Some of the Best Days...

...are concert days.  At least, when you're a chorister in the Shenandoah Valley Children's Choir, and you've been practicing faithfully all semester, and you are so excited to put on your plaid vest and black bow tie, that's true!  It's also true if you happen to be a parent of one or two of those choristers, and for several months you've been hearing songs in English and other languages coming from your son's bedroom where he's been practicing, and you've made sure that your child has all the proper parts of his uniform assembled, and you've been enjoying Christmas music for weeks and weeks already (because musicians who perform in Christmas concerts don't have a choice but to work on Christmas music months before December rolls around!), and you've had the Fall Concert marked on your family calendar since sometime in June, and now suddenly it's almost here!

Five days away, to be exact.  So close you can almost taste hear it.  ;-)

Last night during the Concert Choir's dress rehearsal, I meandered around, snapping a few photos here and there, while I savored the sounds of beauty filling the auditorium.

 Our new director has been the perfect fit for our choir--such a relief for anxious choristers and parents who wondered who could ever fill the gap left by previous directors!

 Sometimes a mother's eyes drink in the sight of their children, and so was the case for me last night with Josiah.  I watched and watched him, surrounded by friends he has gotten to know through the choir, and my heart swelled.

 This beautiful lady has been such a help for the choir this year!

 All those empty pews waiting to be filled on Sunday...it kinda makes me giddy.  :)

 Some of the VIPs who make things happen for the choir.  :)

 Last night I had a little sidekick.  While I snapped pictures of the choristers and whatever else caught my eye, Moriah tagged along and was a (mostly!) quiet companion.  I sure do love my girlie.  :)

 There has been some discussion about changing the uniforms for the choir; and as you can imagine, everyone has an opinion about it!

 The choristers got to give their input, and I'm curious to see what the final verdict will be.  Regardless of what the choir wears, however, they will still make heavenly music; and that's what counts the most.  :)

 This is perhaps one of the most-loved aspects of being in the SVCC. ;-)   It's the treasure chest from which each chorister may take a candy--or sometimes two, depending on circumstances--each week at the end of rehearsal.

 The SVCC wouldn't be the same without that!  ;-)

Here is where I make my shameless plug.  ;-)  For you locals who don't happen to have plans for 4:00 this coming Sunday afternoon, why not come out to the Fall Concert?  :)  No tickets required for this one, and you get the added benefit of hearing the Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony perform, too!  More details are here.  :)

And if you happen to come, it will be easy enough to spot me.  I'll be the one whose heart has grown so big with motherly pride that it's actually pushed tears out of my eyes!

Funny how that happens.  ;-)