Blessing and honour glory and power be unto him, be unto him

There's a book I read a long, long time ago, possibly called Bach, Beethoven and the Boys, that states, in its entry on sopranos, that sopranos tend to be the ditziest voices in a choir because the high frequencies they sing addle their brain waves.

I believe this to be true.

Or maybe it's just my choir. OMFG they are dumb. Lovely voices, lovely smiles, nothing between the ears.

OK, that's not really fair. But it is a fact that sopranos tend to look kinda bubble-headed compared to the rest of the choir. I think it's a combination of two things: (1) we're usually the largest section and sing the most noticeable parts, so when we don't know what we're doing, everybody gets to hear it and (2) we usually get the melody - the easiest, loudest part. We don't tend to need to sightread very well; just listen to the piano bang out your notes a few times and you've got it. I, in fact, can hardly sight-read at all, and I've been singing in choirs for omg 27 years. This year I asked to go into second soprano, even though I love singing first, in part because I wanted to hone up my sight-reading skills. Didn't work out - somehow this year we have a severe lack of first sopranos - but I'm hopeful about next year.

Anyway why am I talking about this oh yeah! So my choir is singing The Messiah in a few weeks. It's high. It's challenging. It's tiring. It's also sung by most choir singers every few years, and there are about a billion and one recordings of it out there. So our director thought (foolishly, apparently) that we would be able to concentrate on dynamics and expression and all that instead of note-learning.

Well, the rest of the choir may be able to, but the sopranos apparently require somebody to spoon-feed them every. single. note. We've been at it for five weeks, the director has put midi files with the individual parts on them online, I've been passing around my own recording, and the freaking sopranos are still unable to sing anything but Hallelujah with confidence - and even bloody Hallelujah, one of the most universally recognizable choral pieces in the history of universally recognizable choral pieces, is a little iffy for some of them.

I'm starting to think the high notes theory may have something to it after all.

I'm hosting a sectional practice at my house tomorrow. I may tear my hair out before then. Just getting them together has been an exercise in teeth-gritting patience.

I may have to visualize Volunteers/Ember to Ember Draco in order to get through this at all.

Subject: hp10k_showcase fics #2, 3 and 4

2. Title: A Winter's Tale of Blood and Duty
   Author: marguerite_26
   Pairing: Harry/Draco
   Rating: R
   Warnings: dark themes, character death (not Harry or Draco).
   Word Count: ~8.7k
   Summary: While Draco clings to the tattered remains of his family, Harry attempts to define himself in the post-war world. Disturbing events at Malfoy Manor bring them together.
   Author's Note: Many thanks to my betas vaysh11, silenceofcedars, melusinahp, and sansa1970. And thank you to the other Showcase participants and the writers at I.Smith for your helpful feedback and suggestions. ♥
   I am writing to raise awareness of: Breast Cancer Research
   Illustrated by raitala, drawing to raise awareness of Mental Health Issues. The illustration is rated PG.
   
   Excerpt: "Mrs. Malfoy, I don't see what –"
   
   "Please, let me finish and trust that I did not invite the saviour of the wizarding world into my confidence in order to get marriage counselling."
   
   Rec: :) :) :) This is lovely. I love peeking inside the Malfoys' home and family life, and although this is rather a heartbreaking look, it feels real. Like this is exactly how they would each react to something going badly wrong.
   And Harry's unenviable position is incredibly refreshing. No offense to the lovely Scottish lady in whose garden we all play, but I can't be the only person who thought, "Oh really?" when she stated that Harry and Ron had been recruited straight after the war without even doing their NEWTs.
   
   
   
3. Title: Glass Half Full
   Author: pir8fancier
   Pairing: Ron/Pansy
   Rating: R
   Warnings: Sustance abuse, filthy language, lots of smoking references
   Word Count: 10,047
   Summary: Twenty years after the battle at Hogwarts, it's not happily ever after.
   Author's Note: I received lots of help from the lovely participants of hp10k_showcase, with some additional expertise from eynhashofet and the incomparable regan_v.
   
   I am writing to raise awareness for Alcoholism.
   Illustrated by raitala drawing to raise awareness of Mental Health Issues
   
   Excerpt: Terrified didn't even begin to describe it. Ron Weasley had faced Voldemort, had dueled Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, had told his mother that Fred hadn't survived the siege, and had spent the last twenty years as an Auror. It all paled in comparison to raising up his head and opening his eyes to face the group in that room.
   
   Rec: ... I can't.
   This fic hits so hard and is so painful and honest and real it left me speechless. Just. Read it. Seriously. Don't miss this one. ::wanders off, still somewhat dazed::
   
   
4. Title: The Thread Measurer's Apprentice
   Author: sansa1970
   Pairing: Harry/Draco
   Rating: PG
   Word Count: ~9,000
   Summary: A mysterious letter saves Scorpius' life. When Draco discovers who sent the warning, a most unusual partnership is born.
   Author's Note: Many thanks to my invaluable beta readers: empathic_siren, secretsolitaire, calanthe_fics, and the HP10K writers. They turned a jumble of thoughts into something readable.
   
   I am writing to raise awareness of: Planned Parenthood
   Illustrated by: raitala, drawing to raise awareness of Mental Health Issues, and oldenuf2nb, raising awareness for AIDS Research and Prevention. (Both illustrations are PG.)
   
   Excerpt: "Draco Malfoy." Ginny finished drying her hands, but didn't offer one in greeting. "I believe 'I'll be back when Kneazles fly' were your parting words last time you stood on my doorstep." She edged forward and glanced up. "How do the little buggers look with wings?"
   
   Rec: This is so incredibly bizarre! And yet it works, so very well. Left me with such a wide and yet bemused smile on my face.