Of solos, concerts and SOLO...me Alone

So some weekends back the Jamaica Youth Chorale had our annual flagship concert "Ancestor Voices". I had been asked to submit an arrangement of the Jamaican Spiritual "Me Alone", which tells the story of Jesus' temptation and fasting in the wilderness. I was ecstatic the director loved my arrangement (though he wasn't surprised at that, his words: "give you anything sad or dark and it must come out good"), and the rehearsals devoted to it and my hearing it were very touching moments in my life...then terror struck
"...So Carl, go ahead and try out the solo..."
*Gasps* what? uhm, can I just ...not, please? I never write with myself in mind for a solo and would not dream of singing a solo I've written let alone premièring it! I was terror and awestruck simultaneously...and went on to be the soloist in my own piece at the concert...well received rendition even if it felt like an out of body experience...a friend/group of friends conspired to record my experience (did I mention I am slowly hating the Video feature of smartphones? *shakes head*) and proceeded to regale me of the mistakes odd nuances and (few) good moments of the piece...

A Return to my love...

On Sunday (well, yesterday, lol) I had the pleasure to return to rehearsals with the Jamaica You Chorale, one of the choral concepts of which I'm apart. I had missed this group terribly, the camaraderie, jokes and laughter...and paramount, our collective SOUND! love ma JYC fam! here's us doing Hogan's Hold On! in rehearsal, no soloists yet (we've yet to know if we using tenors or sopranos, but I'm EXCITED-hopefully im considered? *crosses fingers* cant wait for AV 2012!!!)

(AV: Ancestor Voices, the flagship annual concert of the Jamaica Youth Chorale, which showcases mainly sacred choral works with an emphasis on Spirituals and slave songs of the world)