I miss only four things about Northern Virginia, where I lived for more than twenty years before moving to N.C. nearly a year ago: my friends, Trader Joe’s, Ikea, and my beloved interfaith gospel choir, Mosaic Harmony (that’s me in the picture, second from the top).  I didn’t rush into finding a new choir because I don’t want to become overcommitted, which is my tendency. John and I went to a Mosaic Harmony concert when we visited Virginia a few weeks ago, and of course that set up a longing in me. I was chatting about it with Nancy Olsen, the owner of Quail Ridge Books here in Raleigh, and she told me about the choir at her friend’s church. So I went to a service to hear them a couple of Sundays ago and was wowed! I went to rehearsal last week and will go to another tonight.
It’s very different from MoHa, except for a similar energy in the people and a dynamic director. But being a church choir, everyone’s of one faith. One thing I loved about MoHa was the interfaith element–Christians, atheists, Jews all singing music that praised the Divine, whatever that meant to each of us. Another difference is that the new choir uses music, which I’ve never truly learned to read, whereas in MoHa, we learned the words and melody by rote. I’m looking forward to the challenge of learning to sing in this “new to me” way.
Oh, I nearly forgot one of the best parts! When I arrived for the first rehearsal, I was greeted by a member of the choir. When I told her my name, she asked if I was “the author” Diane Chamberlain. Turns out she’s one of my biggest fans! She said she’s my number one fan, actually, but others have made the same claim . I don’t know whether she or I was more excited. All I know is that I felt instantly at home and can’t wait to start singing with them in earnest. I just hope my writing schedule, which promises to be very full this year, will allow me the time.
Diane