I have been so bad!

I totally slacked off, feeling all proud of myself for not slacking off too much in December. AND I got real busy doing a concert.

But I'm back at it now. One thing I did do was Review My Goals. I realized I had started new projects and then forgotten about them in the press of other events, like hand surgery, etc. Such as "Goal 74 -Listen to a CD every week." After that one post (after the jump) I never listened to another CD! I thought about it from time to time, but I got really busy. I'm telling you, you have to keep reviewing your goals or you'll forget about them.

Anyway, I listened to an actual CD. This was Olivier Messiaen: "La Nativite du Seigneur," nine meditations for organ. It's performed by an organist friend and colleague of mine, Renee Louprette, who is about the most amazing organist I've ever heard and can totally make stuff up out of her head on the spot that sounds like some major composer wrote it.

I'm really fond of Messiaen, and I hear his work a lot, being in the pro choir of a big church with a huge important organ. Listening to the CD wasn't as big a thrill as listening to it live, but it's still pretty amazing.

Messiaen was a super-religious person whose "faith was the sole reason for his composing," according to the liner notes. He used stained glass as a sort of "muse" for his music, and listening to it is actually a little bit like looking at really amazing stained glass. (Ever been to Saint-Chappelle in Paris? Wow.) Even on the little computer speakers the last meditation of the set made the hair rise on the back of my neck. I have to listen to it again on my iPod. Preferably reclining with my eyes closed with a glass of Chardonnay. That would be the way to do it. If you can't actually listen in the organ loft, which would be my preference. IF they would let me have a glass of Chardonnay up there.