Chord Progression

On Sunday, at choir rehearsal, I was learning the alto part to “O Holy Night” for our Christmas program. Suddenly, my throat seized and tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t sing.

I try not to be noticed when I cry. But my friend, Christy, noticed and whispered, “Are you okay?”

Afterwards, I told her, “Sometimes the music just hits me.”
“Isn’t that why we do it?”
“But it makes it impossible to sing.”

What are those harmonies? I took a music appreciation class in high school, taught by my beloved orchestra conductor, Mr. Ragno. He was a true mentor and friend to a group of us students. We would sit in his office for hours, talking  with him. He was genuine, compassionate, and took us seriously. But that was 45 years ago, and how much knowledge could he have poured into my brain in one semester?

I just googled 'Ragno Westfield NJ' and found his obituary. He died two years ago, at the age of 86. Jim and I met him on the sidewalks of Westfield back in the early 1980s. He was as gregarious and Italian as ever. I'm glad we saw him. I wish I could tell him that I still think about him. He's a real-life Mr. Holland.

Yesterday, my friend and piano teacher, Cami, helped me pick out the chords in "O Holy Night." E-flat major, c minor, g minor, f minor. Chord progression: I-vi-iii-ii. Intense. I feel pierced and vulnerable.

“Isn’t that why we do it?”