I sang to the world last night. The concert was at Minard. For those of you familiar with Ghent, this is the image that may come to mind:

I wasn’t looking out at this view. Instead I was in the auditorium’s café … with about fifty of us enjoying the drinks and the music.

I sang Paint The Sky With Stars during the open mic part of the evening. Here I am:

Wait a minute … that’s not me. I’m pretty sure that my hair is shorter and my face older.

I’d sung a capella in front of people twice before but that didn’t create a deep groove of performance. I was nervous yesterday but happily I was excited too. The song is marvelous:

Place a name upon the night
One to set your heart alight
One to make the darkness bright
Paint the sky with stars

I wanted to sing in a key that would allow me to hit deep notes without wobbling. I did that. I wanted to sing with passion, whether in-tune or out-of-tune, whether the words were remembered well or not. I did that.

And … I wanted to “fill the room” – to reach people at the back. Although I’m hesitant to say this, I did that. The bartender way over there kept his eyes on me as I sang.

I feel tall

Throughout the evening, an artist created images of us performers. The creations of her hand were being revealed moment-to-moment, beamed to a large screen for all to see.

On December 11, there’ll be another open mic session at Minard. I’ll be there, with some beloved song. Perhaps Song For A Winter’s Night, perhaps Loving Arms …