What a day!

Well Catrin came home from school last night (Tuesday) bearing the joyful tidings that she had an mock oral exam in some awful subject on Thursday...

and her audition and interview for the degree in Musicology and French Song today...

Her general stress level was already pretty high - she takes her studies and exams very seriously - but now it rocketed. "I was a real train wreck." she told me.

Anyway, as we were on the way to the audition, which took place in the architecturally important, but hideous Fuksas building, la Maison des Arts, Catrin's friend was talking, interceding with her teacher who said she can do her oral next week, after the written exams if she wants.

After one false start we found the room and the little queue outside. After we'd waited a while some current students came out and talked to everyone about destressing - breathing, warming up your voice, etc...

One of the previous applicants had had a disaster. She asked to try again, but they said, "No, it isn't a problem, time is limited and we take everything into account..."

Catrin's turn came. She entered the room where there were four people on the jury and perhaps 15 people sat at the back, listening.

I sat outside with my eyes closed and tried to listen, but the door was thick.

Then I heard her belting out Celine Dion like a star -

"Longue l'attente de l'heure! 
Lourde la peine de nos coeurs!
Mais si grands notre amour, notre foi en toi,
et difficile de te comprendre parfois..."

"Ah, did Celine Dion write the text and the music?"

"No, the text is by Jean-Jacques Goldman"

One of the students punched the air and said, "Yes!" silently to encourage Catrin.

Then she played her piano piece.

Then I heard her start another song...

Afterwards she came out smiling, "I think it went OK."

The président of the jury said, "And about cycle 2 piano... How much piano have you done?"

"Well, perhaps maybe a year and a half..."

"Really? And you play like that? See what can be done with hard work! If I find out you've done ten years of piano lessons I will be annoyed!"

One of the things I have been sad about is that we couldn't give the kids the music lessons we would have liked to have done - piano for Catrin, singing for Gwilym. We just couldn't.

But God gave us two friends who started Catrin off and gave her a method and confidence to play - Jenna and Judith. And God gave to our kids talent and determination. And so Gwilym in his interview was told that he should major in guitar because his voice is good and strong.

Home, then pizza, then Maison de la Bible, where our sales were very good today!
Oh yes! and I found "Christ our Life" in kindle format in the Westminster Seminary Bookshop!