Tonight, to celebrate St. Cecilia's Day, the Old Ivy Chorus and the Old Ivy Chamber Orchestra perform Haydn's Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae ("St. Cecilia Mass") in the St. Cecilia Chapel under the direction of Mr. Geschwindigkeit. St. Cecilia's Day is actually November 22, but since this often falls on Thanksgiving vacation, the College celebrates on the first Monday after.
The Dining Hall serves a special meal for the Feast of St. Cecilia: crown roast of lamb with rose hip jelly and acorn squash. There is no special significance to acorn squash, they just have lots of it this time of year.
The Old Ivy Chorus and the Old Ivy Bach Chorale are two different groups. The Bach Chorale sings nothing but Bach; the Chorus sings Bach, too, but also Mozart, Hadyn, Beethoven and -- when Mr. Geschwindigkeit feels daring -- Schubert.
Mr. Mendelssohn and Mr. Geschwindigkeit do not see eye to eye on this matter. Mr. Mendelssohn feels that there is no reason for a college choir to sing anything other than Bach, while Mr. Geschwindigkeit strongly believes that young people "dig" the more up to date sound of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and the really out there stuff like Schubert.
Molly, Megan, Henry, Albert and Pamela attend the concert, but there's no sign of Natasha. That's because she's busily sketching her next work and boffing with Umberto.
There are no parts for flute or clarinet in the Mass, so tonight Roderick joins Zack in the bass section of the Chorus while Anna, Emily Scharf, Candy Whistlethorne and the sexy flautists join the sopranos. The rest of the Chamber Orchestra is as usual: a violin section of Changs, shy violas, slutty cellists, cool basses, double Reeds, problematic bassoons, brassy trumpets and gorgeous Nancy Pauken on kettledrums, looking fetching in her low-cut black concert attire. There's a running joke amongst the men of the orchestra that Nancy Pauken bangs the kettledrums and everyone else would like to bang Nancy Pauken. The women of the orchestra don't think this is funny at all, or pretend they don't.
Betsy Whistler stands directly in front of Roderick on the risers. During the Qui Tollis, Peccata Mundi, she rubs her buttocks against him. Meanwhile, Zack has his hands full with Emily and Candy.
After the concert, members of the St. Cecilia Club serve cupcakes in the foyer. The cupcakes are lovely. Roderick takes two and chats with Molly. Betsy Whistler joins them. Roderick does the introductions.
"Molly, this is Betsy...Betsy, Molly..."
Betsy smiles. "Hi."
"I really like this Mass," says Molly. "Don't you?"
"I do," Betsy giggles. "Especially the Pecatta Mundi." She winks at Roderick and mouths the words "call me."
Later in the evening, Molly and Roderick snuggle under the covers.
"Roderick?"
"Hmmm?"
"Is Betsy Whistler one of your other girlfriends?"
"Not formally. Not yet, anyway."
Silence.
"Roderick?"
"Hmmm?"
"You remember our pledge, right?"
"Of course I do."
"That's good."
Silence.
"Because I'd be crushed if you forgot."
Roderick squeezes Molly. "I won't forget."
