An Incident at a Choir Concert

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Collette was up at 4:30 that morning – OLeif had to be out in Foristell to set up a wireless network and a computer or two before work.

A day for another choir concert. This was going past eleven years of choir-directing for Mrs. South. Collette could still almost picture her still directing while in her 80’s, but everyone’s limits came at one time or another. Forty years of choir directing (for three sets of rather unruly children’s choirs) might just about put anyone over the top.

During the day, the weather grew mild and Mom opened the doors and windows to the gray breezes. Carrie headed off to work, still to arrive in time for the concert that evening, Linnea skipped her rehearsal that morning (not feeling well), Frances started to feel poorly before he left for choir, Rose had a ceramics final before joining Joe at choir, and then Grandma Combs arrived at the house.

She had brought Collette’s birthday presents early that year, which included an etched silver bracelet and a dark blue woolen cap, knit by a woman at the Scottish festival that year. Grandma had also brought with her an ice cream cake with a snowman on top, reading Happy Birthday Collette.

And then everyone scattered for the concert. There were many old faces there. OLeif, Collette, and Molly sat with Ivy, who had also come to watch.

Linnea’s choir sang well; Linnea made it through the whole performance, standing there solidly in the front row.

But poor Frances – as his choir made its way to the stage – lost his groceries, running down the aisle, all the way back into the foyer and the other side of the church. Once he (and the carpet) had been cleaned up a bit, he returned. Unfortunately, he was unable to sing with his choir, but he did watch some of the rest of the concert.

After the concert choir sang (accompanied partly by Mr. Sing), they ran in circles around town, trying to find out where the crowd was going for their annual after-concert snack.

In the end, OLeif decided to just end up at Red Robin on their own side of town – so he, Collette, and Molly met up with Magnus for burgers and such, five minutes before closing (which their waitress insisted, a thousand times over, was perfectly alright).

By eleven o’clock, the evening was over.