Can you believe that it’s October already?
Even with all the “free time” this summer, time has still managed to fly by!
Not that I’m complaining…Autumn is one of my favorite times of year and the Oakville area is particularly blessed with a wide variety of colors as all of our trees prepare for winter. We’ve officially harvested all of our tomatoes (we ended up with 8 plants!) and are now deciding what to do with all of these red, green, and purple (!) beauties. Last night, I made a delicious pasta sauce from our own tomatoes and herbs – it’s just so gratifying to reap the benefits of your hard work! (Although, to be fair, I think the tomatoes did most of the work.) Please feel free to share your favorite recipes for green tomatoes!
I’ve been busy this past month with lots of services, and I’m more grateful than ever for the ability to share my gifts with the world in these uncertain times. I continue to sing at St John’s United Church in Oakville every Sunday, and this year, we’re adding a little something extra – every Wednesday, the church sends out a small reflection and musical selection sung by one of our four soloists. Last week, Dave and I sang a lovely hymn as a duet, and before that, I recorded “There is a Balm in Gilead,” one of my favorite spirituals. If you’d like to watch St John’s services, they are livestreaming every Sunday morning (10:30 EST) on facebook, but you can watch them at any time.
In other news, my Opera Sustenida friends and I are already preparing for our next concert! No spoilers, but I’ll be singing one of the most beautiful duets in the history of opera. (Okay, I’ll give you a hint – it’s by Monteverdi). If you missed our live event last month, you can still access the replay by purchasing a ticket on our website.
Suzanne and I are approaching the end of our inaugural podcast series on The Art Song Podcast. We have just one more episode left in this particular series, featuring Oakville’s own Amice Calverley, for which we have a very special surprise planned. Suzanne and I have had a great time researching these women’s lives and works and hope that you’ve enjoyed learning about them, too! You can find all 7 episodes on our website, which includes not just the podcast episodes, but also our performance videos of the featured works and articles that we’ve written for each featured creator.
And finally, I’d like to wish a very Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends and family!
May your homes be full of joy, peace, and hope on this holiday.
Sending my warmest wishes to you, wherever you are!
With love and gratitude,
Daniella Theresia