Chorus started up again last night. We have several new members, including a twentysomething tenor from Madrid who speaks French in addition to Spanish. There was some talk of our upcoming trip to France next summer; there will be plenty more as we get closer to the date.

I was pleased and impressed that we were able to read entirely through a new piece for us, Out of the Orient Crystal Skies. A few pieces were brought back from the past such as Carol of the Bells, A Holly Jazzy Christmas, and Sifuni Leo (which aelfsciene had a solo in three years ago). We're also doing Christmas Time is Here. I haven't compared the piano accompaniment to what's in my Peanuts collection, but it looks similar. That might influence whether I decide to learn it instead of Linus and Lucy, although I doubt I'll be able to play it well enough to accompany the group by December. But I could look at the piano score and envision how I would play some of the piano parts.

After rehearsal, some of us who are trying to practice French spoke it with each other in the parking lot. One of our sopranos who was born in France said she would speak to us only in French if we wished. That will help me learn French because I don't get to hear much besides what's on my practice CDs and tapes.