Handel's Messiah Advent

Advent is starting! I alternate Advent focuses, and this year is a New Testament year for us. Since we're all getting to be so grown up, we're going to be listening to Handel's Messiah. One of the best elements of Advent for us has been artistic responses to what we're thinking of. Last year we did clay ornaments, and that was wonderful, but really, I think they've loved more when they just had journals or even coloring pages. So, we're going to go through this book, which I got for free at some point, but haven't read yet. (There's a sale price again right now, by the way.) And we'll listen to the music of course. If the book turns out to be too much for everyone, we'll go with Cindy's simple schedule. Then we'll paint or draw or write something on the evenings when we have time. I had wanted to go to the art store and get some supplies this weekend, but everyone except Asya and I are miserable with bad colds, so we haven't gotten out yet.

Also... I hope that we might be able to make a trip to Kyiv to hear the Messiah sung in Ukrainian. Maybe. (Don't mention that to our children.) Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and Choir is going to do it, but they didn't know the date yet when I asked. I have found videos of them singing it (in a concert hall that we went to for something else a long time ago!), so we'll be listening to them all month, even if we don't get to hear them in person. Tonight we'll watch this news clip for background, as we get started.

Oh, and as we start into Advent we have to watch this little Catholic video again, too, since they sing "our song."