Our day started off with a flash, in that the sun rose and shone its flashing rays all about our room, waking us from our restful repose. That was especially true for the men in my dorm, as our windows seemingly face the east. After our normal morning routines, we converged upon the cafeteria at or around 8:00. Kenny said this about his breakfast, “Ah, the breakfast. It was good. It was hors d’oeuvres style in that you made your own sandwich and ate it. And there were well-cooked scrambled eggs which were included.”
We have been having a lot of meat, cheese, and bread for our breakfasts. And some people are getting tired of it. It’s not quite at the verbal complaining point yet, but it might be getting close. Mr. Lloyd said this about the breakfast, “The scrambled eggs were good this morning. But my guess is that you will miss bread and cheese a few days after you get home.”
After initial warmups, we had a devotional by Mr. Titus. And then, the recording began. Edward, our recording engineer, had a really cool t-shirt on that he wore specifically for us. Unfortunately, today felt less focused, and we struggled with staying in key more than yesterday.
The first song we recorded was “Do Lord.” After several really good takes, a few ladies next to me described their morning in one word. Alissa: “Too-brilliant.” Carolyn: “Weary.” Rhoda: “Bored.”
After that, we recorded “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross.” Unfortunately, we consistently flatted this one. Regarding this, Dervin said, “After singing it so many times, it feels like the meaning of the song isn’t there. Yet I want to achieve the goal of the directors.” Good for him. Chris said, “I’m pretty much speechless. What do you want me to say? Also, lifestyle changes are best made early in the morning.”
The rest of the morning consisted of guess what? Recording! After a good lunch and some personal work on “Abendlied,” we got back to recording. We successfully recorded “Abendlied” in pretty much two takes. Good for us!
After a while, Mr. Lloyd’s brother and wife from Spain, arrived and we sang “Happy Birthday” for him. Since we improvised such a beautiful rendition, we decided to put it on our CD, as there are very few recordings of that available. (just kidding!)
The rest of the afternoon consisted of guess what? Recording! Spirits sagged slightly, and the building temperature increased. “Oh, it’s so hot!” was a phrase that I heard coming from my left throughout the afternoon. After a snack around 3:30, spirits rose, the heat seemed less intense, and joy levels increased. Recording finished by 5:50 or so, after which we had a scrummy supper.
At 7:30, we reconvened in the chapel for a talent show. We were entertained by poetry, barbershop music, a real Greek Tragedy, stories about Mr. Lloyd from his brother, and much more. After that, people simply hung out, maximizing the extended curfew. One major discussion related to starting a Mennonite monastery. Any takers out there?
Pray for energy and grace to finish the tour well and that the seeds that will be planted through the CD will bear much fruit in God’s Kingdom!
Written by Jonathan Miller
