singing

got back from the annual Xmas carol singing party. It was good! Last year there were more good singers but I'll take whatever comes. I just like being in K. and M.'s house. Oh the books! And all the fuzzy brocady looking wallpaper and nifty chairs, and the old books. Did I mention that they have interesting books?

I was only able to sing the alto bits when they were the most retarded of alto parts, ie, a third lower than the main thing, or just the same note over and over with minor variations. Like on "Joy to the World". Rook and I, well, mostly that was me I suppose, cracked up like idiots on the song "Up on the Housetop" which I believe is actually about anal sex. "down through the chimney"... "Next comes the stocking of Little Will, Oh dear Santa fill it well". Then there's that whole line about the whip. It sounds like those Victorian porn books I was reading a few weeks ago.

The song "Masters in this Hall" was very cool - I had never heard it before. We did this near the end. What is not to like about a song where you get to say the word "holpen"? Yay!

Whenever K. and B. would bust out into their trippy really high soprano thing, I would think of the words "glorious trilling descant" and then of the words "fire lizards". Then I would burst out laughing. That sort of thing is impossible to explain. Even Rook just looked at me funny when I told him this in the car on the way home.

For the first time in their rather moldy basement amongst the bookshelves I saw some issues of Saint Nicholas magazine - I looked at the 1898-1915 ones. Kids in kids' books are always reading these. Finally I have at least seen what they look like! I was also intrigued by a book called Heroes of Darkest Africa that looked... oh... 1860-ish... with amazing color plates. And the shelves and shelves full of old pulp sf magazines. I mean really old ones! All nicely arranged...