the kind of thing most South Aucklanders would lap up!
So, marketing/publicity/etc. need to be addressed, because it seems such a waste!

Still, for those of us who were there, a terrific night was had.
The concert began and ended (sort of) with solos from Rick Bryant, a seasoned veteran of the Ak music scene (remember the Jive Bombers??No?? Where WERE you in '82??).
One of the very pleasant surprises for me was the wide variety of stuff that constitutes an a cappella gospel repertoire.
As well as the more trad numbers (including a raucous and dynamic rendering of "Samson and Delilah") we were treated to no less than 2 originals from the choir - "Learn to Forgive" by Rick Bryant and "First to Come Home" by Jean McAllister (Malcolm's sister).
Learn to Forgive is a deep, moving and true song - the kind Van Morrison would love to get his hands on (maybe the choir could send him a copy of their cd?).
"First to Come Home" is a rare thing - harmonically sophisticated and spiritually spot-on...sung and led by Jean...this is a song which grows on you as you repeat your listenings, so get the CD and explore it fully!
And...Tom Waits! "Come on Up to the House" (solo by Jackie Clarke, who is apparently quite well-known - a hugely spirited performer).

To sum it all up, this was more than a concert...seeing the way the group moved physically with their performance was refreshing - like the late, great Uncle Bob (Marley), they appear casual but are musically very tight beneath that appearance.
The moves flowed naturally from their singing, unlike the stilted mannerisms one sometimes finds with barbershop groups.
This made the separation between audience and performers (they were on a stage) frustrating...you wanted to get involved beyond mere foot stomping and hand clapping.

If you have not yet experienced Jubilation, get along to their next gig (I wanted to go again on Saturday night, but was prevented by personal concerns)...
At least get hold of the CD (go to jubilation.co.nz).
And if you attend a church with a bit of money (Destiny, maybe??)...you could get them in to lead a service!

Love,

G.