Mid November onwards was busy. The first trimester was...

To the Parents of the Little Lambs

Mid November onwards was busy. The first trimester was being wrapped up and at the time of reading this newsletter marks and comments should be in your hands. I love the opportunity to connect with you and your Little Lamb more individually at the end of each trimester. Choir is a collective activity, however, it is not just the most innately gifted singers who make a choir. It is each member's contributions that give a choir its heart and the Little Lambs certainly shine here. They possess an eagerness, a joy of singing and as they make more sense of the rudimentary building blocks - the language of music - they are becoming budding musicians.     

We welcomed Advent at the end of November - a time to prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ with the many themes of waiting, hope, peace, joy and love. These themes are evident in the hearts and minds of the Little Lambs yet for many Santa's arrival is perhaps even more exciting. Ah, for the wonder of childhood!  

I would like to share with you our Nine Lessons and Carols hymn entitled, "A Maiden Most Tender". Both the text and the accompaniment capture the gentleness and tenderness of the mother of Jesus, of Jesus' long awaited birth and the Archangel Gabriel's foretelling. The Little Lamb's seem to connect with this hymn not only due to their child-like voices but the singing of this text seems to come authentically from their hearts. The accompaniment is not as supportive as in many other selections we have done in previous years, but they have enjoyed the hard work needed to make this hymn work.

December is always exciting. The Little Lambs have had a number of opportunities to sing outside of class time - at our first showcase of the year, our December Mass/ Rehearsal for Nine Lessons and Carols, and at the BVCC Senior's Luncheon where over half of our Little Lambs participated.  A sincere thank you to all families who were able to make this work at a time of year which is already very busy.  Being observed is a learned behaviour and the more we sing in a variety of settings the more comfortable we become. 

A few highlights from the above:

Little Lamb Showcase - Thank you to our audience for your heartfelt smiles, encouraging clapping and participation - particularly in the games Engine, Engine and Jingle Bells. You were such great sports. The kid in all of us is certainly alive and well. I am so proud of the Little Lambs - particularly in being 'bigger than life' storytellers, having fun with choreography, and their sensitivity in singing, "A Maiden Most Gentle", I also applaud them for their courage to do sol-fa hand signs with their eyes closed, for the way they entertained and for their attentiveness, smiles and enthusiasm throughout the showcase.

Nine Lessons Rehearsal/Class and Mass - December 2nd was a huge day; challenging yet also productive. They are even more excited knowing that they will be front and centre for NLC and singing in the cathedral is always very special. I feel so blessed that we also had class time on site at the cathedral; it was crucial for the day and for events later in the month. With each additional First Friday Mass it is obvious that we are getting better at all the tasks assigned to us - though we had to be mindful of the busyness of the day and how energies may wane - as they did. 

Bow Valley Christmas Luncheon - This is always a win-win situation. The Seniors literally love the Little Lambs and the Little Lambs were captured by the performance bug and got even more comfortable in front of an audience. They adapted nicely to being on a small stage and sang their hearts out. I am so proud of them. 

I feel so blessed to be on this journey with your child.

Blessings and a Very Merry Christmas to All.  

Love Miss Katheryne